UNC Health Southeastern Named to Becker's 165 Top Places to Work in Healthcare List for 2026
UNC Health Southeastern has been named to Becker's 165 Top Places to Work in Healthcare List for 2026. According to Becker’s, workforce challenges remain front and center for healthcare organizations, making the recruitment and retention of top talent more critical than ever. Hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that prioritize employee development, actively listen to their teams, provide flexible work environments, and offer competitive benefits consistently foster higher engagement and stronger satisfaction. The organizations featured on this list distinguish themselves as premier employers by supporting their teams in meaningful, holistic ways. From comprehensive wellness initiatives and professional growth opportunities to community engagement and cultures rooted in connection and balance, these workplaces are redefining what it means to thrive in healthcare.
Through their Culture and Engagement department, UNC Health Southeastern ensures that diversity is celebrated through cultural awareness events and activities including, Native American Heritage Month, as many team members in their community are Lumbee Indians. They also host programs for Black History Month as well as several other events that celebrate and reflect their diverse community and workforce. The celebrations range from lunch-and-learns to culturally popular meals being served in the cafeteria. The Patient Family Advisory Council mirrors the diverse demographics of the county, featuring partners from different backgrounds who meet on a quarterly basis to discuss important healthcare topics that impact the community.
The UNC Health Southeastern Foundation’s Equip. Empower. Enrich. program ensures healthcare professionals in any position throughout the system attain their future goals by providing access to a variety of educational resources that will help cultivate an even stronger healthcare community. Teammates are sponsored for conferences, seminars, license, and certifications, which enhance their job performance. They have built a strong pipeline in partnerships with local and regional institutions to fill otherwise hard-to-fill positions. Apart from receiving a scholarship, the recipients receive a stipend for the duration of their program. The health system also hosted Project S.E.A.R.C.H., a program for individuals with disabilities, and employed some of the graduates. They manage a competitive and well-respected nurse residency program as well as the largest community-based-hospital medical residency program outside of the academic centers in North Carolina. They also sponsored several teammates to complete an Emerging Leaders Academy and the Diverse Healthcare Leadership Mentorship Program.
UNC Health Southeastern recognizes their ultimate success depends on their talented and dedicated workforce. They understand the contribution each team member makes to their accomplishments; therefore, their goal is to provide a comprehensive program of competitive benefits to attract and retain the best team members available. Through their benefits programs, they strive to support the needs of team members and their dependents by providing an easy-to-understand, easy-to-access, affordable benefits package that includes the following: health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending account, dependent care account, 403b retirement plan, and an array of voluntary benefits.
Some additional health benefits for team members include 100% coverage for use of local health clinics within our network; Healthy Living 4 Life Wellness program offers discounts on health insurance premiums for teammates who participate in wellness programs; annual walking challenge to promote physical activity.
UNC Heath Southeastern also improved overall paid time off accruals and modernized the holiday calendar, adding two new holidays for 2026. Their CARE Fund assists team members in need for situations including extended illness, death of a loved one, or catastrophic events such as motor accidents or house fires. They also established an on-site employment wellness clinic to offer a convenient option for team members to access healthcare for episodic care as well as chronic disease medication management.
UNC Health Southeastern has been able to offer these benefits without an increase in health insurance premiums for five years.
The health system achieved a 96% participation rate in the Team Member Engagement Survey while improving engagement scores above the national average for the first time. In the last team member engagement survey, the hospital ranked in the 30th percentile. This year’s score was an improvement of over 20 percentiles in 2025. They also improved in every survey category, including resilience, belonging, meaningfulness of work, communication, and respect. This culture of belonging and inclusiveness has led to a progressive decline in turnover rates – a 5 % decrease in three years.
UNC Health Southeastern is the largest employer in Robeson County. They doubled the minimum salary for their teammates in just five years. They offer a low-cost health insurance program and have consistently decreased their turnover rate at approximately 15 percent.
“We are proud of our culture of owner versus renter mentality,” said UNC Health Southeastern President and CEO Chris Ellington. “At UNC Health Southeastern, we approach our mission, vision, and values with the premise that we are friends and family caring for friends and family. “
About Becker's Healthcare
Becker's Healthcare is the go-to source for healthcare decision-makers and one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry. Through print, digital and live event platforms, Becker's Healthcare equips healthcare leaders with information and forums they need to learn, exchange ideas and further conversations about the most critical issues in American healthcare today.
To read the full list, visit 165 top places to work in healthcare | 2026.
