Nemours Children’s Hospital Prepares To Open Oct. 22

By  //  July 17, 2012

MEDICAL FACILITY SPOTLIGHT

(VIDEO: )

ORLANDO • CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA – Although Nemours Children’s Hospital will not see its first patient until October 22, this morning, for the first time, newly hired associates reported to the hospital for training.  

At a ceremony this morning, Nemours CEO Roger Oxendale welcomed the first 160 employees into the building for the very first time. (CentralFloridaMedicine.com image)

It was their first day on the job.  Nemours just received the certificate of occupancy for the hospital from the City of Orlando.

Nemours is an internationally recognized children’s health system that owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, along with major pediatric specialty clinics in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Specialized Care

For the next three months, medical staff will train in the brand new, state-of-the art children’s hospital in preparation for the specialized care they will provide Central Florida’s children on opening day.

Fred Hames

At a ceremony this morning, Fred Hames, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Skanska Florida turned over the “keys” to the facility to CEO, Roger Oxendale who then welcomed the first 160 employees into the building for the very first time.

That team will now go through orientation before making themselves at home in the new hospital.

“A lot of hard work has gone into making this day a reality,” said Oxendale.

Fred Hames, right, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Skanska Florida turned over the “keys” to the facility to CEO, Roger Oxendale who then welcomed the first 160 employees into the building for the very first time.

“Skanska has been an excellent partner and has shared our same vision – to build a hospital like no other that will improve health care for children and families in Central Florida and beyond.”

Parents Help Select Doctors and Leaders

Some Central Florida parents helped select the doctors and leaders who reported to work on Monday.

Nemours just received the certificate of occupancy for the hospital from the City of Orlando. (Nemours rendering)

Members of the Nemours Family Advisory Council (FAC) have been interviewing finalists for positions. This innovative approach helps ensure that a candidate truly sees families as just as important as any other member of the care team.

The FAC is made up of local moms and dads, many of whom have children with chronic health conditions, which provides them with extensive experience with the pediatric health system.

Dr. Steven Frick

“This is the first time I have been interviewed by a parent,” said Dr. Steven Frick, Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital.

“The process really speaks to Nemours’ commitment to providing family-centered care. It tells me that the parent’s voice is just as important as the rest of our medical teams’,” said Frick.

35,000 Resumes

In February, Nemours Children’s Hospital posted 596 positions to their job’s website on Nemours.org. The positions ranged from administrative assistants to physicians and nurses.

Nemours has exceeded its expectations both with the numbers and quality of the new hires. Currently, close to 500 of the critical and front line positions have been filled.

Throughout the hiring process, Nemours received more than 35,000 resumes – only two percent of those candidates secured a position.

Excited To Be Part of Something New

Although this has not been an easy feat, the recruiting team at Nemours identified the best candidates and trained hiring managers in ‘behavioral interviewing’ which helps determine if a candidate is a good cultural and behavioral fit for the organization.

Rick Kennedy

“We feel very good about the quality and caliber of experience these associates are bringing to the area,” said Rick Kennedy, Nemours senior human resources business partner.

“They were drawn in by Nemours’ reputation as a leading pediatric health care provider and they are very excited to be a part of something new.”

Every week a new group of Associates will come through the hospital to train until all 850 employees are in place for the opening.

Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. du Pont, Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to all families in the communities it serves.

For more information log on to Nemours.org

1 Comment

  1. Just wanted to let you know that you have gained a wonderful orthopedic sugeon when you signed DR Frick. I live 6 hours away from his old office in Charlotte NC and I drove there just to see him. He is a wonderful man and surgeon. Congrats on the new accomplishment.

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