Southcoast Health announces new employee benefits amid coronavirus spike

Sep 5, 2021

Southcoast Health, the nonprofit that operates Tobey Hospital along with Charlton Hospital in Fall River and St. Luke’s in New Bedford, has announced new employee benefits and raises for its lowest-paid employees. The nonprofit will also require all employees to be vaccinated against covid-19 unless they have obtained a medical or religious exemption.

The new benefits were announced just under a month after a union protest outside Tobey Hospital, at which union members asked the nonprofit to support their request for one-time bonuses through the American Rescue Plan Act and increases to wages for the lowest-paid staff, many of whom said their departments were understaffed. 

The “Measures of More Initiative” includes raising the minimum wage for Southcoast employees to $15 per hour. That raise was initially planned to go into effect for Southcoast staff in one year, and will be the state minimum wage as of Jan. 1, 2023.

A letter from Southcoast CEO Keith Hovan, sent to staff to announce the program, says that the organization “will remain intently focused on innovating our recruitment and retention strategy” to address “high volumes and staffing challenges.”

The organization will issue an $150 “recognition payment” to all non-management employees (pro-rated for part-time employees) soon. It is the third such payment the organization has made since 2020.

It is unclear whether Southcoast will support the union’s request for support for one-time bonuses from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The organization will institute a new benefits policy on Jan. 1 which will “reduce health insurance premiums for those at certain pay rates by modestly increasing premiums for [the] highest wage earners,” Hovan wrote.

Southcoast also plans to expand its “wellbeing program” with incentives and offerings. The organization will also conduct a daily drawing to award a randomly-selected employee a gift card to a local business each day in September.  

Hovan noted in his letter that the company had planned several events to celebrate employees and the organization’s 25th anniversary, but “the Delta variant has derailed all of these plans.”

“Of even greater concern is the accelerated community spread it has caused, resulting in higher hospitalization rates, predominantly among the unvaccinated,” Hovan wrote.

Hovan ended his letter to employees by acknowledging how vital their work is.

“Our entire community continues to count on you to carry them through this public health crisis, and we will keep doing all we possibly can to recognize and reinforce your sustained courage and commitment,” Hovan wrote. “Thank you for stepping up against the unknown, and thank you for your unwavering support of not only each other and our system, but also, of course, all of the families, friends and neighbors we serve.”