CMH investing $4M in wage increases

Citizens Memorial Hospital is investing millions of dollars in boosting employee wages.

The Bolivar-based health system announced in a news release that a $4 million investment would go toward increasing wages for more than 70% of its workforce. Wage increases go into effect this week for CMH Foundation employees and next week for CMH employees, with new hires to be impacted starting July 21.

"Our employees are the foundation of everything we do at CMH,” said Michael Calhoun, CEO of CMH, in the release. "Many of them are on the front lines, providing compassionate, quality medical care, while others work in critical support roles to ensure the best overall experience for our patients and residents.

"We want our employees to know they are a valued part of CMH."

The wage adjustments are being distributed based on minimum wage increases and recent updates to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards, officials say.

“We tried to make this process as fair and equitable as possible,” Calhoun added in the release. “Our budget is extremely tight, but we knew we had to invest more in our people. This adjustment helps attract and retain talented individuals to continue providing exceptional care."

CMH also offers zero-premium health and dental insurance options for full-time employees and an employer-paid term life insurance policy, among other benefits.

The health system additionally is in the midst of an expansion with a total project cost estimated at $100 million, according to past reporting.

CMH ranked No. 3 last year on Springfield Business Journal's list of the area's largest health systems. CMH reported 1,525 local employees for the list released in August 2023.