Employees of Naples, Fla.-based Physicians Regional Healthcare System are eligible for new benefits to help pay off existing student debt, pursue additional education and advance their careers.
The move is an effort to recruit and retain employees, Physicians Regional said in a May 2 news release.
The benefits include a new student loan repayment program that allows employees to consolidate loans, reduce interest rates and benefit from employer-sponsored payments. Physicians Regional will directly pay part of loan premiums for most employees if they are on top of payments. This will offset student loan balances up to $20,000 per employee.
A new employee reimbursement program has been created for licensure or certification renewals, according to the release. This can be used for any license, certification testing or renewal not already provided for free at the hospital.
A tuition reimbursement program that gives employees up to $5,000 tax-free reimbursement annually is being expanded. It can be used to pursue education for any role at the hospital, whereas before it could be used only for their current field, the release said.