Hospital creates jobs in Janesville
Photo
RN Alyssa Hanekamp gets information concerning jobs at the new St. Mary Hospital in Janesville from HR worker Jessica Zimbelman at a job fair at St. Mary's in Madison. Hanekamp currently lives in Janesville.
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For information on the hiring process at St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital, including specific job postings, visit stmarysjanesville.com and click the “careers” link.
JANESVILLE — These are the days Eric Thornton has been thinking about for months.
The same can be said for the thousands of people who want a job at the new St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital that will open to patients in a little more than five months.
St. Mary’s is well into a hiring process that will, in short, place between 300 and 350 people in what is the equivalent of 262 full-time positions.
The $90 million, 50-bed hospital will be part of a medical campus at the intersection of Interstate 90/39 and Racine Street that also includes a new $60 million Dean Clinic.
While it’s one thing to hire 300 people for jobs at an expansion at an existing facility, it’s entirely another to do it for a medical facility that’s still under construction.
“As a human resources director, this is a very unique opportunity in my hometown,” said Thornton, who joined a tiny St. Mary’s administrative staff in November. “And it’s in health care, my field.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
He could probably ask for a vacation, but that’s out of the question. For all St. Mary’s staff, it’s all hands on deck until well after the hospital opens Jan. 9.
Interest in jobs at the new hospital has been intense since plans for the facility were first announced in 2008 and contractors broke ground a year later.
The portal for St. Mary’s jobs is its website—stmarysjanesville.com. Jobs are being posted daily, and the goal is to have staff hired by October so training can start shortly thereafter.
“Right now, we’re planning for October,” Thornton said. “In October, we start planning for January.”
The timeline is tightly structured to ensure training can initially start at offsite locations in Janesville. Eventually, that training will move into the new hospital, which hospital officials expect to take over from builders in November.
“We’ve got to train on workflow, technology and that building,” Thornton said. “People need to know that building intimately.”
Jobs—which Thornton said pay market competitive wages and benefits—are being posted and filled as department heads get their budgets and develop staffing plans.
Thornton said he’s been impressed with the quality of candidates applying for the jobs already posted and filled.
“We’ve had widespread interest from around southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois,” he said. “We’ve also had interest from St. Mary’s employees in Madison who live in this area.”
There’s also been interest from employees at Mercy Health System, where officials have said they expect to lose some employees to the new competitor on the block.
Contrary to public rumor, Thornton said, St. Mary’s will not reject applications from current or former employees of Mercy or any other competing health care facility.
“We will hire the best candidate,” he said. “It’s been that way all along and will continue to be that way.
“Anyone who is qualified is encouraged to apply.”
Most of St. Mary’s department heads have been hired, he said. The current wave of hiring involves medical positions, and those will be followed by support jobs such as housekeeping, food service, maintenance and clerical.
So far, most hires have come from the area, and they’ve included people who are both working and not working.
One position might result in five or six applications, while others have drawn upwards of 70.
“We’ve seen a rich applicant pool, and we continue to get calls for positions that haven’t been posted yet,” Thornton said. “All we can say is to continue to watch the website.
“People have been so respectful of our process, but they just don’t want to miss a posting.”
Dean Clinic
Officials plan to close Dean Clinic-Riverview on North Washington Street and Dean Clinic-Northview in the ShopKo Plaza on Friday, Jan. 6, and move the operation to the new facility over the weekend.
The new facility will be named Dean Clinic-Janesville East.
With the consolidation of Riverview and Northview, approximately 380 doctors, medical and support staff will move to the new clinic.
Dean spokesman Dan Fredricks said employment levels at the new facility will be about the same as the combined totals of Riverview and Northview.
It’s possible, he said, that total employment could grow as the clinic expands specific departments, such as psychiatry.
Aug 9, 2011 at 6:11 p.m.
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Having another facility for competition, is ALWAYS a good thing. It keeps both facilities "honest".
All of my horrific experiences, were in the ER, at Mercy. With myself, my children, grandchildren and a very good friend of mine. My dear friend almost died due to the crappy care she received in the ER.
That said, I have wonderful things to say for the care "some" of us received, once on an actual floor. Not all experiences were good, due to ornery nursing staff, but Mercy's ER needs some work.
Javon Bea needs to address the little snots at the ER desk. I don't want to overhear about their weekend escapades, and who laid who. Seriously, its not a professional staff of kids taking care of patients.
Aug 9, 2011 at 4:11 p.m.
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nomadic...did you leave out a word? I'm not sure I get what you're saying.
Aug 9, 2011 at 3:22 p.m.
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Don't worry about this employment stuff.
Walker will have his unqualified plan up and operating soon.
Once he gets a few more pens in his hands, he will set up cheap labor jobs in the medical field. That will mean low wages, but don't expect the insurance companies to charge less.
Aug 9, 2011 at 2:06 p.m.
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And a P.S. to Donnaw...If Dean is offering better wages and benefits and a more liberal dress code than mercy is not a competitive employer.
And to the others, until you know what goes on behind closed doors...like people who have horrid outcomes post-op at mercy, acquire infections while hospitalized, etc.etc, you really don't have the data to judge mercy as a good community asset or not. You can have a safe delivery at home but I want to know I can trust the place that is taking care of my heart and my other organs.
Aug 9, 2011 at 1:59 p.m.
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I have always had positive experiences at mercy until recently. In the last 2 months I have had some very negative experiences. I have a challenge for all of you to think about. In a nursing surplus, why does mercy still have massive turnover and jobs posted constantly? In a recession, why does mercy have jobs posted? What kind of coporate culture exists there that people are leaving? If they treat employees and patients badly, how are they going to deal with competition?
Aug 8, 2011 at 8:58 p.m.
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I am so tired of all the Mercy Basher Bloggers. My 65 year old Mother just had back surgery at St. Mary's in Madison due to insurance reasons. I was completely impressed with their Pre-op and Surgical process........until she got to the Inpatient Neuro Unit. The Nurses did not answer the call light for 45 minutes when she needed pain medication. Including the first post-op night, where she finally ended up screaming out, "help me!" when her back spasms were so bad. She was only assisted with walking one time daily (by Physical Therapy) when Doctor's orders were 3 times daily during recovery. (Nursing/CNA staff walked her ONE time during her stay). I couldn't believe it, I was in complete awe during her visit, because all I have ever heard was good things about St. Mary's. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Their are GOOD and BAD Physicians and Nurses at BOTH St. Mary's and Mercy. We have Mercy Insurance and are extremely happy with our Physicans for our family. I have had GREAT experiences in the Hospital and Clinics. I just don't think that St. Mary's is going to be as picture perfect as these Mercy Bashers think.....There is going to be unhappy patients at both places.
Aug 8, 2011 at 8:44 p.m.
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Mercy, A positive story and a bunch of people grumbling. I was born at Mercy hospital and someplace I still have my foot prints. A couple of our kids were born there also, we have their footprints also. The kids have grown up and gone away, but we still have their footprints. For over forty years we have been talking about having them framed. Perhaps we will sell them on e-bay.
Aug 8, 2011 at 7:36 p.m.
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Donnaw, LOVE your post, while there are some who are being legit age discriminated there are a lot not wanting to work, They go in asking for more than they know the job pays, demand more benefits than the company offers and don't want to work the full work day. Then they cry poor me and wonder why they don't have jobs. And to whoever posted all they are hiring is doctors and nurses, that may be true now but they are going to need laundry people and meal people. I don't think the doctors are going to change the sheets and have the nurses cook the meals.
Aug 8, 2011 at 6:51 p.m.
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There are currently no jobs listed on their website, and when they did have jobs it was only for doctors and nurses. Isnt there anyone else working there?
Aug 8, 2011 at 6:43 p.m.
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donnawL Hopefully my husband can finally get a job there since he used to work in a hospital in Illinois. Unless they discriminate against age there too.
Aug 8, 2011 at 5:14 p.m.
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I've had no problem with Mercy Hospital at anytime. They've have always been competent and friendly. Also, have had no problem with the care and concern I receive at Dean or St. Mary's. Guess it is all a matter of your attitude when you go in. Look for the bad, you sure as heck will find it and when I go to a hospital, looking for the bad is not on my list to go looking for. MOUSE: Guess there are no NASTY DEMOCRATIC EMPLOYERS only Republican. Interesting.
Aug 8, 2011 at 4:24 p.m.
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Remember...."Dean Cares!"
Aug 8, 2011 at 1:17 p.m.
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St.Mary's and Dean ROCK!
Aug 8, 2011 at 1:01 p.m.
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Thanks gmaof3! I am just ecstatic how the pompous uncaring attitudes they exhuberated is comming back to bite them in the wallet now that they no longer have the monopoly in Janesville they once had. Kudos for St. Marys!
Aug 8, 2011 at 10:50 a.m.
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This photo and story is certainly refreshing compared to the previous story and photo.
Aug 8, 2011 at 8:52 a.m.
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mercy gets big tax dollar funding for "charity" care.Yet it only gives less than 1 %. They just send you to social services to do paperwork. I dont think less than 1 % they should qualify for any government funding.
Aug 8, 2011 at 6:29 a.m.
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TommyRay, agreed. I am also looking forward to St. Mary's grand opening. I have also had horrible experiences as did a very good friend of mine. Nice to have an option over Mercy Hospital.
Aug 7, 2011 at 11:10 p.m.
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I think that's twice I have gotten my own self confused LOL what an idiot. The preceding was all Mercy intended, NOT St. Marys, just so you know. (I also suggested deletion so if it's gone, hey, a little egg on the face never hurt anyone, right? ;)
Aug 7, 2011 at 11:06 p.m.
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IMHO I have always considered them Mercyless Hospital and for good reason. Traveling out of town to another institution was always prefered no matter what amount of pain in order to recieve better, prompt, courteous care. I don't care if it IS all shiney new with new staff, their reputation precedes them and the public has spoken out repeatedly. It'd be like seeing if an animal will bite you again if you give it a second chance. I hope to never EVER see the inside of that building let alone have any smidgeon of desire to work for them. Fine and dandy for people to get jobs, yes, so true, and they should be lucky to have them indeed. All I have to say about that is that I hope they are treated better than the patients!! NEXT!
Aug 7, 2011 at 7:35 p.m.
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I for one am happy to see St Mary's hospital come to Janesville. I have had several bad experiences at Mercy I am glad that they will be having some competition. I would never give birth at Mercy Hospital again. Lost foot prints, nurses totally rude, shower broken. Misdiagnosed in the emergency room. I know I am only one person and there are probably those who have had great experiences but I have always had Dean doctors and I am glad they will have a hospital now.
Aug 7, 2011 at 6:28 p.m.
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donnaw...... getting a little personal arn't we?
You are either talking from personal experience, or your just a typical modern day nasty type employer ( obviously Republican style)
Aug 7, 2011 at 5:48 p.m.
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And how many hours do these people get to work before the hospital opens... Who pays their unemployment when they don't have beds filled.... Welcome to the reality of too many hospital beds..
Aug 7, 2011 at 4:59 p.m.
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Okay whiners to your mark, get set, go...."not enough pay, benefits, etc. etc.....too far to drive, etc. When can I take vacation? How many breaks do I get. Can I text and work at the same time? How about body piercings and tattoos?"
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