Black River Falls, Wisconsin – Family Friendly Workplaces (FFW) proudly announced this week the certification of Black River Memorial Hospital (BRMH) in Black River Falls as a Family Friendly Workplace. This recognition underscores BRMH's commitment to cultivating a workplace that embraces and supports the needs of its employees and their families.

"Black River Memorial Hospital's purpose is to provide compassionate, community-based care for the people we serve, and we do that through our employees," said Carl Selvick, President and CEO. "A healthy workplace means healthy communities; it's beyond our four walls. A family friendly workplace allows our people to have a career where they give back to their community and support their family at the same time."

To achieve this certification, BRMH underwent a comprehensive evaluation of its human resources policies and practices, focusing on criteria such as healthcare, time off, flexible work arrangements, childcare, early childhood support, and more. As a certified employer, BRMH can now showcase the Family Friendly Workplaces logo in their marketing and recruitment efforts, in addition to accessing a range of valuable resources.

"We are thrilled to welcome BRMH to our network of certified organizations," said Neil Kline, Executive Director of Family Friendly Workplaces. "We look forward to the continued growth of participating employers in Jackson County, working together to build family-friendly environments and address workforce challenges in the region."

BRMH is the second Jackson County employer to be certified under the new affiliation between FFW and the Jackson County Child Care Network (JCCCN). Under the affiliation, BRMH's required annual conduit contribution is automatically directed to JCCCN to support their work addressing Jackson County’s child care shortage.

"We’re extremely pleased to work with BRMH and to recognize them for their dedication to creating a workplace that places an emphasis on the needs of families and supports our childcare efforts,” said Marianne Torkelson, Chair of the JCCCN.

The human resources challenge faced by western Wisconsin requires a strategic approach to address. The Family Friendly Workplaces Certification Program is designed to assist employers in competing for talent today while strategically addressing this long-term issue.

For more information about Family Friendly Workplaces and its certification program, please visit www.familyfriendlyworkplaces.org.

Members of the BRFH team presented the JCCCN with the hospital's conduit contribution on January 23rd in Black River Falls.

In attendance (from left to right) were Holly Winn (CFOO), Julia Smith (Exec. Director of Patient Care Services), Marianne Torkelson (Chair, JCCCN), Carl Selvick (President and CEO), and Dr. Esteban Miller (CMO).