Although she’s had plenty of amazing experiences in her two years at Northside Hospital, Desire’ F. can sum up what sets us apart in one word: Growth.

“I would say it’s an exponential amount of growth, and it opens up growth for you as an individual,” she said. “It’s personal growth and development as a career pathway.”

Desire’ started here as a staff nurse, then became a supervisor and is now a Med/Surg manager at Northside Cherokee. She will oversee the opening of a GI unit in October and a same day surgery unit in December.

She feels she has become a showcase for how Northside supports team members on their career journeys.

“Northside Hospital has a great program for leadership development,” Desire’ said. “These specific courses allow one to gain solid communication skills and materials. In addition, the program provides support, education and access to resources you need to succeed here.”

Success is something Desire’ – and everyone here – celebrates. Succeeding every day in the demanding environment of healthcare is among the things that define what working at Northside is all about. Desire’ says there are plenty of others.

“The people I work with” she said, citing what she loves most about working at Northside. “It’s about bringing together community and extending that culture to the floor. That creates the close relationships, family bonding and teamwork that allows us to set and keep our service standards so high. We pride ourselves on excellence.”

Desire’ said anyone who has their sights set on a Northside career needs to embrace excellence in whatever they do – because it will pay off.

“The standards here are like no other,” she said. “There are lots of opportunities, too, such as externships, in different areas of the healthcare system that could lead to your growth. [Northside] really places individuals where they will flourish.”

Because of the focus on growth, Desire’ said there might be some people who wouldn’t fit into the Northside family.

“Somebody who does not enjoy learning new things and who doesn’t like change, for example,” she said. “Negativity is not something we’d like to see flourish on the floor, so we can’t have somebody who doesn’t want to grow with us.”

What other advice does she have for job seekers?

“We look for retention,” Desire’ said. “We want someone who is honest and loyal, someone who has ambition to further their career growth.”

When she looks ahead to her own career growth, Desire’ said she is excited about the foundation she is building here.

“I just really want to embed myself into the community and really make myself an asset here,” she said. “I want to enhance the culture (if that’s even possible) and make it a better experience for my colleagues and our patients. I want to plant a good culture seed so we can expand on that.”

The benefits of being part of the Northside family are no secret to any of us who work here.

Still, it’s nice when we’re recognized for being a leader in key areas that directly impact our team members and through them, our patients. That’s why we’re thrilled and honored to learn that we’ve been singled out for not one, not two, not three, but four  2019 awards from the compensation and culture tracking website Comparably.

Our CEO was named among the “Best CEOs for Diversity” and “Best CEOs for Women,” honors that showcase our core belief that diversity makes us stronger. It’s a commitment that starts at the top and trickles down to every leader and team member and it is one of the main reasons we’ve found so much success.

Northside Hospital was also recognized for being among the top 25 companies that earned the “Best Leadership Team” title for 2019. This is also an honor that starts in the C-suite, and echoes throughout the Northside healthcare system.

Our leaders, at all levels, work to challenge, empower and support us, aiming to help all of us grow professionally and personally.

One of the best things about this award was that it was based on feedback from our team members, one of whom wrote: “Our leadership team is comprised of a dynamic group of forward thinkers who will stop at nothing to propel our organization forward.”

Speaking of moving forward, Northside Hospital also was named as one of the top 25 companies for “Best Professional Development,” another honor that was bestowed on us by our own employees.

Thanks to their feedback, this is another area where Northside is getting some well-deserved recognition. We believe we can best serve our patients and our communities by ensuring that our employees are at their best – and that’s something we strive for every day.

It’s another one of our core values, and it’s wonderful to see how many in the Northside family truly appreciate the extensive opportunities for growth that they get here.

“I am encouraged to be curious,” one of them wrote in the Comparably survey. “And I have been given a lot of tools to expand my knowledge and skills to do my job more effectively.”

As we cross the halfway point in 2019, all of us here are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far this year. The Comparably awards are proof that we are doing the right things for our employees and Northside as a whole.

While we are honored and very proud, we’re not resting on our laurels. Far from it, in fact. Instead, we’re using these accolades as motivation to be even better in the future.

If you’re searching for the right home for your professional skills, think about how much values including diversity, good leadership and career development mean to you. Then, think about joining us here at Northside Hospital!