Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest technology news and information.

100 Best Places to Work in IT 2007

A sense of commitment, and connection, keeps IT staffers at these top companies jazzed up about work.

By Mary Brandel

June 18, 2007 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - In 2004, when Ed Martinez became CIO at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Fla., the facility's IT staff was struggling with morale. The institute had grown rapidly since it opened in 1986, but within IT, that phenomenal growth was causing problems. The group had seen three CIOs come and go within the same number of years. Half of the 100 staffers didn't know the other half, and roles were as ill-defined as the mission of the group itself. "There was an overall spirit of 'Do the work; get the check,'" Martinez says.

As with any turnaround, Martinez found himself making some unpopular decisions, including layoffs and title changes. But in the past two and a half years, he has also expanded the staff, promoted some people, increased some salaries by $5,000 to $20,000, broken down the wall between the hospital and research IT groups, and sponsored events to build camaraderie, including off-site retreats and social events. He was also able to add professional development opportunities and work/life benefits such as flexible schedules and elderly care, thanks to Moffitt's overall drive to become an employer of choice in the Tampa region.

But the biggest change and one that helped propel the organization to the No. 68 spot on Computerworld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT list was the effort made to link the IT group for the first time to the organization's mission, which is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. This was vastly aided by Moffitt's launch of an ambitious program to build a data repository that integrates genetic information with clinical records, with the goal of someday creating personalized cancer treatments.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute IT employees (from left) Fausto Gonzalez, Julius Miyawa, Veronica Cruz, Zachariah Johnson and Ed Martinez.

"One of our mottos is, 'This is the place where we're going to cure cancer,'" Martinez says, "and if we don't have the right people working for us, we won't get there."

Today, his staffers seem to feel the same way. "The technology I provide touches every patient every day," says Zachariah Johnson, manager of IT clinical systems at Moffitt. And he should know, thanks to time spent shadowing doctors, meeting with physicians, nurses, pharmacy personnel and patient advisory groups, and even visiting patients at their bedsides.

"It's fun to open a box with a new computer in it and see what it can do. But that gets old real quick," Johnson says. "It's much more satisfying to know hundreds of patients a day can have a more pleasant experience because of something you did."

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

Best Places to Work in IT

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

What People Are Saying

7 comments | Add new

See all comments (7) | Add new

White Papers & Webcasts

Chiquita selects Workday's fresh approach to Human Capital Management
A fresh approach to meet IT and HR objectives.

Usability Is Everything
Download this short video! Provided by Workday.

Supporting Employees Anytime, Anywhere
Download this White Paper Now!

The Value of Real SaaS at Workday
Download this short video! Provided by Workday

Natural User Interface for Enterprise Applications
Download this Complimentary White Paper! Provided by Workday.

SaaS at Flextronics, Inc.
Download this short Video! Provided by Workday.

A Truly Global HCM System
Download this Complimentary White Paper! Provided by Workday.

Extending Client Refresh - 11 Steps to Maximize Savings
Register Now!

Craft a Strategy to Lower Your Total Cost of Ownership
Download this Complimentary White Paper! Provided by Workday.

Lower the Cost and Complexity of a Mobile Workforce through Automation
Download This Resource Now!

All White Papers | All Webcasts

Computerworld Reports

8 Questions To Ask About Your Intrusion-Security Solution

Computerworld Technology Briefings IT Service Management

Computerworld Briefing - Analytics: The Art and Science of Better

All Computerworld Reports

	CareerMail
	Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
	Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
	The Weekly Top 10
	Cloud Computing

resource center