Bronson Battle Creek Hospital Partners With Woman's Co-op to Make Healthcare Employment Opportunities More Accessible

Partnership Builds Confidence for Job Seekers and Opens New Doors to Steady Employment

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – A recent collaboration between Bronson Battle Creek Hospital and Woman’s Co-op is bringing entry level career opportunities to an audience that might otherwise have been missed by typical recruiting efforts.

Woman’s Co-op was formed in 2005, as a grassroots group of women looking for a way to help support each other and share resources to improve the lives of families in the Battle Creek community. They foster an active network of support providing much needed resources for education, career training and life management.

Tapping into their large network, Woman’s Co-op finds suitable candidates for jobs at Bronson Battle Creek – men and women over 18 years old – and prepares them for employment. In addition, the Co-op provides support for each candidate as they transition into the workforce. “We coordinate with community services and the participants to remove common barriers, such as transportation and daycare for individuals struggling to find work or maintain a job,” said Teresa Momenee-Young, Executive Director of Woman’s Co-op. “We help individuals prepare to be work-ready right away.” 

Bronson Battle Creek aims to initially hire eight employees to fill both full and part-time positions in Food Service. This hospital department operates around the clock, 365 days/year, giving plenty of options for job candidates to find a shift that works best for them. Positions vary from preparing patient meals, working in the hospital cafeteria or in the dish room.

When a candidate starts, Bronson trains them for a specific role as they would any new employee. However, there is an 8-week contract period to give all parties time to decide if it’s a good fit. After the contract is successfully completed, the candidate is then hired as a permanent employee of Bronson, after passing standard new hire requirements. With time, each new employee’s work experience and skills will continue to grow and could lead to other career opportunities at Bronson. 

In addition to helping build a candidate’s confidence and providing structure, the collaborative program between Woman’s Co-op and Bronson offers other benefits:

• The start date is much quicker, typically one week instead of the standard 4-8 weeks
• Candidates are getting paid much sooner
• The transition to permanent employment is much quicker, as much of the paperwork is already complete

“All of us at Bronson are excited to partner with Woman’s Co-op to help members of the greater Battle Creek community find steady employment and develop their potential,” said John Fear, Director of Food & Nutrition Services for Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. “This is a win-win-win situation – everyone benefits!” 

Currently, two employees have been hired by the hospital and two candidates are moving through the 8-week contract period. If this partnership proves successful, both organizations are hoping to expand hiring to other work areas within the hospital or at other Bronson locations in Calhoun County.

Bronson Battle Creek also works with area schools to create career pipelines and has job opportunities available across a wide range of skill sets and education levels. To view current job openings, visit bronsonhealth.com/careers.