Case Study: University of Rochester Medical Center achieves lower nursing turnover and a culture of appreciation with Reward Gateway

Giving and receiving recognition creates a culture of appreciation and lowers nursing turnover in high-stress environment

The University of Rochester Medical Center Emergency Department, a 140‑bed unit with about 300 staff caring for 100,000+ patients annually, faced low morale and high nursing turnover (around 15–20%) in 2011. Dr. Michael Kamali engaged Reward Gateway to take a cross‑industry, business‑focused approach to diagnose the culture and reduce turnover using employee engagement and recognition solutions.

Reward Gateway worked with ED leaders to define daily behaviors and launched the Strong Stars recognition platform so staff could share and socialize stories of teamwork and compassion across the hospital. The program helped normalize peer recognition, reduced nursing turnover to about 10%, and produced measurable engagement: 97% of employees have received recognition and 73% of managers have authored posts, improving staff morale and the patient experience.

University of Rochester Medical Center

Michael Kamali

Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine