Company Profile
Company Overview
St. Joseph Hospital and PeaceHealth Medical Group in Bellingham
provide comprehensive and specialty care for the communities of
Northwest Washington. Highly-trained caregivers are committed to
providing safe, evidence-based, compassionate care to every patient.
We are a not-for-profit organization founded in 1891 by the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Peace, who continue today as sponsors of the
PeaceHealth system serving communities in Washington, Oregon
and Alaska. The medical and technology resources of PeaceHealth
combined with the caring atmosphere of a community hospital ensures
patients receive exceptional medicine and compassionate care.
Our dedicated physicians and staff have earned St. Joseph Hospital
recognition as a 100 Top Hospital in America and as a top-ranking
facility for patient quality initiatives in Washington state.
Company History
From Frontier Outpost to Regional Medical
In August 1890 two members of the fledgling order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace traveled west from their home in Atlantic, New Jersey. Their mission was to establish a hospital in the fishing and lumber town of Fairhaven, Washington, later part of Bellingham. Once there, Sisters Teresa Moran and Stanislaus Tighe began raising construction funds by selling annual hospital "tickets" for $10 each.
The Sisters opened 30-bed St. Joseph Hospital, the first hospital in Whatcom County, in January of the following year. It was staffed by seven nuns and a lay cook. Hospital food included fresh vegetables from the Sisters' own garden.
In 1901 St. Joseph Hospital moved to a larger 53-bed facility on Forest Street, built for $21,000. To help finance the new facility, the Sisters once again sold hospital tickets, venturing as far away as Alaska to collect funds from gold miners in the Klondike. The Forest Street hospital was expanded four times in 65 years before it was replaced in 1966 by a new 81-bed facility on Ellis Street (the hospital's current location).
After several major expansion projects and the purchase of St. Luke's General Hospital in 1989, St. Joseph became a two-campus hospital: Main Campus and, at the former St. Luke's site, South Campus.
The hospital continues to change and expand to meet the needs of growing communities in northwest Washington. In 2003 a major expansion project was completed that added a parking structure, new surgical suites and the Cardiovascular Center, and two more floors to the South Tower. In 2007 the emergency department was expanded and named the Haggen Family Emergency and Trauma Center, in commemoration of a major gift from the family.
In July 2008 PeaceHealth acquired the assets of Madrona Medical Group and combined the Madrona providers and the St. Joseph Medical Group providers to form PeaceHealth Medical Group.
Benefits
Benefit Plans & Programs
If you're looking for a career in health care that engages your heart as well as your mind, we encourage you to apply at PeaceHealth.
The following is a general outline of PeaceHealth benefits; there may be some regional variations. If you are a physician interested in PeaceHealth. contact the local recruiter for a fuller discussion of available benefits.
Medical/Dental/Vision
Choice of multiple medical plan options , Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage
Employee Assistance Program & Referral Service
Short-term counseling at no cost for employees and immediate family members.
Life Insurance
Employer-paid core Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance Up to five times annual pay in voluntary employ-paid Term Life and Accidental Death and AD&D insurance. Employer-paid core spouse/domestic partner & dependent Life insurance Up to $5,000 per dependent and up to $50,000 for voluntary employee-paid spousal life/domestic partner Life insurance Business Travel Insurance Disability Coverage
Long term disability offers 60 percent of pre-disability pay after 90th day
Short term disability offers 60 percent of pre-disability pay beginning on the 15th day of a disability and continues for up to 11 weeks.
Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Accounts
Employees may deposit up to $3,000/year to offset uninsured medical, dental and vision expenses. Employees may deposit up to $5,000/year to offset dependent care expenses. Voluntary benefits In addition to the benefits package; PeaceHealth offers other voluntary benefits including auto and home insurance, pet insurance, long term care insurance, legal services and critical illness benefit.
Paid Time Off
Flexible program which combines vacation, holidays and sick days. Allows employees the flexibility to use paid time off as they determine it best fits their needs and desires.
Transportation Benefit
Bellingham: Free parking, free bus pass, financial incentives for alternatives to driving alone to work
Leaves of Absence Paid leaves for:
Bereavement , Jury Duty, Military Duty Personal, parental and family medical leaves of absence are also available
Tax-Deferred Account Plan
Employees can contribute up to $16,500 of their income in 2011 (employees 50 or older can contribute up to $22,000 of their income). PeaceHealth matches on the first 4 percent of the employee’s contribution after the eligibility requirements are met:
25 percent match during first year; 50 percent match during second and third years; 75 percent match during fourth year; 100 percent match at five or more years Retirement Plan
After three years of employment and upon satisfying the plan’s eligibility requirements, PeaceHealth contributes 4 to 8 percent of your eligible pay depending on your age, and an additional 4 percent of eligible pay that exceeds the current year’s integration level.
457(b) Savings Plan
Employees can defer additional pre-tax contributions of up to $16,500 in 2011 to the 457(b) Savings Plan, a non-qualified 457(b) plan.
Educational Assistance Program
Financial assistance for college tuition and associated expenses
Training & Development
Training for managers and employees to develop personal, computer, managerial and organizational skills.
Fitness Facilities
Bellevue, System Services: subsidized memberships at Eastgate Fitness Center Regional Facilities: discounted or free access to on-site fitness areas or local clubs
Alternate/Flexible Work Schedules & Telecommuting
Designated positions as appropriate
Relocation Assistance
May be available for designated position vacancies