Why Houston is the place to be for healthcare workers

Healthcare workers in search of new jobs may want to head to Houston.

Glassdoor’s 2024 Best Places to Work list, which was released in January and comprises 100 companies across a variety of industries, included just three hospitals—MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist, and Texas Children’s—and they’re all located in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. Experts say the combination of world-class medical facilities and competitive employee benefits make Houston one of the best cities for healthcare professionals to live in and work.

“Houston is the global leader in healthcare because of the Texas Medical Center,” Shibu Varghese, SVP of people, culture, and infrastructure at MD Anderson, said. “When people have a passion for healthcare and they’re thinking about employers […] a place to go is Houston.”

The benefits drawing workers to Houston

The Covid-19 pandemic spurred a wave of healthcare worker resignations and staffing shortages at hospitals across the US. As a result, human resource leaders have been tasked with figuring out ways to effectively recruit and retain healthcare workers, according to Robyn Begley, SVP and chief nursing officer of the American Hospital Association.

MD Anderson, Texas Children’s, and Houston Methodist all emphasize mental health benefits, given the healthcare industry’s burnout crisis.

Houston Methodist has a dedicated employee well-being clinic that can provide workers with immediate mental health support both virtually and in-person, Michael Brown, the hospital’s chief human resources officer, said.

MD Anderson provides “wellness leave” that allows employees to take up to 16 hours of paid time off per year, no questions asked, to take care of their mental health, Varghese said.

Linda Aldred, Texas Children’s executive VP and chief human resources officer, said the hospital offers a range of “mental fitness” benefits, like the option to meet with a chaplain from any religion.

Other benefits offered by the three hospitals include support for employees’ loved ones, such as paying for tutors for employees’ children, and leadership coaching. The benefits have had positive results so far.

In 2022, the average turnover rate for US hospitals was 22.7%, according to data from nursing agency NSI Nursing Solutions. At Texas Children’s, however, the turnover rate is currently 11%, Aldred said. At MD Anderson, the turnover rate is currently less than 10%, according to Varghese.

“Our retention is at an all-time high,” he added.

The turnover rate at Houston Methodist, meanwhile, is currently “well below 15%,” according to Brown. In 2023, the hospital saw its turnover rate decrease monthly, he added.

Other factors drawing healthcare workers to Houston include its ethnic diversity and low cost of living (there’s no state tax in Texas), Aldred added. Houston is also one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the US, and population growth tends to lead to more career opportunities, Brown added.

So, how can other hospitals become a ‘best place to work’?

A hospital that’s considered a “best place to work” consistently listens to workers through town halls and focus groups based on shifts or job functions, Begley said.

“When we asked our nurse leaders [why] they’re not happy [...] not feeling listened to or supported at work ranks right up there with insufficient staffing,” she said.

Successful hospital leaders also understand what benefits current and prospective employees want.

Women account for approximately eight in 10 healthcare workers, and Begley said she’s seen more organizations offer benefits like schedule flexibility, which helps working parents and caregivers.

“We’re seeing a lot of variation where hospitals are saying, ‘We want to work with you, what works with your family schedule,’” Begley said, adding that some remote work is more feasible thanks to virtual care offerings. “It obviously takes planning and takes real work on leaders’ parts to figure it out [...] but we’re seeing great success as we allow people flexibility.”

Texas has the third-highest number of medical school graduates in 2022, so hospitals should consider offering attractive benefits like tuition reimbursement, specialized certifications, and leadership development opportunities, Begley said.

Begley added that hospitals with lower turnover and higher employee satisfaction tend to have formal mentorship programs.

“Having regular check-ins with a mentor [...] that extends beyond the orientation and onboarding period, particularly with brand-new nurses, leads to better work satisfaction [and] longer retention,” she said.

The bottom line

Hospitals across the US looking to make their facilities more attractive to workers should consider investing in culture, Brown said.

“It’s employee engagement—it’s understanding how your employees are feeling and how you can best meet their needs,” he said. “We take that information, and we can use it to identify action plans, maybe where we need to be more responsive to the workforce.”