Improving recruiting and retention through innovative HR programs
Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System is addressing rural workforce retention by tackling the real-life barriers that make it hard for healthcare workers to stay, including housing costs, employee healthcare expenses, paid family support, and benefits that help team members build stable lives in central Kansas.
Episode Summary
This episode looks at how Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System is using innovative HR programs to strengthen recruitment and retention in rural Kansas. Katie Marcum explains how Hutchinson competes with nearby Wichita for staff and patients, and how limited housing inventory affects workforce planning. She discusses a donor-funded program offering eligible employees up to $25,000 toward building a new home, as well as a self-funded health plan design that allows employees and family members to receive services within the system at no additional cost beyond premiums. Early results include a reported reduction in turnover and a stronger benefits story for recruiting.
About the Guest
Katie Marcum, SHRM-CP
Compensation and Benefits Manager, Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System
Katie Marcum, SHRM-CP, serves as Compensation and Benefits Manager at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System. Her work focuses on total rewards, employee benefits, housing support, and practical HR strategies designed to help healthcare workers and their families stay rooted in the community.