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MIAMI, Dec. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VITAS Healthcare is once again setting the standard for employer excellence within the healthcare and hospice community. The nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care for 45 years achieved the Best-in-Class Award in the category of employee experience in healthcare for North America, presented at the 2023 HRO Today Association Conference on December 1, 2023.

The HRO Today Association Awards is an annual recognition program that exemplifies the essential work that HR professionals do every day. The Association allows people, teams, partners and companies to share best practices and successes so colleagues and the industry can benefit from their experience.

“VITAS is committed to a people-first culture, and our employees are the heart of what we do,” said Diane Psaras, executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “That’s why we took steps to improve our employee experience even further by implementing internal philosophies, developing a recognition program and launching a platform to highlight and share inspirational stories.”

• The VITAS Difference describes key behaviors that differentiate the organization from all other hospice providers, emphasizing that employees demonstrate Commitment, Compassion and a Can-Do Attitude in every interaction with every person. The organization also developed a peer-to-peer recognition program that was launched to celebrate exceptional team members who go above and beyond and consistently demonstrate The VITAS Difference in their daily interactions with patients and families, as well as colleagues and within the community.
  
• The VITAS Employee Promise was established to create a positive environment where employees are supported and can grow professionally. In a people-first work environment, employees can expect to be supported in their career development and provided with the tools needed to succeed by authentic, approachable leaders.
  
• The Passion in Action podcast is a platform used to authentically connect with current VITAS employees and hear their incredible stories of building bonds with patients and caregivers. Listeners get an inside look at what it means to work in hospice care while highlighting the impactful work of its clinical team members.
  
• The mobile-first myVITAS intranet is the place to search for benefits information or to recognize a peer for making The VITAS Difference. The intranet platform was developed as a central tool for employees to stay informed about company culture, educational and training opportunities and other internal communications. Through this platform, clinical and non-clinical employees can share information and stay connected.
  

“VITAS has long been committed to fostering a culture where all employees can thrive and succeed,” said Nick Westfall, president and chief executive officer. “We foster employees’ success with training, continuous education classes and opportunities for career development. We then give them the tools and flexibility to pursue their calling and improve their skills as they see fit, always meeting our high industry standards.”

VITAS was also a finalist in two other categories:

• Best In Class: HR Technology – for its implementation of the Oracle Cloud Fusion HRIS Technology and the creation of its own hospice scheduling and payroll tool built through Microsoft Power Apps.
• HR Team of the Year – for leading additional strategic initiatives like establishing the VITAS Employee Promise and materializing The VITAS Difference that have significantly and positively impacted recruitment, retention and engagement goals.

These successful, industry-leading programs are shepherded by Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Diane Psaras, who was honored this year with the prestigious Front of the Front Line: Sustainable Workforce Award from HRO Today. Additionally, she was recognized as a Leader of Distinction and a finalist for the esteemed CHRO of the Year Award.

To learn more about career opportunities and join the award-winning employee experience at VITAS, visit www.vitas.com/careers.

About VITAS^® Healthcare
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 50 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 10,443 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness, primarily in the patients’ homes, and also in the company’s 25 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the third quarter of 2023, VITAS reported an average daily census of 19,047. Visit www.vitas.com.

Media inquiries contact: media@vitas.com, 877-848-2701