Providence hospitals in Southern California recognize the importance of employee well-being, either during crises like the recent wildfires or with more everyday concerns, such as running errands during the holidays. That’s why the hospitals decided to implement a concierge program for team members.
St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton was the first Providence hospital in Southern California to launch employee concierge services in April 2023. Today, Best Upon Request, a Cincinnati-based national services provider, supports several Providence locations in the region, including St. Jude, Mission Hospital Mission Viejo, Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica and Cedars-Sinai Tarzana.
Expanding access across the region
“We heard about the program from St. Jude and what they were doing with their caregivers,” Jessica Trimble, CFO and executive director of operations at Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, told Becker’s. “We were trying to figure out a way to give the impossible back to our caregivers — the gift of time. This was our way of trying to do that. We brought it live to our caregivers at Tarzana in January of 2024.”
Employees register for the program through an app, often using a QR code provided during orientation. Once enrolled, they can submit requests at any time — the platform is accessible 24/7 — and requests are fulfilled by concierge staff during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The program assists with tasks ranging from pickups and deliveries to information research. Among the most frequently used services are automotive appointments (such as oil changes), shipping, returns (including Amazon returns), grocery runs, dry cleaning, home services and prescription pickup. They also offer seasonal extras, such as gift wrapping during the holidays.
“They’ve even planned events,” Ms. Trimble said. “They help our caregivers with parties, like birthday parties. On the other end of the spectrum, they’ve helped those who are unfortunately planning services for loved ones. We had an event where a caregiver lost a family member, and she was grieving while also in charge of arrangements. They were very instrumental in helping her with that. So, it’s a wide spectrum of services.”
Roughly a third of Cedars-Sinai Tarzana’s 1,800 caregivers are now enrolled in the program, which is funded by donors.
“It really has given them back time. It’s very hard to do that — to give someone back their time — but our focus was to provide the opportunity for caregivers to spend time doing things they enjoy: being with family, with friends, traveling and not sitting in a waiting room waiting for their car to be fixed,” Ms. Trimble said.
She said the feedback from caregivers has been positive, and the hospital aims to expand the program to assist caregivers who work night shifts as well.
“That’s a different challenge because many vendors or services aren’t available during overnight hours when our caregivers are working. So, we’re looking at how to adapt or extend aspects of the program to better support nightshift caregivers,” she added.
Meeting caregiver needs at Saint John’s
Stephanie Baker, RN, CEN, chief nursing officer at Saint John’s Health Center, and Mina Kang, MD, chief medical officer at Saint John’s, said the concierge program has met a range of caregiver needs — including during recent wildfires in the Santa Monica area.
More than 50 physicians were displaced or evacuated during the fires, prompting Saint John’s to launch a trial of the service for medical staff.
“We started it as a trial with half a [full-time equivalent], and it went so well that they decided to keep it for physicians,” Dr. Kang said. “They’ve been using it for about eight months now, and it’s been very well received. From a burnout standpoint, it really helps relieve physicians of personal tasks they’d otherwise have to manage during the workday or on weekends.”
Ms. Baker noted many nurses were also affected — either directly or through family members. “It added a lot of stress, trying to get to work and make sure their families had safe places to stay,” she said. “We saw increased usage of the service over the summer because people were desperate for help. It really supported them during a difficult time.”
The program continues to be promoted as part of the hospital’s caregiver support strategy.
Promoting benefits
Ms. Baker told Becker’s the hospital promotes the program as an opportunity for caregivers to relieve them of duties they’d otherwise be doing on the weekends or during their time off.
“It’s part of our investment in the overall caregiver benefit package,” she added. “They still pay for the service, but it’s very easy to use. They sign up on the app, put a credit card on file and then bring in whatever they need [like dry cleaning, returns, or car keys for service]. Charges are sent directly to their credit card. It’s a nice convenience that removes some of the stress of personal errands.”
Dr. Kang said the program is also a patient care strategy.
“If our caregivers and physicians are taken care of, they can fully focus on their patients. That’s one of the ways we view this,” she said.
Ms. Baker added: “Every health system is watching metrics around turnover and trying to improve caregiver retention. We do a caregiver survey three times a year, so we stay in touch with what people need. Compensation is part of that, of course, but non-tangible benefits also matter — things beyond the paycheck.
“We highlight this program heavily during caregiver orientation, which we hold twice a month. Best Upon Request is featured alongside other services like counseling — all the extra support Providence offers. We include a QR code so new caregivers can sign up right away.
“People really appreciate having one less thing to worry about after work.”
Adoption, lessons and what’s next
Ms. Trimble recommended that other hospitals looking to implement a similar program “start small.”
“We’ve shared the model with some of our sister ministries locally, and they’re looking into it. It’s worth it. The concierge team becomes part of your team — they interact with your caregivers, and the caregivers really use the service,” she said.
As for lessons learned, Ms. Trimble said it’s “been a smooth transition. The concierge team is very responsive, and they’re always suggesting new activities and ways to raise awareness about the program. I was hesitant at first as the CFO, but hearing the stories and seeing the monthly reports on saved time — it changes your perspective.
“That’s time caregivers get back to spend with family, which is more important than sitting in a waiting room or doing grocery shopping. The lesson I’ve learned is that while the gift of time isn’t something you can easily put a price on, it really is priceless.”
