MemorialCare Named to International Great Workplace List

Fountain Valley-based MemorialCare Health System has been named as one of 29 great workplaces worldwide for 2011 by the Gallup Organization.

"We recognize that if your employees are engaged and productive, they're going to provide the best quality care and the best service to your patients," said Marcia Manker, CEO of in Fountain Valley.

MemorialCare also operates hospitals in San Clemente, Laguna Hills and Long Beach. Companies participating in the Gallup survey are judged on multiple criteria, including response rates, overall engagement levels and evidence of engagement impact on performance. For every five engaged employees at MemorialCare, there is one disengaged employee, Manker said. She also said that the system had a 92 percent response rate to the survey, compared to a health care industry average of about 78 percent.

About 15 percent of MemorialCare's 10,000 employees live in Fountain Valley, Manker said, adding that the award from Gallup is something that the community at large can take pride in because it reflects the potential for a higher overall quality of life, especially for Fountain Valley's aging population.

"When you have engaged employees, they help you recruit other top-notch employees," Manker said. "Health care is a tough environment ... so when we have a highly engaged workforce that's happy and they think their manager cares about them, they feel like there's transparency and openness and communication. They are your best advocacy in the community."