Largest Pediatric Healthcare System in the U.S. Continues to Provide Personal and Professional Opportunities for Employee Base

ATLANTA (January 16, 2014) – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been ranked among FORTUNE magazine’s elite list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. It is the ninth consecutive time the not-for-profit pediatric healthcare system has been named to the list. Landing at No. 43, Children’s is one of only two healthcare systems in Georgia to appear on the list, and one of only four companies headquartered in Georgia. In addition, Children’s is one of only two pediatric hospitals on the list. When broken down by size, Children’s placed 16th in the midsized company sub-category, and earned special recognition for being a top company in wages for nurses and nurse managers. Children’s also received recognition for being a top employer for minorities and women.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow. Our specialized care helps children get better faster and live healthier lives. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 20 neighborhood locations, Children’s is the largest healthcare provider for children in Georgia and one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country. Children’s puts a primary focus on employees, so it makes sense that the organization was ranked on a list that highlights specialty areas such as health care, child care and work-life balance.

In addition to traditional benefits, Children’s offers many unique programs, including a wellness program called Strong4Life through which employees collectively have lost more than 65 thousand pounds since the program’s launch in June 2008. Since 2009, Children’s began giving every employee who obtained a Strong4Life Health Assessment a discount on health care premiums. And, the employee wellness program demonstrates Children’s commitment to wellness, supporting the organization’s statewide childhood obesity campaign.

“We work hard to offer unique, relevant benefits to our employees. Our employees, however, are truly what makes Children’s a great place to work and a great place for kids. We are so proud of them and this honor,” said Linda Matzigkeit, Chief Administrative Officer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

METHODOLOGY

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 257 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 252,000 employees at those companies were surveyed by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees’ faith in management, we may exclude it from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. The deadline for applying for next year’s list is June 30, 2014. For an online nomination form, go to the Great Place to Work Institute’s web site. If you have further questions about the Best Companies to Work For, please e-mail fortunespecials@fortune.com.