registered nurse

patient transporter

physician

patient assistant

patient services representative

Tower Health

A typical work day in the Reading Health System was very invigorating, in the way that you were dealing with multiple personalities and all sorts of situation. weather you were dealing with problems with Doctors, Nurses, Patients, you're colleagues or the safety of the facility you were always faced with thinking on your feet. 
Management was a grate help in being a mediator in many situations. my shift supervisor was very easy to talk to and  he related well to the situation on the floor, because he worked the floor himself he was able to provide insight in difficult situation. when problems arose with staff or patients he was there for unbiased support which was very appreciated within the security department. 
 my coworkers were very supportive when myself or anyone else needed assistance in a call. working in the hospital you are faced with many situation that can escalate quickly and many time you don't see it coming. the support team that we had within our department was amazing I was very grateful for them.
 the hardest part of the job was dealing with mental health patients, because you always want to handle their situation with lots of care and as much compassion as possible, at the same time being stern and firm letting them know that there will be consequences to their wrong actions. If the patient choses to cause harm to themselves  as well as the other patients and staff we would have to take action the safest way possible. the most enjoyable part of the job was interacting with staff making sure that everything was safe. Also letting them know that were in the area for us to assist them in any way. I also enjoyed the interaction with the visitors and patient. Seeing security around can be a stressful thing, especially for people that have lost someone or that are visiting someone that is in critical condition. I was fortunate enough to speak and bring comfort to many son, daughters, friends, parents etc.... I'd have to say that overall that was the very best part of the job. to help bring peace to people that were going through a difficult time.

I'm not sure if it's just my department or others that experience abuse of time and generosity of their department or if it's just mine; I'm sure the latter is probably more true. I work three 12 hour shifts, and even in spite of those long days, my department has developed this expectation that I need to come in on my days off to cover on another unit, which was never a part of the agreement that I signed. Not only this, but the amount of money that I was told that I would get paid to pick up these "extra" shifts was significantly reduced, leaving very little incentive for me to continue extending my help on my days off. The reason for this pay cut is because "the hospital already pays for my benefits." Personally, I feel that I'm earning my benefits in the 72 hours that I am required to be at work each pay period (that's what my agreement states)- extra shifts that I am essentially told that I need to pick up are exactly that- EXTRA- so I feel as though that should be compensated at a higher rater, rather than capped and cut because administration finds a clever way of phrasing it to minimize the extra hard work that my co-workers and I do. In addition, I have been wanting to pick up extra shifts in another department, but have push back from the director of my department because once again, it brings up the "extra shifts" and how that should be compensated.  I feel that it should be compensated the same way others with my title are getting paid in that department because I am utilizing a completely different set of skills; however, we'll see how that plays out. Most healthcare professionals would understand and encourage personal growth in the field, but because this network is run by business minded individuals, growth is treated like a negative instead of a positive...because too much growth might cost the network more pay.

I currently inventory all departments of the hospital to see what supplies are needed.This is done Monday,Wednesday and Friday.I have 2 other coworkers who do the same to divide this duty since the hospital is fairly large.I also fill supply orders on demand as they are ordered by other departments and deliver them,or someone else in my department will do so.On Tuesdays and Thursday we concentrate on filling any back orders that were leftover from the previous day due to time constraints. I also  unload and put away the major medical order that is delivered every Monday,Wednesday and Thursday.Usually one of these orders is large consisting of 6 to 9 pallets.I have been there a long time with  most of the duties over the years evolving,and some staying the same.I once did all of the duties that  l listed as well  as data entry work.I have learned to be self controlled,accepting and patient . My coworkers are hard and consciences  workers.Most have been there a while,but none longer than myself.One has been there only 4 years.Some of them however can be petty and overly dramatic to work with.The hardest part is dealing with tension caused by pettiness and those who make more out of the job than what it is.As far as actual  duties,the hardest part is the inventorying of the departments 3 times weekly because I am dealing with strict deadlines and delays that albeit are job related,but often times not necessary to disrupt what I am doing at the current time.The most enjoyable part of the day is knowing I did a hard days work and the best I could..

What is the best part of working at the company?
The coworkers  and benefits are the only good thing about the job

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Tower makes the workplace stressful. No stability or security. since they acquired the hospitals and urgent cares, they’ve been trying to sell. Management never backs their employees. And it’s customer service, not practicing medicine. “Give the patient what they tell you they want” whether it’s antibiotics or radiation from X-rays they don’t need. You are underpaid and not appreciated as you take on multiple roles to fill company needs. Other than that, there’s no communication from upper management. They handle things extremely poorly and don’t care about the employees. Any Information they do give is incorrect and constantly changes. You find out your job site is closing by the “for rent” sign and locked door when you go in for your shift.  Site managers are told they won’t have jobs in a month but are expected to do all Tower’s grunt work (clearing out closed sites, catering to buyers, helping their staff though the turmoil). Truly appalling the way they are allowed to treat staff. Tower’s only concerns are their bottom line and how to get out of paying their hard working employees they sever ties with.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Coworkers are amazing and made the chaos bearable. But the rest is pure stress and uncertainty.  management does not care and it shows. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Doing the work of several as they cut positions. Those who stayed had harder jobs picking up the slack.

Do not apply to any position that requires you to handle or manage medical records, or a unit clerk position. They are discontinuing those positions. That's what happened to me and a lot of my coworkers. I'm sorry but your positions is no longer available, we're not making enough money, budget this Obama that blah blah blah, is what they told me. Mind you, they're remodeling their cafeteria, and building a new surgi center. I know that they saw what was coming with them having to go paperless. There ya go. Paperless, less work, less need for people. Regardless of your work ethic, seniority trumps it. 

The benefits are okay. I had surgery and am still paying for the amount the insurance didn't cover. Dental benefits were lovely. Vision plan was okay. The insurances that I had prior paid for annual glasses, with the reading health, it was every two years so here I am wi my vision changing,and had to wait. This causes me headaches.

Lunch breaks, 30 minutes. In the dept that I worked management said that having an additional 15 minute  break was a privilege, so, we didn't get it. Sometimes it would take you 15 mins to get food, and 15 to sit and eat quickly, and run back to work.

Management is a hot mess. If you aren't a kiss a** good luck. The staff is very cliquey. If you're not pretty or have the best purse etc a 
Lot of the nurses that I worked with would look down on you. You get written up for a lot of things. I had major oral surgery and it took over a week for me to able to talk, almost two weeks to eat solids, and I called off once, and brought I a doctors note, and still got written up. Really? I had to return to work feeling weak, loopy, and still having pain. Would I work there again? No.

A typical day at work for me is like any other day in life; you just have to take it one step at a time because you will never know what will happen. Working in a hospital environment is never the same everyday so I was prepared for everything no matter what the out come was. 

Management at the job was really always a handful they catch all the slack so the expect the best from their workers but you can't get mad; you are their to do a job as well as them, so to avoid conflict I did just what I needed to do and more.  

Co-workers their was fine but were not here to be best of friends we need to stick together and get the job done. Keep all your personal business and problems at home. I had a few were I didn't get along with but when it comes to my job I strive for perfection and nothing less.   

I learned a lot working in a hospital environment it is very demanding and you have to have the ability to handle it. I matured a lot and became very humble with myself. It was one of the best experiences I could of every ask for. I became such a better person.

The hardest part of the job was having to work with people that was on the job not wiling to work. I enjoy working and more so with others; with and for children so the challenge for me was getting pass that and still do what I needed to do and I succeeded every time.

The part I enjoyed most about the job was the opportunity that I had worker around different types of children even though I wasn't hands on personally I stilled enjoyed every moment knowing what I was doing took a small part and saving their lives.

Tower Health Medical Group encompasses many different hospital locations and facilities however their utmost concern is the operations of Reading Hospital, the "mothership." If you are not located at Reading, you may feel as though you are a 2nd class citizen within the system.

– Tower Health laid off 1,000+ staff and exposed the system to rapid expansion of failing hospitals. 

– Tower continues to pay loyal staff less than surrounding hospital systems. I am offered nearly $15/hour more than my current rate by leaving Tower Health. To highlight the dysfunction: they failed to retain existing talent and succumb to hiring travel and locums staff at exorbitant rates. They fired an APP colleague to "save money" only to then pay physicians to staff the same shifts at 3x hourly rate. Brilliant!

– Management has lied to our faces and will withhold information until the last moment – then drop news onto everyone in emails with little time to react. You will learn about news from your hospital in the local paper and rumors before being notified by your own employer first.

In terms of the day-to-day job, it's a great place to work. But dealing with hospital upper management and Tower's C-suite has been a nightmare ever since day one. I do not believe I will ever work for such an organization again. 

I worked on a very busy med surg floor & gained so much knowledge   & skill during my time there. I was ALWAYS busy. The best part of my day was working with the patients while the worst part was being under staffed and feeling rushed in patient's rooms. On occasions I was the only nurse aide for the entire 26 patient floor. There was always a great deal of pressure to do "just one more thing" which would result in missed lunches or overtime and being scolded by management. But how do you compensate when short staffed? I felt the tone was often "do more with less" and with little to no direction or example of how to do so. Unit Clerk positions were cut and staffing ratios were constantly adjusted against not only our favor, but patient's favor. Do not get me wrong though, when staffed accordingly, I took great pride in the unit I worked on. The Hospital itself did lots of things to show appreciation for it's employees. Constantly giving away gifts (beach towels, water bottles, t-shirts for new launches, fleeces, lunches, ice cream parties you name it). Overall, my experience with Reading Hospital was a very positive one. I would highly recommend as an employer to anyone who is compassionate and caring. Anyone who loves what they do and who is looking to make a real difference in a team and patient's lives.

After working in healthcare for many years, it’s heartbreaking to see that here at TH, optimal patient care and standards of nursing is not the priority anymore. It’s all about numbers. It’s just another business being boastful about the money they can bring in. I most certainly would never ever refer a family member or friend to work here or to be cared for by the hospice teams. Too many cut corners, falsification of patient records and time entries. Even after upper management was made aware, they brushed it under the covers - as long as everything looks right on paper. And worse yet, the best staff members and patient advocates were harassed to the point of their resignations after they reported insubordinate actions and poor clinical management in clients with complicated care. New hires are not provided with appropriate orientation and training for in home procedures. Long term employees are not required to attend educational training in fields of specialty. And patient services are minimized because they can’t keep enough qualified staff on board. Unqualified staff are put into positions just to fill the spots. Very poor organizational processes. 

The volume in our office has gingerly increased as we keep adding more rotating specialty care to our patients residing in New Jersey. As a result, I can be scurrying to check in a line of patients starting before my shift at 8:30 am. When I gain a brief moment of downtime, I play catch up by filing, documenting, running faxes and finishing up copay spreadsheets and medical billing. My coworkers are team players and very supportive to one another. When a troublesome patient arrives, my coworkers see my distress and run to my aid. That is generally my toughest part of my job, but thankfully I have supportive team members that don't leave me alone in that situation. 
    My enjoying moments is when patients show their appreciation to the customer service i provide them, or simply just enjoying my humor. In the past two years working here, I learned more than just medical terminology, but also commitment and dedication that team members have to offer. I also learned to work with multiple personalities unlike my own. That concept alone was definitely a working experience especially when working with team members who were not interested in their job. All in all, I have an adaptable nature and was able to work with all colleagues and coworkers with a smile.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 15 salaries reported	$43.60 per hour
Patient transporter 40 salaries reported	$35.69 per hour
Physician 5 salaries reported	$62,593 per year
Patient assistant 4 salaries reported	$16.65 per hour
Patient services representative 3 salaries reported	$18.96 per hour

Working at Tower Health: Company Overview and Reviews

Tower Health

Tower Health Ratings

Popular jobs at Tower Health

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected