Ronald R. Peterson
President
Johns Hopkins Health System

The Challenge

The Johns Hopkins Health System has developed a series of programs encompassing best practices to tackle four challenges: increase job opportunities for area youth with disabilities; more efficiently handle disputes among its employees, including EEO disputes; improve upward mobility for both new hires and permanent staff, including those from under-represented groups; and, enhance the skills of its service workers.

Start On Success (SOS) Program

Since 2003, The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) Human Resources Department (HR) has partnered with Workfirst, a division of Humanim, a human services company, to provide the Start On Success (SOS) Program to students with disabili­ties receiving special education services in the Baltimore City Public School System. The goal of this program is to enable a smooth transition for students with disabilities from school to work—in jobs that offer a good wage of at least $8.50 per hour with an excellent benefits package.

An approach JHH implemented included working with various departments to provide work sites for students to complete internships, serving as supervisors/mentors, evaluating students’ performances and hiring successful interns, if jobs were available. In addition, the staff coordinator provides intensive support and job coaching throughout the internship.

Over the course of the program, 41 students have been placed in internships, with a 90 percent completion rate; 51 percent were placed in employment situations, with 35 percent of those placed in employment at JHH in departments, such as Nutrition, Escort Services, Linen and Mail Services.

The Hopkins EEOC Mediation Process

In furtherance of its mission and core values, JHH has long supported alternative dispute resolution in a number of different areas, from patient care to employment processes. JHH not only provides an internal informal mediation process to employees, it also strongly supports the EEOC Mediation Program. This has been an integral process at Hopkins for years, both informally and formally. Charges of discrimination that are ripe for resolution are resolved through a Universal Agreement to Mediate signed with the EEOC.

In the early nineties, almost 100 charges of discrimination in various stages of investigation were open at Hopkins, many had not been responded to, and in fact, subpoenas had been issued demand­ing responses. Several matters were pending in state or federal court. The relationship between Hopkins and the EEOC, to say the least, was less than optimal. It was clear that business could not continue as usual. After a great deal of time, effort and funds were expended, the backlog was brought under control, but that did not seem to be enough. It was clear that a more proactive approach had to be taken to resolve employment disputes. Mediation was the next logical step in the hospital’s evolution.

Due to early intervention and participation with the EEOC’s mediation program, charges of discrimination have been resolved without an investigation in approximately 90 percent of all cases. In addition, at any given time, there may only be one or two charges in total that are pending in a workforce of almost 9,000, and often, they are simply in the process of being scheduled for media­tion. We believe that in many cases, the mediation program salvages workplace relationships, allows employees to feel valued, and thus aids in employee retention.

Project R.E.A.C.H.:

In a jointly funded program, Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) partnered with the U. S. Department of Labor to expand and enhance its existing employee training programs. Project R.E.A.C.H. (Resources and Education for the Advancement of Careers at Hopkins) was designed in the fall of 2004 to help JHHS employees acquire the skills and knowledge required to fill vacant healthcare occupations and meet urgent skill shortages.

It is almost impossible for entry-level workers to get the training they need because of family responsibilities or working second jobs. Overcoming this barrier became an early goal of Project R.E.A.C.H. – to make training easily accessible to its staff. Project R.E.A.C.H. allows participants to go to training during work hours.

Project R.E.A.C.H., which reports directly to the Vice-President of the Department of Human Resources, began its recruitment process by providing an opportunity for incumbent employees to apply for participation in the project. A series of comprehensive assessments of basic skills and career aptitude/interests were conducted to provide targeted workers with training and/or education needed to move to higher-skilled jobs.

After overcoming several challenges to the project – including backfilling participants’ positions – positive career transitions followed after participants completed training and moved on to new positions at JHHS. The impact of the upward mobility is demonstrated by participants’ career growth, higher wages, work schedules, and enhanced motivation.

As of this project’s last quarterly report: 781 incumbent workers have been assessed; 259 employees have completed some form of training; and the average wage gain for those who have completed training and moved into new positions is $1.33 per hour.

Skills Enhancement Program

To address the needs of service workers supporting the medical professions, Hopkins saw great value in participating in a two-phase U.S. Department of Education National Workplace Literacy grant from 1993 through November 1997. The grant made it possible to offer several classes onsite at Hopkins each semester, including Basic Math and Reading, GED Preparation and eventually Medical Terminology.

At the conclusion of the grant in 1997, Hopkins began funding the project from its own funds. Over the past ten years, the Johns Hopkins Skills Enhancement Program (SEP) has expanded from about seven classes per semester to the current 20+ classes offered during each of three sessions annually. Current course offerings include: English as a Second Language, Basic Math, Reading and Grammar Boosters, GED Preparation, College Prep-Algebra, Medical Terminology, Microsoft Applications, and small group Tutorials.

More than 200 employees participate in assessment and /or complete classes each session. Since the program’s inception, about 60 employees have earned high school diplomas. Of students who post-tested in basic skills or GED classes in two typical recent semesters, 56 students improved a total of 75 grade levels, and 39 students improved a total of 41 grade levels based on testing. Other employees have taken Medical Terminology and/or computer classes (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) and brought increased skills to their respective jobs or qualified for other positions.

Value added to the institution by SEP has become increasingly evident in terms of benefits to Hopkins, our staff and the surrounding community in multiple ways:

• Increased diversity in more skilled positions;
• Convenience for employees to upgrade academic skills;
• Venue for support staff to prepare for training/higher education;
• Better skilled employees;
• Stepping-stone for job growth and advancement;
• Community enhancement reflected by academic growth and employment of
  family members/employees;
• Increased employment opportunities at higher wage jobs;
• Increased retention of employees; and,
• Increased self-confidence as employees improve skills and reach goals.

The Health System

The Johns Hopkins Health System was formed in 1986 to coordinate a vertically integrated delivery system covering the full spectrum of patient care. Wholly owned subsidiaries include The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (including the Johns Hopkins Care Center), Howard County General Hospital (acquired in July 1998), Johns Hopkins Medical Ser­vices Corporation and Johns Hopkins Community Physicians. The Health System and The Johns Hopkins University are joint owners of the Johns Hopkins Home Care Group and Johns Hopkins HealthCare and together have developed the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center in downtown Baltimore. The Health System and The Johns Hopkins Hospital Endowment developed Johns Hopkins at Green Spring Station. The Health System developed Johns Hopkins at White Marsh in Baltimore County and Johns Hopkins at Cedar Lane in Howard County.

The Health System includes 1,534 licensed acute care beds and 507 skilled nursing and other special beds, and employs 15,756 people (including nurses but excluding physicians and house staff, who are School of Medicine employees). During FY ‘06, some 82,523 patients were discharged from these acute care beds, and the Health System provided approximately $147 million in uncompensated care. The Health System’s FY ‘06 consolidated net revenue was approximately $2.2 billion.

In addition to its number one ranking by US News & World Report, The Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked number one in a surveys conducted by the National Research Corporation in both the greater Baltimore region and in Washington, D.C.