Meridian HealthCare Seeks Employees to Help Meet Need

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – With an expanded need for health care in the community, especially in the areas of inpatient, residential and detox care, Meridian HealthCare has developed an additional need for qualified employees as well.

“As we have been rearranging our building and been moving our treatment services to a different level and also expanding, we basically have developed a need for some new positions to help integrate the care we are providing,” said Mark Gallagher, executive director of the Southside Campus.

Gallagher said the expansion of their services is based on the needs Meridian has been seeing in the community, and it has led to an expansion of more bed availability. Meridian is hoping to fill that staffing need with a two-day job fair this week. A few applicants were already lining up Monday afternoon.

The primary need is for people at the South Campus. Gallagher said, however, there is a need at the other Meridian locations as well, especially as employees are promoted or change locations.

Meridian is seeking about 20 employees in a variety of roles, including counseling, medical assistants, front desk and nursing. Most positions start at about $15 to $19 per hour, with more pay based on experience. LPN/ RN positions start at $24 per hour.

Additionally, Meridian offers some competitive benefits, including 35 eight-hour days of paid time off during the first year of employment, which includes 80 hours of vacation, 10 paid holidays, a staff appreciation day, two personal days and 96 hours of sick leave. Additionally, full-time employees receive free gym membership, a paid half-hour lunch, medical access, life insurance, continuing education, professional license reimbursement, health insurance plan options and a pension plan.

“Everybody is short,” Gallagher said of the current job market. “Meridian – we really put our patients first in every decision that we are making, so we want the individuals to be patient focused, fiscally focused and truly care about our patients. And we provide a lot of time off, a lot of great benefits, very flexible schedules – and we do provide good pay as well.”

Meridian HealthCare will continue its search for additional staff Friday, when the job fair continues from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Those attending the event should enter through the Primary Care entrance, Door B, at the South Campus, 550 W. Chalmers Ave.

Gallagher asks applicants to bring a resume and consider completing an online mobile application before attending the event, although there is an opportunity to do so at the event if necessary.

Job applicants will meet directly with HR and the person who would be their supervisor if hired. If things are going well, they can go into a job shadowing situation, as well as start their drug screen and background check. Gallagher said if all goes well, someone could be through the hiring process in a week or so.

Last year, Meridian was able to find four or five employees after hosting its own career fair, Gallagher said, but they also attend regional career fairs, seek employees directly from local schools such as Youngstown State University and advertise on online job boards and through social media.

“We do have a very large social media presence and have great employees who also share the postings as well, so that seems to help,” Gallagher said.

Pictured at top: Mark Gallagher, executive director of Meridian Healthcare’s South Campus.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.