Cedar Rapids, IA, USA  
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe Today
The Gazette The Gazette
The Gazette The Gazette
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe
CLOSE
The Gazette
Subscribe
My Account
  • News
    • All News
    • Election 2020
    • Coronavirus
    • Business News
    • Community
    • Crime and Courts
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Nation and World
    • Time Machine
    • Search Archive

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Lee Hermiston
    • Erin Jordan
    • James Q. Lynch
    • Trish Mehaffey
    • Vanessa Miller
    • Kat Russell
    • Grace King
    • John Steppe
    • Gage Miskimen
    • Marissa Payne
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Hawkeye Football
    • Hawkeye Basketball
    • Prep Sports
    • Prep Volleyball
    • Prep Football
    • Prep Basketball
    • Prep Wrestling
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • UNI Panthers
    • Small College Sports
    • Minor League Sports
    • Outdoors

    Sports Desk

    • Mike Hlas
    • Jeff Johnson
    • Jeff Linder
    • J.R. Ogden
    • K.J. Pilcher
    • Leah Vann
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Mission
    • Guest Columnists
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Political Cartoons
    • Staff Columnists
    • Staff Editorials
    • Submit a Letter or Column

    Our Columnists

    • Todd Dorman
    • Adam Sullivan
  • Food and Drink
    • All Food and Drink
    • Chew on This
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Business Notes
    • Companies
    • Personal Finance
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy
    • Manufacturing
    • Openings & Closures
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Transportation

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Erin Jordan
    • John Steppe
  • Obituaries
    • All Obituaries
    • In Memory Of
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • Daily News Podcast
    • Fact Checker
    • Hlastradamus Odds
    • Iowa Prep Sports
    • On Iowa
    • On Iowa Politics
    • On UNI
    • Pinning Combination
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Music
    • Theater
    • Things To Do
  • Living
    • All Living
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Milestones
    • People & Places
    • Pets & Animals
    • Recreation
    • Religion & Belief
    • Travel

    Our Writers

    • Diana Nollen
    • Elijah Decious
  • Kids Gazette
    • See All
    • Kids Cooking Series
    • Kids Galleries
    • Printables
    • Activities
    • Articles
    • Submissions
    • Resources
  • Photos
    • All Photos and Videos
    • The Iowa Photo
    • Photo Store

    Our Photojournalists

    • Andy Abeyta
    • Liz Martin
    • Rebecca Miller
    • Jim Slosiarek
    • Gazette Visuals
  • Milestones
    • All Milestones
    • Anniversaries
    • Days To Remember
    • Engagements
    • Holidays
    • In Remembrance
    • New Arrivals
    • Thank Yous
    • Submit a Milestone
  • Data
    • Arrests
    • Building Permits
    • Interactive Maps & Charts
    • Salaries
  • Gazette Sites
    • Classifieds
    • Corridor Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Gazette Gives Back
    • Gazette Rewards
    • Gazette Store
    • Green Gazette
    • HER
    • Iowa Wedding Experience
    • Holiday Light Finder
    • Hoopla
    • Iowa Ideas
    • Photo Store
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
    • About The Gazette
    • Archives
    • Article Removal
    • Business Directory
    • CR Arrest Database
    • Mobile Apps
    • Customer Care
    • Order Back Issues
    • Privacy Policies
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Sponsorship Requests
    • Submit a Letter
    • Weather
  • Digital Edition
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast
Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
Log out

FOLLOW US

The Gazette
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
  • Entertainment
  • Living
  • Kids Gazette
  • Photos
  • Milestones
  • Data
  • Gazette Sites
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
  • Digital Edition
  • All News
  • Election 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Business News
  • Community
  • Crime and Courts
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health
  • Nation and World
  • Time Machine
  • Search Archive

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Lee Hermiston
  • Erin Jordan
  • James Q. Lynch
  • Trish Mehaffey
  • Vanessa Miller
  • Kat Russell
  • Grace King
  • John Steppe
  • Gage Miskimen
  • Marissa Payne
  • All Sports
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Hawkeye Football
  • Hawkeye Basketball
  • Prep Sports
  • Prep Volleyball
  • Prep Football
  • Prep Basketball
  • Prep Wrestling
  • Iowa State Cyclones
  • UNI Panthers
  • Small College Sports
  • Minor League Sports
  • Outdoors

Sports Desk

  • Mike Hlas
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Jeff Linder
  • J.R. Ogden
  • K.J. Pilcher
  • Leah Vann
  • All Opinion
  • Editorial Mission
  • Guest Columnists
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Political Cartoons
  • Staff Columnists
  • Staff Editorials
  • Submit a Letter or Column

Our Columnists

  • Todd Dorman
  • Adam Sullivan
  • All Food and Drink
  • Chew on This
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
  • All Business
  • Agriculture
  • Business Notes
  • Companies
  • Personal Finance
  • Economy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Openings & Closures
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Small Business
  • Transportation

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Erin Jordan
  • John Steppe
  • All Obituaries
  • In Memory Of
  • Submit an Obituary
  • All Podcasts
  • Daily News Podcast
  • Fact Checker
  • Hlastradamus Odds
  • Iowa Prep Sports
  • On Iowa
  • On Iowa Politics
  • On UNI
  • Pinning Combination
  • All Entertainment
  • Art
  • Books
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Things To Do
  • All Living
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Milestones
  • People & Places
  • Pets & Animals
  • Recreation
  • Religion & Belief
  • Travel

Our Writers

  • Diana Nollen
  • Elijah Decious
  • See All
  • Kids Cooking Series
  • Kids Galleries
  • Printables
  • Activities
  • Articles
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • All Photos and Videos
  • The Iowa Photo
  • Photo Store

Our Photojournalists

  • Andy Abeyta
  • Liz Martin
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Jim Slosiarek
  • Gazette Visuals
  • All Milestones
  • Anniversaries
  • Days To Remember
  • Engagements
  • Holidays
  • In Remembrance
  • New Arrivals
  • Thank Yous
  • Submit a Milestone
  • Arrests
  • Building Permits
  • Interactive Maps & Charts
  • Salaries
  • Classifieds
  • Corridor Careers
  • Garage Sales
  • Gazette Gives Back
  • Gazette Rewards
  • Gazette Store
  • Green Gazette
  • HER
  • Iowa Wedding Experience
  • Holiday Light Finder
  • Hoopla
  • Iowa Ideas
  • Photo Store
  • About The Gazette
  • Archives
  • Article Removal
  • Business Directory
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Mobile Apps
  • Customer Care
  • Order Back Issues
  • Privacy Policies
  • Puzzle Answers
  • Sponsorship Requests
  • Submit a Letter
  • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
LOG OUT

FOLLOW US

More Stories

Brucemore celebrates 40 years of being open to the public

IMU COVID vaccine clinic coming

Meet the Iowan behind the Vaccine Hunter website

Wellington Heights home gutted in 2017 fire finally coming down

26-year-old man killed in shooting in NE Cedar Rapids

Peggy Whitson to be keynote speaker for Iowa Ideas 2021

Here’s how to get rid of your derecho tree debris

Livestream: Funeral for Iowa state trooper Jim Smith

Home / News / Health Care and Medicine

Mercy announces minimum wage increase, general pay bump

Michaela RammBy: Michaela Ramm Dec. 22, 2020 4:39 pm Updated: Dec. 22, 2020 10:57 pm
Mercy announces minimum wage increase, general pay bumpMercy announces minimum wage increase, general pay bump

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officials have approved a minimum-wage increase for Mercy Medical Center and MercyCare Community Physicians employees beginning the first of the year.

The minimum wage will increase to $15.25 per hour, according to a news release. Eligible employees also will see a 2 percent general wage increase throughout the fiscal year, starting in January.

The board of trustees for the Cedar Rapids-based hospital and physician group announced the minimum wage increase on Tuesday, along with a general wage increase for eligible employees beginning in January.

Mercy officials say the wage increase and raises were prompted by the 'extraordinarily challenging year” faced by employees at Mercy, as many have been on the front lines responding to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and dealt with the effects of the derecho that tore through the community in August.

The wage increase is an acknowledgment of the critical services employees have offered, despite these challenges, according to officials.

'We feel it's important, now more than ever, that we demonstrate a strong commitment to employees, providing a fair wage that ensures they can support themselves and their families and be a sustaining force in supporting our local economy,” said Mercy President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Charles.

Mercy officials stated the pay increase underscores the hospital's financial strength and 'its long-standing ability to taking a disciplined approach to financial decisions,” according to the release.

More than 200 Mercy employees were furloughed or placed on leave in October due to the significant financial challenges that faced the Cedar Rapids hospital as a result of the pandemic. Suspending elective procedures in the spring was a major blow to its profit margin, and officials said they did not see as many patients return to outpatient services this year.

The Cedar Rapids hospital has not been alone in these challenges. According to a recent report from the Iowa Hospital Association, hospitals across the state lost as much as $433 million in March through October as a result of COVID-19.

'This past year has posed many challenges, yet we have forged ahead and continued to serve our community when it has needed us most,” Charles stated in the news release.

'These pay increases help us remain competitive as an employer. But, they mean more than that; they represent the progressiveness of our organization and allow us to hold true to the fundamental principles upon which this organization was built.”

Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com

A health care worker sits in a screening area outside Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids in March. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)
Tim Charles Mercy Medical Center
Daily Report, Cedar Rapids
Michaela Ramm

Michaela Ramm

Reporter, The Gazette

In midst of COVID-19 vaccine scramble, Iowans help others find…

Meet the Iowan behind the Vaccine Hunter website

New COVID-19 variant detected in Johnson County

Health care workers more likely to develop COVID-19 after exposure…

COVID-19 vaccine clinic to take place in Iowa City Saturday

All articles by Michaela

Give us feedback

We work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage because we value your trust. If you find an error or omission in our reporting, please tell us here.

Submit a story idea

Do you have a story idea that we should look into? Please tell us here.

Related Stories

800,000 Iowans vaccinated so far

800,000 Iowans vaccinated so far

Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Apr. 15, 2021 2:55 pm

Iowa adds 445 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday

Iowa adds 445 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday

Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Apr. 13, 2021 3:41 pm

Iowa adds 666 virus cases on Thursday

Iowa adds 666 virus cases on Thursday

Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Apr. 8, 2021 4:39 pm

Health Care & Medicine

In midst of COVID-19 vaccine scramble, Iowans help others find…

In midst of COVID-19 vaccine scramble, Iowans help others find…

Michaela Ramm

Health Care and Medicine Apr. 16, 2021 6:07 pm

More than 2 million vaccine doses have been administered in…

More than 2 million vaccine doses have been administered in…

Kat Russell

Health Care and Medicine Apr. 16, 2021 6:01 pm

Meet the Iowan behind the Vaccine Hunter website

Meet the Iowan behind the Vaccine Hunter website

Michaela Ramm

Health Care and Medicine Apr. 15, 2021 2:03 pm

Grinnell College mandating COVID vaccines

Grinnell College mandating COVID vaccines

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed Apr. 15, 2021 4:41 pm

News

Here’s how to get rid of your derecho tree debris

Here’s how to get rid of your derecho tree debris

, Marissa Payne

Community 3h ago

100 days after attack, Hinson wants Capitol fence to be…

100 days after attack, Hinson wants Capitol fence to be…

James Q. Lynch

Government & Politics 4h ago

Iowan accused of assaulting officers during Capitol riot

Iowan accused of assaulting officers during Capitol riot

Washington Post

Crime and Courts 3h ago

Michael Richards, reappointed to the Board of Regents

Michael Richards, reappointed to the Board of Regents

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed Apr. 16, 2021 6:46 pm

Business

NewBoCo to offer zero-interest loans to minority-owned businesses

NewBoCo to offer zero-interest loans to minority-owned businesses

John Steppe

Small Business News Apr. 16, 2021 2:04 pm

Iowa’s March unemployment rate holds at 3.7%

Iowa’s March unemployment rate holds at 3.7%

John Steppe

Employment Apr. 16, 2021 12:39 pm

Moviegoers cautiously heading back

Moviegoers cautiously heading back

Steve Gravelle

Business News Apr. 16, 2021 1:36 pm

Iowa prepares for second hemp season

Iowa prepares for second hemp season

Erin Jordan

Agriculture News Apr. 15, 2021 7:17 pm

Sports

5 things I’m watching at my first Iowa football open…

5 things I’m watching at my first Iowa football open…

Leah Vann

Hawkeye Football Apr. 16, 2021 7:56 pm

Photos: Iowa Hawkeyes softball vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Photos: Iowa Hawkeyes softball vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Jim Slosiarek

Apr. 16, 2021 7:45 pm

Kylie Feuerbach: Former Cyclone, future Hawkeye

Kylie Feuerbach: Former Cyclone, future Hawkeye

Jeff Linder

Hawkeye Basketball Apr. 16, 2021 7:10 pm

Working for the Weekend: Hard work powers Central’s Blade Durbala…

Working for the Weekend: Hard work powers Central’s Blade Durbala…

K.J. Pilcher

Sports Apr. 16, 2021 7:21 pm

FOLLOW US

The Gazette is Iowa’s independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage.

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 116 3rd St SE
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
  • customercare@thegazette.com
  • (319) 398-8333
  • Live Chat

Links

  • Puzzle Answers
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Article Removal Request
  • Gazette Archives
  • Green Gazette
  • Corridor Careers Jobs
  • Work at The Gazette
  • Customer Care

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility
Folience A Folience Company