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Southern Ohio Medical Center continues to climb Fortune Magazine’s list of the best places to work.

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Frank Lewis

PDT Staff Writer

For the sixth year in a row, Southern Ohio Medical Center has been named to Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. SOMC moved up from last year’s ranking and is now listed at number 29.

According to a news release from SOMC, “SOMC is the only hospital in the area to earn a spot on the list.”

“Being honored as one of Fortune’s best places to work means a lot to us at SOMC,” Randy Arnett, President and CEO of SOMC, said. “Our community is more than a place of business for us; it’s our home. It’s important to us that our area has a hospital that can offer cutting-edge healthcare with proven results, while also offering rewarding and meaningful employment opportunities”

Arnett said in addition to being recognized as one of the country’s best places to work by Fortune Magazine six years in a row, SOMC’s workforce has also earned and maintained a number of other distinctions, including Magnet designation, which is one of the country’s highest nursing honors; being ranked as the 10th best place to work by Modern Healthcare; receiving an “A” for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group and VPP Star Status from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for excellent workplace safety and health.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the 2,300 employees and physicians who helped make it happen,” Arnett said.

Vicki Noel, Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development at SOMC, said the employees are the engine that drives the hospital.

“The satisfaction and engagement of our workforce directly impacts the experience of our patients,” Noel said. “Without a workforce that is committed and caring, we would not have been able to achieve the level of quality, safety and service that make our recognitions possible. ”

Arnett said to pick the 100 Best Companies, Fortune partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct “the most extensive employee survey in corporate America.” He said two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the Institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management’s credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie.

The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication and diversity.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at flewis@civitasmedia.com