Dallas-based Methodist Health System ranks in the 84th percentile nationally for retention due to what its chief human resources officer calls the organization’s “secret sauce:” culture. The system, which employs more than 12,000 people, was also certified as a Great Place to Work by the eponymously named survey firm for the second consecutive year in 2026.
The performance stands out as workforce instability remains a concern across healthcare. In 2025, 2 in 5 healthcare workers reported feeling their role is unsustainable, and 1 in 4 said they were considering leaving the industry entirely, according to Indeed’s “Pulse of Healthcare 2025” report.
Alen Brcic, senior vice president and CHRO of Methodist, attributes the retention results to every leader accepting accountability and a real-time approach to reviewing and addressing turnover.
As part of its retention strategy, Methodist reviews every voluntary and involuntary termination weekly at the highest levels of the organization and implements strategies such as flexibility, internal mobility and work-life integration to retain talent. The system also benchmarks itself nationally against a healthcare database of about 1 million workers.
“We intentionally engaged every individual resigning from Methodist and worked with our leaders to identify ways to retain them,” Mr. Brcic said on the “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast.” “We examined our processes and procedures to ensure we support great talent and meet people where they are. That strategy has yielded strong outcomes from an overall turnover perspective.”
He said 15% of employees who leave Methodist return within three months, citing culture as the primary reason in exit interviews.
To uphold the culture, Methodist said it hosts annual meetings between senior leaders and roughly 700 leaders across the organization to gather candid feedback and identify operational improvements. The process is not “a mere formality,” Mr. Brcic said, noting that Methodist implements “60% to 70%” of the suggestions generated during the meetings.
To maintain alignment across the system, Methodist said it also holds biannual town halls for all staff. During the forums, senior leaders share data on topics such as quality, safety, patient experience and culture. The goal, Mr. Brcic said, is to ensure employees understand the “why” behind organizational priorities to strengthen Methodist’s internal culture and remain unified in achieving the system’s strategic objectives.
Beyond structured retention reviews, Mr. Brcic said Methodist encourages its 700 leaders to connect teams to the organization’s mission and strengthen relationships across the system.
“We emphasize assuming positive intent. Healthcare workers face challenges every day, including workplace violence and mental health pressures,” he said. “In all situations, we must assume positive intent and leave relationships stronger than we found them. I ask myself, ‘Did I build trust? Did I leave relationships stronger? Did I assume positive intent, even when we disagreed?’”
He said Methodist also focuses on encouraging staff to grow and develop, including career progression and upskilling — efforts aimed at supporting long-term workforce stability.
Moving forward, Mr. Brcic said Methodist plans to build on its retention efforts by expanding its internal workforce to address shortages in clinical technology roles such as radiology and laboratory services, and preparing employees to advance into high-demand healthcare roles.
The post How Methodist notched 84th percentile in retention appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
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