South Jersey’s Largest Health System Credits Caring Culture, Innovation

Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health system, has again earned national recognition as a top employer. Forbes magazine recently named Virtua among America's Best-In-State Employers for 2023.

This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., a statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The list of honorees can be viewed on the Forbes website.

Virtua has made the Forbes list annually since its inception five years ago. The not-for-profit health system was also named this year to Modern Healthcare's national “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” list. Moreover, Philadelphia Business Journal has named Virtua a “Best Place to Work” 16 times.

“At Virtua, we have a caring culture that attracts people who are highly dedicated, compassionate, and truly want to do good,” said Rhonda Jordan, SHRM-SCP, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Virtua. “We are also committed to innovation and employee development, so people know they can continue to learn, grow, and thrive at our organization.”

In fact, Virtua President and CEO Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, instituted a framework called the “Culture of WE” to help guide the 14,000-person organization’s people-first philosophy. The Culture of WE is centered on understanding, respect, and the empowerment of every Virtua colleague.

“I know of many colleagues who have been with Virtua for 20, 30 years or more,” said Jordan. “We’re extremely proud of our outstanding workforce, and we’re committed to being an employer of choice well into the future.”

Forbes and Statista chose the award recipients based on an independent survey of U.S. employees from all industry sectors at companies employing more than 500 people in the United States.

The evaluation was made on a state-by-state basis. Participants were asked to identify employers both in their state and nationally that stand out either positively or negatively. They were also asked to rate their own employers and provide feedback on work conditions, diversity, salary, potential for development, and the like.

Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua is especially distinct for its commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE). CEO Pullin enlisted a nationally respected IDE leader to facilitate discussions among Virtua’s board of trustees on how its actions can reinforce its intentions and values. Similarly, Virtua’s senior management team participates in training on unconscious bias, cultural understanding, and related topics.

Virtua has also instituted employee affinity groups, called Colleague Communities, as safe spaces to share, listen, and learn. These include the Black and African American Colleague Community, Women at Virtua, O.U.T. at Virtua (for LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies), VirtuAsia, and WE Serve (for military members and veterans).

To learn about career opportunities at Virtua, visit virtuacareers.com.