Columbus hospital offering up to $20K sign-on bonuses for new hires during COVID surge
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare will be offering up to $20,000 sign-on bonuses for key positions and conducting on-site interviews during an upcoming career expo.
The organization is looking to fill both clinical and non-clinical roles at the main hospital campus, Bradley Center, River Road OB/GYN, Columbus Clinic and other locations.
The Career Expo will be held at Butler Pavilion Auditorium from 2-6 p.m. on Sept. 16 and from 1-5 p.m. on Sept. 17.
Recruiting — especially in light of the pandemic — is a top priority for St. Francis-Emory, Grant Farrimond, director of marketing and communications, said in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased across the state, and hospital officials in Muscogee County have indicated that local trends follow this pattern. A sharp increase in hospitalizations and coronavirus cases throughout most of July and August has been largely attributed to the highly transmissible delta variant.
Jack Rodgers, director of emergency services at Piedmont Columbus Regional, previously said the emergency department there had been operating at maximum capacity for weeks.
“The healthcare industry is experiencing tremendous workforce shortages nationally,” Farrimond said in the email. “And our region is no different.”
Gov. Brian Kemp has released funding to Georgia hospitals to help bolster staffing and has also deployed the national guard in recent weeks. However, St. Francis-Emory’s Career Expo is unrelated to these efforts, Farrimond said, adding that it was already part of the hospital’s planned recruitment activities for the year.
The sign-on bonus of up to $20,000 is consistent with current market trends, he said. The harder to fill positions will have the potential for a larger sign-on bonus, and the hospital is looking to stay competitive in the region for salaries and sign-on bonuses, Farrimond said.
“The offers made at our Career Expo will be no different,” he said in the email.
The event will have strict COVID-19 safety protocols in place, including masking and social distancing. More information about the Career Expo can be found on St. Francis-Emory’s website.
Interviews will take place for the following positions:
RN (ER, ICU, Med/Surg, CVICU, Cath Lab)
LPN
Monitor Tech
Surgical Tech
Scrub Tech
Cert Med Assistant
Respiratory Therapist
Controller
Phlebotomist
Mental Health Tech
Patient Access Rep
Mammography Tech
Multi Care Tech
Pharmacy Tech
Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Rehab Aide
