Hospitals and health systems have consistently focused on recruiting top talent. While this remains a key priority, retention is gaining prominence amid ongoing workforce challenges.
In 2025, 2 in 5 healthcare workers reported feeling their role is unsustainable, and 1 in 4 said they are considering leaving the industry entirely, according to Indeed’s “Pulse of Healthcare 2025” report.
Erie County Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center in Buffalo, N.Y., is taking a holistic approach to culture and retention.
“We have high expectations as an important healthcare provider in a community that serves thousands of people every year — to have high standards of our employees and, in turn, what we want to deliver to patients, will retain the top talent” Chief Human Resources Officer Julie Kline said during a “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast” episode. “What we’ve found is, when you have high standards, people live up to those high standards, feel greater pride in their work, and become more engaged.”
“It’s when an employer has low standards for their employees, people will become complacent and stop caring,” she added. “The top talent won’t put up with low standards and will eventually leave.”
Ms. Kline cited several efforts to raise expectations, including resetting preferred qualifications on job descriptions, revising attendance policies, adopting a “walk the talk” approach for leaders that reinforce the organization’s values, and fostering an environment where employees can openly share their strengths and learn from one another.
“Many organizations across the U.S. have lowered their standards, accepting behavior or actions not conducive to an organization’s mission. At ECMC, we constantly raise the bar. We want the best of the best.”
As a result of these and other efforts, ECMC’s voluntary turnover rate is one of the lowest among hospitals at 8%. Ms. Kline said she expects that figure to continue declining as they continue to focus on culture and people.
Other systems have launched rare benefits as retention drivers, such as Midland-based MyMichigan Health’s program allowing employees to access a portion of their earned pay before payday.
“We see this supporting engagement and retention,” Chief Human Resources Officer Julie Ward, EdD, told Becker’s in October. “It may also help with new hires, depending on where they fall in the pay cycle. Sometimes, it could be three weeks before they get their first paycheck, and this gives them the opportunity to access their earnings earlier.”
Career advancement initiatives
Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., recently aligned its recruitment efforts with its broader retention strategy. The organization launched its first apprenticeship cohort in September, aiming to foster long-term employee engagement and career pathways.
The seven-month patient care technician apprenticeship includes 10 apprentices who are paid for 40 hours per week — 20 spent shadowing and 20 in the classroom with academic partners — while earning their credentials. After completing the program, apprentices move into patient care technician roles and begin a pathway to become registered nurses.
A workforce that feels energized by its work and supported in career mobility and growth is a strong factor in retention, Chief People Officer Gina Cronin said.
“What we’ve learned from our colleagues about apprenticeships is that there’s incredible loyalty,” she told Becker’s. “Once we invest in this workforce, there’s a really high retention rate into the organization.”
Children’s National is located near wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., which as of 2020 had poverty rates of 26.6% and 35.7%, respectively, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The purpose of the apprenticeship is to attract local residents into healthcare roles that offer family-sustaining careers, while also promoting internal mobility and long-term retention among current staff.
“This is a unique opportunity where it is the ultimate win-win,” Ms. Cronin said. “How do we attract new caregivers into our workforce for these roles that have critical shortages but are also well-paying careers? How do we support entry into those roles from either our own workforce or the communities that we serve that require no skills, no degrees — and support them along the way?”
