CoxHealth staff name the 'Top Moment' of the past year

After four rounds and thousands of votes cast, our colleagues have named our “Top Moment” of the past year.

In the final round, “No Layoffs Despite the Financial Challenges of the Pandemic” narrowly prevailed over “Construction of the COVID-19 Unit.”

The Top Moments poll helped CoxHealth staff members take a look back at all we have accomplished in the past year.

CoxHealth President and CEO Steve Edwards reflected on the past year in a recent employee forum.

"It has been the proudest year of my career to be surrounded in this organization by people who found their mission and their cause," he says. "This organization has served the community in ways none of us could have imagined and I am really proud."

Reflecting and ranking

CoxHealth’s Corporate Communications and PR teams gathered a list of 28 examples of how our people have lived our vision to be the best for those who need us.

Every one of those moments could have been named the best of the best.

To make the list more manageable and give staff opportunities to discuss among themselves, we divided the top moments into four divisions. We set up rounds of voting to narrow the list each week in a March Madness-style tournament.

We asked staff to consider: Which moments had the biggest impact? Which ones made you most proud? Which ones best demonstrate who we are as CoxHealth?

Our Final Four

After the first few rounds, staff members narrowed the choices to a final four:

• Construction and expansion of the COVID-19 ICU at Cox South.
• Senior leaders and physician leadership provide ongoing and transparent communication recognized around the country to keep CoxHealth and our communities informed.
• No layoffs despite financial challenges brought on by pandemic.
• Effort to keep displaced staff working in other jobs during shutdown of services.

“Construction of the COVID-19 ICU” edged out “Senior leader communication” and “No Layoffs” pulled ahead of “Efforts to keep displaced staff working during shutdowns,” leading to our championship round.

28 moments that defined the last year

Below is the full list of Top Moments:

Division A

Successful Cox Monett campaign, Foundation raised $7 million for new hospital

CoxHealth’s School Care Program for 250 of our kids at The Meyer Center

Launch of the Heroes Work Here campaign (external ads, internal signage, campus signs/artwork)

COVID-19 vaccinations for employees

Construction and expansion of the COVID-19 ICU at Cox South

Launch of CoxHealth’s first Hospital at Home program

Addition of first security K9 units funded by CoxHealth Foundation

Division B

New CoxHealth SAFE app

Opening of the new Cox Monett Hospital

Effort to keep displaced staff working in other jobs during shutdown of services

Construction and opening of super clinics in Nixa, Ozark and Monett; groundbreaking on facilities in Republic and Battlefield/65

Launch of mass vaccination sites for community

Expansion of telehealth to support virtual clinic visits for patients due to COVID restrictions

Build-out of the third floor in the West Tower at Cox South

Division C

Completion of $6.6 million Cox College renovation fully funded by Foundation fundraising campaign

Employees make thousands of facemasks

CoxHealth/OTC Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program graduated three cohorts totaling 39 students in 2020 and all have positions at CoxHealth

Senior leaders and physician leadership provide ongoing and transparent communication recognized around the country to keep CoxHealth and our communities informed.

Minimum wage adjustment ($4 million)

Market wage adjustments ($8 million)

Appointment reminder system implemented improving connectivity with patients and broader patient communication

Division D

$1.1 million Healthcare Heroes fund for employee support

Expansion of remote work capabilities

No layoffs despite financial challenges brought on by pandemic

Record-setting PPE effort, with enough N95s to last years at the current burn rate

Launch of Amanda Belle’s Farm

Opening of the Cardiovascular Observation Unit (fourth floor)

Unprecedented $3.1 million investment in COVID Emergency Leave to provide economic relief to our employees who contract COVID