Improved workforce engagement is never attained from just one effort, hospital and health system CEOs told Becker’s.
Rather, it stems from multiple strategies, according to Candace Johnson, PhD, president and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Workforce needs and strategies vary across hospitals, as the most pressing challenges — from shortages in bedside roles to financial pressures — can differ by organization size, type or region.
A recent LinkedIn poll found that healthcare is among the industries with the most stressed managers, with 31% of healthcare workers who responded saying their manager is too stressed to help them at work.
Becker’s connected with five hospital and health system CEOs to learn how they have moved the needle in workforce engagement in 2025.
Career development
Mile Bluff Medical Center in Mauston, Wis., has improved workforce engagement through structured career advancement opportunities, CEO Dara Bartels said.
“Our efforts include formal apprenticeship programs and internal job shadowing experiences, giving employees both the training and exposure needed to envision and pursue long-term careers within our organization,” she said.
Mile Bluff also removes financial barriers to growth by covering tuition costs and offering hands-on learning for roles including certified nursing assistants, surgical technicians, medical assistants and pharmacy technicians.
“At the same time, job shadowing allows team members to explore different departments, build cross-functional relationships and identify new interests,” Ms. Bartels said. “Together, these efforts have created a culture of continuous learning and mobility, resulting in stronger engagement, increased retention and a more future-focused workforce.”
‘Culture of connection’
A staff-led resiliency program has been an “incredible resource” for employees at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Johnson said. The center’s chief wellness officer and program leader have launched several staff support initiatives recognized through the American Medical Association’s Joy in Medicine program. These efforts include respite rooms, arts programming and creative outlets for team members.
“And our HR teams have done really nice work with leader rounding across campus, a new staff recognition platform and a lot of ways to listen to our teams,” she said. “Working in healthcare and in oncology especially can be incredibly hard, so we’ve put a lot of thought and time into how we can help build our team back up so they don’t experience burnout.”
At South Weymouth, Mass.-based South Shore Health, President and CEO Allen Smith, MD, has focused on a combination of leadership, relationships and culture to improve engagement.
The organization averages 300 well-being encounters annually, Dr. Smith said, including programs to support personal and professional well-being. One of these is its peer support program — which has grown more than 26% in the past year — in addition to listening sessions, well-being rounds and an employee assistance program.
“We also invest in professional development opportunities to help colleagues grow in their careers,” Dr. Smith said. “Together, these initiatives reinforce a culture of connection, emotional resilience and balance — helping colleagues feel valued, supported and engaged in their work.”
Aligning core values
For Kaye Green, CEO of Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales, N.M., engagement stems from a multifaceted approach. Emphasizing core values and aligning them with the work being done has been one area of the 22-bed hospital’s workforce engagement strategy.
“We made demonstration of our core values worth 50% of the employee’s performance evaluation this past year,” she said. “We created a new rewards & recognition system around the core values. Conversely, when necessary, we are aligning disciplinary matters with lack of adherence to our core values.”
This approach — along with regular huddles to empower employees to “own their work and have the tools to make independent improvements,” acting on staff feedback and implementing pay raises in key areas — has led to improved engagement scores in 2025.
Councils and committees
Rozanna Penney, CRNA, president and CEO of Gardner, Mass.-based Heywood Healthcare, credits the creation of a president’s advisory council and the revitalization of a wellness committee for increasing its engagement satisfaction score by 6.4% in 2024. The advisory council, she said, has concentrated on organizational values and leadership training, with more than 300 staff responses guiding the initiatives.
“The employee-led wellness committee addresses the various challenges faced by staff, focusing on financial, emotional and physical well-being,” Ms. Penney said. “The emphasis on active participation and professional growth has strengthened our sense of community, making Heywood Healthcare a place where employees are proud to work.”
