BW students, alumni thrive at 2023 top healthcare workplaces

Deep Baldwin Wallace connections to a pair of “mega employers” highlight the big benefits of Northeast Ohio business partnerships for BW students. 

When Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer honored mega employers (1,000 or more employees) in the 2023 Top Workplaces rankings, Medical Mutual placed third, and Southwest General Health Center ranked sixth.

Both companies have strong ties to Baldwin Wallace University with partnerships that benefit each company’s employees with custom education and BW students with experiential learning. 

BW Healthcare MBA influence on Medical Mutual

One of the leaders helping to create Medical Mutual’s exceptional workplace culture is Executive Vice President, Health Plan Operations, and Chief People Officer Thomas Dewey, MBA ’18, a BW healthcare MBA graduate.

“BW has had a profound impact on my leadership style, has helped to sharpen my strategic thinking skills, and has challenged me to better understand the role that diversity, equity, and inclusion play in building a great organization,” Dewey explains.

According to the Plain Dealer, employee satisfaction at Medical Mutual helps to maintain high retention levels at the mega employer, which ranked third in Northeast Ohio. Team members are included in all events, even if they are remote, which helps collaboration. The company also conducts surveys and polls to gather feedback from team members and makes changes accordingly. 

Long history as collaborators

In 2021, Dewey served as vice chair of BW’s Healthcare Advisory Council, which works to improve the University’s healthcare offerings for undergraduate and graduate programs.

“I am thankful for the education I received at BW and for the ongoing connection with the BW faculty in the Carmel Boyer School of Business,” Dewey says. “I am a proud BW alum and grateful for the ongoing partnership with the University.”

Baldwin Wallace and Medical Mutual share a deep history of collaboration. BW has the distinction of being Medical Mutual's longest-running customer (at nearly 90 years), and the health insurer supported the launch of BW's employee wellness program. In 2021, the company invested $1 million in BW's growing public health programs through the development of a new endowed professorship. BW also provides customized professional development, on site and on campus, for employees at all levels of the organization.

Broad Partnership with Southwest General

BW’s ties to Southwest General Health Center, the sixth-ranked mega employer on the 2023 Top Workplaces list, include providing executive and professional education and extend deep and wide from nursing and physician assistant clinical sites and other events to a wide range of student-driven collaborations. 

In fact, the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) statement that was featured in a Plain Dealer ad trumpeting the workplace ranking was developed by a BW undergraduate student team as a part of their Problem Solving and Applied Healthcare Management class..

At Southwest General, we believe in the power of teamwork, creating a family-like environment, ensuring a work-life balance, and providing meaningful work to make a real difference in people’s lives. 

We value our employees as much as our patients, offering a supportive work culture that encourages growth, development and collaboration. We’re committed to building a team that works together, supports each other, and ultimately, saves lives every day. 

At Southwest, you are family.

-Southwest General Employee Value Proposition (EVP) statement

Southwest General also recently hosted One Year MBA students for a private tour led by CEO Bill Young, along with an employee Q&A panel. Students toured the nursing units, laboratory and central sterile while learning about the allocation of capital dollars, equipment upkeep and the sterilization process.

During the panel, which featured BW MBA alumni and current students, the speakers talked about their passion for healthcare, inquisitiveness and the importance of always saying yes to opportunities.

At BW, that includes opportunities for students to connect with top employers across the region.

Interested in joining BW’s network of more than 7,000 BW MBA alumni driving business across Northeast Ohio and beyond? Find out more about the healthcare MBA program and other graduate business programs.

An educational partnership offers BW tuition discounts to Southwest General employees who wish to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Health (MPH) or Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership.