Pros
The only pros to working in IT for Ascension are the co-workers.
Cons
Ascension Technologies or should I say Gerry Lewis made the decision to Outsource the majority of all IT. All while they were working in the background on hiring an overseas company to replace IT employees they continued to have weekly all staff calls telling us how many great things we were doing and accomplishing for Ascension. Starting each all staff meeting with a religious “reflection” and prayer thanking all of the employees for what a great job we were doing. We were asked in IT to tighten the belt and save millions of dollars by doing more with less. We exceeded the money savings all while working tirelessly with little to no support from Sr. management. When Covid hit we (IT) were promised no one would lose their jobs and they were committed to being there for their employees. They even made a press release to say that no Ascension employees will be laid off due to Covid and they applied for and received financial aid from the government in the sum of millions of dollars to make sure that happened. Little did we know it was a ruse as this “Christian faith based” company was working with an overseas company to replace the employees they had been praising for doing such a great job. In Aug of 2020 during an all staff call they decided to let us (2000+) employees know we were no longer needed they were going to Outsource IT. Outsourcing IT even though we were able to cut millions of dollars from our budget, doing more with less and giving us constant praises and accolades of what a great job we were doing. Patient care and Christian values were no longer the focus, and it all came at the expense of employees who had served them with an average tenure of 10+ years. Their “Focus on Employees” values became Focus on money. They have burnt a bridge in the “local” IT community that will most likely never be repaired. I would not recommend this organization if you are in IT. I am sure there will be a canned response saying something to the effect of “we are sorry you feel this way but Ascension is dedicated to its employees and patients with its Christian values”. Dedication to employees and Christian values don’t let thousands of dedicated employees go especially during a pandemic when specifically told this would not happen.
