DCH employees getting pay raises

Starting next month, DCH Health System employees will be bringing home a little more money. Employees are getting a 5% cost of living adjustment or market adjustment, whichever is greater.

As an example of the new rates, the entry level pay for registered nurses will increase $6 an hour.

“This bump in pay will help us be one of the leaders, especially in terms of some of our nursing pay. We should be near the top and that is where we are hoping to be,” said DCH Health System Marketing and Communications Vice President Andy North. 

With a few exceptions, the increase applies to all 4,000 DCH Health System employees. 

Anna Reynolds, a registered nurse at DCH, said most of the staff found out about their incoming raise Wednesday. It couldn’t be coming at a better time, she said.

“I was not expecting it to be what it was,” Reynolds said. “It is definitely a good bump in pay. It makes a huge difference.”

DCH Health System President and CEO Katrina Keefer said these raises are part of an ongoing $25 million investment in the organization.

“I’m hopeful that our caregivers and the community see that we are serious when we say that DCH is seeking to be the employer of choice for not only the best and brightest, but those most committed to excellence in patient care,” said Keefer.

This bump in pay is making a big difference for registered nurse Katilyn Maneice, who said this extra money will help her mark a major milestone. 

“It will help out with our wedding,” she said. “I am engaged and I think this benefits everyone. Everybody loves a pay raise.”

Keeping pay competitive means attracting more applicants and ensuring current workers want to stay, North said.

“We felt it was very important to be able to give them an increase to help keep us market competitive so we could bring in the staff that we need to provide appropriate care,” said North.