Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health completed the acquisition of St. Elizabeth Hospital in May. That hospital, in the northeast part of the state, is now offering $30,000 sign-on bonuses for night nurses, among other financial benefits for staff, according to a Jan. 25 report in The Fort Morgan Times.
The night nurse bonus — employees have to agree to a two-year commitment to qualify — is part of a $1.7 million investment made in August to improve pay and conditions for hospital workers, including up to a 20 percent bump in wages, CEO Josh Neff said. Improved benefits include child care and student loan reimbursement.
The hospital, which is attempting to attract specialists in areas like cardiology and urology, opened its previously shuttered intensive care unit earlier this month.
Fort Morgan is a high-growth area, which provides both opportunities and responsibility for the hospital, Mr. Neff said.
"So it's our role as a healthcare provider, as well as an economic driver, to make sure we're keeping their communities healthy," he said. "Not blood pressure healthy, but economically healthy."