That’s especially true during the hardest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when CNOs conduct scrubs and assist nurses at the bedside.
“But it’s not just COVID — she’ll do it if there’s a crash on the medical floor or whatever unit needs help,” Bennett said. “Nurses know they can depend on her, and we have built a good reputation in the community.”
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GRMC nurtures the esprit de Corps among its approximately 600 workers by organizing social activities — ice cream societies, pumpkin carving contests and the like — for its employees and inviting employees participate in community events, whether it’s handing out water bottles along a parade route or stacking cans at a community food sale.
“We look for anything we can do to help our employees see that they are part of something good,” says Bennett. “Anything may not appeal to everyone, so we look for a variety of opportunities” to suit a variety of interests.
Forefront Healthcare, a food and support services company based in Detroit, also provides opportunities for its employees to get involved in community-building activities. The company — which employs about 700 workers, most of whom work in 40 hospitals and senior living communities in 14 states — was founded in 2019 by a group of executives who had worked together before .
“We feel like one of our strengths is building a strong, cohesive culture and that is what we are committed to,” said CEO Dan Bowen.
