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Meritus Health to increase minimum wage to $17 an hour
HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Meritus Health, one of Washington County’s largest employers, will increase its minimum wage to $17 an hour this April.
The increase will impact 1,400 local employees. The move is consistent with the health system’s strategic goal to be a nationally-ranked employer of choice.
“We see this as an opportunity to provide a competitive and living wage to support the personal and financial goals of our dedicated team members,” said Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H., president and CEO of Meritus Health. “With this investment, Meritus is offering the highest minimum wages of any healthcare organization in the region.”
Meritus Health is investing $3 million to provide the increase. Joshi said 220 different jobs will be directly impacted, including positions such as Medical Assistants and Nursing Assistants, Medical Receptionists, Imaging Assistants, Environmental Services Aides, Food and Nutrition Aides, and more. The change takes effect April 16.
“This isn’t just an investment in our team members, but really in our community,” Joshi explained. “We are investing in team members who are a vital part of providing healthcare to our neighbors. Supporting entry-level employees improves their lives and improves the level and quality of care we provide. Simply, this is something we can’t afford not to do.”
Two years ago, Meritus increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour, four years ahead of state mandated increases. That hike impacted 1,100 employees at an investment of $2.8 million.
“Since 2021, we’ve noticed many factors that tell us the time is right to again invest in our teams and increase our minimum wage,” Scott Salzetti, Vice President of Team Member Services said. “The cost of living continues to rise and as a result, many hospitals and healthcare systems are struggling with vacancy rates, losing entry-level workers to other industries with higher starting rates. Delivering care to this community centers on having dedicated team members.”
Joshi mentioned Meritus also provides employees with opportunities for advancement and tuition reimbursement.
“We are most proud of the success stories of our team members who begin in an entry level role, take advantage of tuition reimbursement opportunities, and eventually serve our community as a healthcare provider,” he said. “For example, you could begin your career at Meritus as a Nutrition Services Aide, get support to earn your nursing degree, and go back to earn a graduate degree. There are so many opportunities for our team members.”
Healthcare costs will not increase as a result of this investment. Those interesting in learning more about current opportunities can visit MeritusHealth.com/Careers.
