Career Resources / Job Searching / Best Hospitals Kansas
In 1939, MGM’s The Wizard of Oz featured the line, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” establishing the state as the epitome of all that is familiar and safe. Known for being home to the geographic center of the contiguous United States, there are many reasons to move to Kansas, including a low cost of living, access to both cultural attractions and the peace of rural life, a strong job market, and an infrastructure that U.S. News & World Report ranks 7th in the country. The state boasts excellent hospitals, including three that are highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report and which are among the 591 hospitals recognized as a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a result of their dedication to nursing excellence and patient. Care. There are also 18 hospitals that have been recognized for Specialty Excellence Awards by Healthgrades.com.
Kansas’s Top Hospital
Best hospitals in Kansas
Choosing the best from among the 123 community hospitals in the state was no easy task. In order to do so we relied upon objective quality criteria. We restricted our list to those facilities that had distinguished themselves as Magnet Hospitals and used the U.S. News & World Reports’ list of best hospitals in the United States as additional guidance. We also relied upon ratings from respected safety organizations like The Leapfrog Group, accreditation by the Joint Commission, patient outcome ratings from federal health agencies, and comments posted on nationally-recognized employment sites by current and former staf members.
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Designated a Magnet Hospital in 2019, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission was recently recognized as the fourth best large community hospital in the U.S. by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals. It was rated high performing in eight adult procedures and conditions by U.S. News & World Report and was one of only six hospitals in Kansas to earn five stars from Medicare’s Quality Ratings. The hospital was also awarded an “A” grade by The Leapfrog Group for its commitment to keeping patients safe. The hospital was also awarded a Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Award by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment.
Notable facts about AdventHealth Shawnee Mission include:
- Private, nonprofit hospital
- Located in Merriam, Kansas
- Part of AdventHealth, a health care organization headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida, which in turn is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Protestant religious denomination
- Number of employees: 4,000 across the Kansas network
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Stormont Vail Health
Ranked the #2 hospital in Kansas and recognized as high performing in 3 adult specialties and 10 procedures and conditions by U.S. News & World Report, Stormont Vail Health is also a Magnet Hospital. Among the hospital’s many awards and recognitions, it received three-star ratings from Medicare in both patient surveys and for overall performance, and its spine surgery program was designated a Blue Distinction® Center Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. Additionally, the hospital’s Cotton O’Neil Heart Center received the 2020 Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology.
Notable facts about Stormont Vail Health include:
- Nonprofit hospital and integrated health care system
- Located in Topeka, Kansas
- Health care system consists of the medical center, satellite offices and clinics, and the Baker School of Nursing,
- Number of employees: 5,455 employees across the system
University of Kansas Health System
Consistently awarded Magnet Hospital status and ranked the #1 hospital in both Kansas and Kansas City by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Kansas Health System is also nationally ranked in 7 adult specialties rated high performing in three, as well as in 16 procedures and conditions. The hospital has received numerous accolades and recognitions including being accredited by the Joint Commission and receiving the Press Ganey Pinnacle of Excellence Award, which recognizes extraordinary achievements of top performing healthcare organizations. The University of Kansas Health System was included in Becker’s Hospital Review’s listing of 100 Great Hospitals in America and was recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC).
Notable facts about the University of Kansas Health System include:
- Nonprofit academic medical center
- Located in Kansas City, Kansas
- The health system includes facilities in the Kansas City area, as well as hospital and clinic locations in Great Bend, Hays, Larned, and Topeka, Kansas.
- Number of employees: 14,000+ systemwide
What makes a best hospital in Kansas?
Delivering high quality patient outcomes is just part of what makes a Kansas hospital one of the best. Hospitals also need to demonstrate their commitment to staff wellbeing and to strive for constant improvement in safety. They need to uphold high ethical standards and to doing good in a way that leads to them being viewed as integral members of their community.
Benefits
Beyond the salaries they pay, hospitals have many ways to let their nurses know how much they value them. There are additional earning opportunities including overtime and supplemental income, and many hospitals go beyond offering traditional benefits like healthcare and paid time off. Hospitals provide employees with education allowances, liability insurance, and reimbursement for certification fees, pay signing and referral bonuses, offer wellness programs, gym memberships, and leadership training, and even host onsite degree programs. Others work to improve work/life balance by offering flexible schedules that meet individual needs, while still others have luxury perks including free concierge services that can set up dinner reservations, facilitate auto repairs, take care of receiving and mailing packages, and even offering dry cleaning and laundry services.
Growth opportunity
Hospitals that are truly commited to the quality of care, competence, and skill of their nurses encourages personal and professional development. The best of these accommodate the needs of nurses advancing their educations to become Nurse Anesthetists or to prepare for other Advanced Practice Registered Nurse positions that pay higher salaries and offer greater professional fulfillment.
Employee satisfaction
The last few years have seen numerous nurses opting out of their profession as the stress created by the global pandemic exacerbated already-high levels of job fatigue and burnout. The best hospitals work to counter these and other stressors by building staff resilience and reducing chaos.
High patient satisfaction
Beyond the clinical case for hospitals to make high patient satisfaction a priority, there is also significant evidence that working to measure and improve patients’ experience with care also provides increased value to staff. When patients and their families are happier, nusing staff turnover is significantly reduced.
Other factors that make a top hospital
Patients and staff alike recognize that there are several additional elements that make a facility into a top hospital. The availability of specialized treatment centers, conveniently located clinics, a commitment to the community, and dedication to eliminating accidents and errors are all essential factors.
Safety record is critical
The Institute of Medicine reports that medical errors result in the death of between 44,000 and 98,000 patients each year. At the same time, health care workers experience exceedingly high rates of nonfatal occupational illness and injury. The best hospitals work to improve safety for both their patients and their employees.
Hospital policies focus on customer services
Though providing positive patient outcomes are the primary goal of every hospital, the best hospitals work to accomplish this while at the same time providing patients with high levels of satisfaction and a sense of having been treated well. Hospitals that recognize the vulnerability and needs of their patients and who incorporate it into their staff training and protocols consistently rank among the best.
Latest technology and training improve healthcare
Improvements in technology have made significant changes in the delivery of healthcare and have made life better for patients and hospital staff alike. The best hospitals have incorporated innovative treatments and have trained their staff in the use of the latest research and communications tools to improve connections with patients, as well as the care that they provide.
Ethics leads the way
Hospitals face a rapidly changing environment. As social mores shift and regulations are updated, patients rely upon healthcare practitioners and administrators to remain steady and true to their founding missions. The best hospitals are constantly mindful of their values and demonstrating a consistent commitment to long-standing ethics.
Next steps
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicates that the high demand for registered nurses will continue, but landing a job at one of the best hospitals in Kansas is competitive. To optimize your chances of getting the position you want, make sure that you are well prepared and organized. By carefully documenting all of the attributes that make you a desirable candidate you will increase your chances of being hired quickly.
Build your resume
Your resume is a hiring manager’s first glimpse of who you are and the value that you will add to their organization, so make sure that it is organized, easy to read, and complete. Resumes that impress will be optimized for keywords, formatted in a way that uses eye-catching headings, and clearly states your qualifications and goals, as well as how best to contact you.
Join a nurses’ association
Are you a member of a nurses’ union? Though these powerful organizations are not the right choice for everybody, they can be particularly helpful when you’re trying to land a job. The Kansas State Nurses Association hosts invaluable events at which you can network and meet other Kansas nurses, hear more about the different hospitals in the state, earn continuing education units, and learn about available openings.
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Attend industry educational conferences and workshops
There are plenty of good reasons for attending professional nursing conferences, and that’s especially true if you’re in the midst of a job search. Not only can you add to your credentials and knowledge, they also offer the opportunity to meet with colleagues and learn more about available opportunities at the hospitals to which you’re considering applying.
Keep up with continuing education requirements
In Kansas, Registered Nurses, APRNs, and LPNs are all required to complete 30 contract hours every two years. If you are a Kansas-licensed nurse, Incredible Health makes keeping up-to-date on these requirements easy by providing free nursing CEUs as well as instant certificates upon completion of the coursework.
Search for job openings
No matter your qualifications, looking for a new job can be incredibly frustrating. Searching job sites and hospital career pages is time consuming, especially in the face of work and family responsibilities. Instead of all that effort, imagine receiving offers for the specific jobs and hospitals you’re most interested in. That’s what Incredible Health’s innovative recruitment tool provides. Just create an online profile of your experience, education, and other credentials and once it’s posted on the site, hospitals will respond to you with offers.
Transfer your nursing license to Kansas
Effective July 1st of 2019, the state of Kansas became a Nursing Licensure Compact state. This means that nurses who are licensed in Kansas can apply to convert from single state licenses to multi-state licenses. Once they have established residency, those nurses who have never been licensed in Kansas and who have moved to the state can practice in Kansas with their former multi-state license until their Kansas multi-state license is issued.
Sources
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- “Infrastructure Rankings.” U.S. News & World Report. Accessed July 16, 2022.
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- “Recognition from Get With the Guidelines.” American Heart Association. Accessed July 16, 2022.
- “Registered Nurses.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed July 16, 2022.
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- “Why Improve Patient Experience?” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Accessed July 16, 2022.
