Thompson Associates Drive to Succeed
As the largest employer in Ontario County, Thompson Health doesn’t just pull from Canandaigua and surrounding communities. In fact, nearly 100 of its associates drive from Rochester. Some have even longer commutes, coming from every direction.
Take Michele Chiaverini, for example. For 20 years, Michele has been driving from Penn Yan to work as the administrative and marketing assistant at our independent living community in Canandaigua, Ferris Hills at West Lake.
“I love working at Ferris Hills because the staff and residents are so awesome; I consider them my extended family! I now have 120 grandparents!” said Michele, whose 35-minute commute “on a good day” is currently giving her an opportunity to learn to speak Italian from CDs on loan from a resident.
Nurse Hailey Cuvelier of Irondequoit is employed at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester but also works per diem in Thompson’s ICU. She’s in Canandaigua a few times each week and enjoys listening to podcasts during her drive. “It is worth the drive to work at a place you enjoy,” she said.
Fellow ICU nurse Barbara Coleman has made a 40-minute commute from Fairport for nearly 25 years and enjoys not having to fight traffic, pay for parking, or hike from a parking lot a quarter-mile away. “When I started here, my original plan was to gain experience and then move on to a bigger hospital,” Barbara said. “I found out I really liked a smaller hospital and that move never happened.”
With staffing challenges affecting virtually all health systems in the country, Thompson is casting an even wider net and hoping to demonstrate we are worth a little extra time on the road. For example, this past fall we held an event at the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center, aired commercials on WDKX-FM, and placed ads on Rochester city buses.
Two of Thompson’s recruiters are actually among the many associates who live in Rochester. Sharon Krieger has a 38-minute commute but wouldn’t have it any other way because Thompson offers her flexibility and autonomy, plus she loves our corporate culture and her colleagues.
Fellow recruiter and Rochester resident Robert J. Poles, Jr. cites our corporate CARES Values of Commitment, Action, Respect, Excellence, and Service as a big part of what draws him to Thompson.
“These values are not just how we treat customers but also how we treat each other,” Robert said. “Understanding the concept of ‘Teamwork is what makes the dream work’ is a standard I will drive 40 minutes to be a part of!”
Besides, Robert is grateful for the experiences his children enjoyed growing up in Canandaigua when he was making a commute in the opposite direction to work for the Rochester Police Department. “When it is all said and done, Canandaigua will always be a special place to me, a place that lived up to its name; a place that chose me, is my ‘Chosen Place!’”
Whether you live down the block or in another county, check out our current openings at www.ThompsonHealth.com/Careers today and get on the road to success!
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