Introduction
The Northwest Medical Faculty Foundation is an organization of physicians and health professionals from different specialties. It was founded in the year 1980 as an independent nonprofit-making organization run by a board of directors. The members of this organization work in the Northwestern Memorial Hospitals and also teach medical students at Feinberg School of Medicine in Northwestern University. They are also involved in research work in the field of medicine. Currently, the foundation has more than 500 physicians and over 1000 medical professionals who are full-time members from different specialties and subspecialties.
The large numbers of specialists in different fields help this foundation to provide high clinical care services to their patients as well as quality outpatient services. Continuous research work by members of this foundation makes significant advances to the field of medicine. The main goal of the foundation is to ensure that the clinical care services provided to their patients by their physicians and health professionals are of high quality. The foundation also looks at the affairs of its members by ensuring that they work in a conducive environment hence provide good services to their clients. They have a special priority to both their patients and workers.
The NMFF has been at the top in providing services to its patients and members, and recently its physicians emerged among the top doctors in patient care and research development. It has worked hard towards achieving recognition as the best employer in the whole of Chicago. The NMFF staff comprise of talented staff from different backgrounds who are offered excellent benefits in order to support the mission of the foundation, uphold its values and cultivate its culture as well. (www.nmff.org/careers/default.htm). The organization’s Human Resource department has made the organization skyrocket in performance and hence becoming one of the best employers in Chicago.
Employment Process
For one to be employed by the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, one is required to undergo a job-related test, drug testing, and individuals background. It is anon smoking zone and hence does not allow its employees as well as patients to smoke in the compound. Though it does not discriminate in employment, in terms of race, religion, sex, age, nationality, sexual orientation, or any special characteristics, the foundation requires one to provide relevant information about oneself before employment as a pre-employment process. Hence it is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and an Affirmative Action (AA) employer according to federal law. (www.info.monster.com/products/eeo_reporting.asp).
The organization is a private sector as it hires even foreigners, which is not allowed in public sector employment. The organization works hard towards retaining its employees by providing a variety of benefits to them as well as ensuring a competitive working environment for its members.
Organization’s Compensation Package and Benefits
The Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation offers a variety of benefits to its employees in its efforts to provide the best services to both their patients and employees. The foundation offers a comprehensive package of benefits to its staff so that their mission can be achieved. These benefits include handsome salaries, a variety of packages of benefits, and a conducive working environment.
The benefit scheme in NMFF is also customized and flexible to fit the employees’ way of life and living standards; hence the deductions made from the employees’ salary depend solely on his arrangements with the foundation management. However, the management has the right to change or adjust or abolish these benefits any time without notice to its members.
The following are a number of the benefits offered in the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation:
Medical or Dental Benefits
This is a benefit scheme that covers the employees’ health expenses in case of a disease. It is open to either one person cover or family cover, depending on the employee’s decision. The scheme has two options for the employees to choose from, the PPO and the HMO option. It also covers the prescription of drugs. The employee’s dependents under the age of eighteen can be covered under this scheme. The payroll deductions depend on the option taken and the coverage number of individuals.
Life Insurance
This is a life insurance scheme for the employees at no cost. The foundation gives a life insurance cover of $ 50,000 up to $ 100,000, which depends on the job class of the employee. This covers the employee’s accidental death or anything that can lead to the dismemberment of the employee. Certain employees are also advantaged since they are allowed to take life insurance covers for their spouses and their dependents. The employees are also given a chance to purchase supplemental life insurance policies, which are approved by the management for insurability.
Long Term Disability Insurance
Since the NMFF does not discriminate on employment, it has a special benefit scheme for its disabled or physically challenged employees. In this scheme, the disabled employee is entitled to a free benefit of 50% of their monthly salary. The benefit is also open for purchase to disabled employees. Therefore the foundation ensures that their disabled employees get some boost on top of their salaries.
Retirement Benefit
The NMFF also makes a contribution to the retirement of their employee’s which is based on the employee’s earnings. On top of this contribution, the employee is allowed to make a personal contribution to their retirement benefit. This is a 401(K) plan.
Tuition Reimbursement
Since the foundation encourages research in the medical-related field in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, it has a special scheme that benefits employees who continue with their studies.
It offers a tuition and fee benefit to its members who are still pursuing an additional course. This is applicable to both part-timers and full-time employees.
Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts
This is a benefit scheme that seeks to safeguard the employee’s health and dependent care expenses from taxation. Employees who subscribe to this scheme authorize their salary to undergo a pre-tax deduction in which health care expenses and dependent expenses are exempted from tax.
Transportation benefit scheme
In this scheme, the employee’s salary undergoes pre-tax deduction on his transportation expenses aimed at minimizing their transport costs to and from work.
Vocation and Holiday benefit
The NMFF foundation also offers an eight-day holiday to its employees, and they earn at least two weeks of the paid time of the vacation. This benefit is dependent on the job class and the length of time an employee has been at service under the foundation.
Sick time benefit
The foundation gives its employees a period of twelve days paid each year for illness leading to the absence of the employee from work. The unused sick time is accumulated over the next year for the benefit of the employee who does not absent from work for sickness.
Childcare benefit
The NMFF has also established a child care service to the people giving priority to the kids of their employees. In conjunction with the Northwestern University and the kinder care learning center, the foundation has offered the best child care services on campus in the city of Chicago.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The NMFF, in its effort to treat its employees in the best way possible, has a program that assists the employee’s private matters and those of their family members, such as marital problems, alcoholism, elder care, education, and career related problems, relationship problems. All these services are confidential.
Leaves of Absence
This is the benefit that is compliant with the federal law of the Family Medical Leave Act, which gives an employee a maximum of up to twelve weeks to attend to family issues or health matters that may occur during the year. At this time, the employee’s job is protected, and he is still on the payroll.
For employees who do not qualify for this benefit, the foundation offers a short-term medical leave.
Training Courses
The NMFF offers a wide range of training courses to its employees aimed at improving their services to the patients as well as meeting their personal interests in terms of work. These courses include guidance and counseling, computer skills, administration, customer care services for professional development, and also personal development courses such as personal financial planning and stress management, which are offered for free to all the employees of the foundation. (www.nmff.org/careers/benefits.htm)
References
Joshua, S. Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Chicago: Northwestern University, 2002.
Information on Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. Web.