How UCLA Health Built Culture at Scale:
33,000 Employees, 89% Proud
Table of Contents
Culture at scale is the hardest challenge in workplace leadership.
When you have 33,000 employees across 280+ locations, maintaining consistency isn’t just difficult—it should be impossible.
And yet, UCLA Health has done it.
89% of their employees are proud to work there. That’s 6% above the healthcare industry benchmark, which is remarkable in a sector facing unprecedented burnout and retention challenges.
But here’s what makes this story worth studying: UCLA Health didn’t achieve this through inspiration alone. They built systematic infrastructure.
As a Certified Most Loved Workplace®, UCLA Health’s culture has been validated through third-party research, not self-reported marketing claims. Their approach demonstrates what’s possible when organizations combine mission-driven work with measurable, scalable cultural practices.
This is how they did it.
The Scale Challenge: 33,000 Employees, 280+ Locations
Let’s be clear about the complexity:
UCLA Health operates across Southern California with:
- 33,000 employees (from physicians to environmental services staff)
- 280+ locations (hospitals, clinics, research facilities)
- 9 medical specialties ranked in the top 10 nationally
- Teaching hospital environments with rotating clinical students
- 24/7 operations serving diverse patient populations
In organizations this size, culture typically fractures. What works in one hospital doesn’t translate to outpatient clinics. Leadership messaging gets diluted across layers. Employees in different divisions develop separate identities.
According to research on healthcare employee experience, only 71.5% of healthcare workers report overall engagement, and confidence in organizational leadership is declining industry-wide—down 7.6 points year-over-year in 2024.
UCLA Health’s 89% pride and 80% engagement levels stand in stark contrast.
So what’s different?
Equity and Belonging Aren't Optional—They're Embedded
Sarah, Program Manager at UCLA Health’s Cancer Data Science Center, describes it clearly:
“I’ve never felt the need to be anything other than myself during my time at UCLA. There’s no pressure to be something that you’re not. I work with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and that really adds to the richness of my work experiences.”
This isn’t diversity as a checkbox. It’s belonging as infrastructure.
UCLA Health has earned:
- Forbes Best Employers for Diversity (2024)
- Most Loved Workplace® certification for diversity and inclusion
- Recognition as one of Forbes Best Employers for Women (2023)
But external recognition validates what employees experience daily. As measured through the LOWI (Love of Workplace Index) assessment, 81% of UCLA Health employees report having at least one person at work they truly trust.
Trust at this level, at this scale, doesn’t happen accidentally.
It requires:
- Intentional hiring for diversity across all levels (not just entry positions)
- Psychological safety embedded in team operations (employees can voice concerns without fear)
- Leadership accountability for inclusive practices (measured, not assumed)
- Systems that surface and address inequity (not performative statements)
As UCLA Health’s official data shows, employees describe a workplace where “there’s no pressure to be something that you’re not.” That authenticity—measured through third-party assessment—is what drives emotional connectedness at scale.
The Teaching Hospital Advantage: Continuous Learning at Scale
UCLA Health isn’t just a healthcare provider. It’s an academic medical center.
That distinction matters for culture.
Teaching hospitals attract world-class talent who thrive in environments where:
- Learning never stops (latest research informs daily practice)
- Expertise is shared systematically (senior clinicians mentor emerging professionals)
- Innovation is expected, not exceptional (protocols evolve based on evidence)
- Intellectual curiosity is valued (questions improve outcomes)
With 9 medical specialties ranked in the top 10 nationally, UCLA Health operates at the frontier of medical practice. Employees aren’t just maintaining standards—they’re setting them.
This creates a self-reinforcing cycle:
- Exceptional talent wants to work where they can learn from the best
- High-caliber teams attract more high-caliber professionals
- Continuous learning environments reduce burnout (growth vs. stagnation)
- Innovation becomes part of daily operations (not separate R&D function)
According to UCLA Health’s engagement data, employees cite opportunities for “professional development and growth” as core reasons for satisfaction. In healthcare systems where burnout rates exceed 25%, UCLA Health’s model demonstrates an alternative: invest in learning infrastructure, retain exceptional people.
Comprehensive Support That Actually Scales: The Ci-Care Model
Here’s where systematic thinking becomes tangible.
UCLA Health uses the Ci-Care model to standardize respectful interactions across all 280+ locations:
C – Connect: Make eye contact, introduce yourself
I – Introduce: Explain your role
C – Communicate: What you’re doing and why
A – Ask: Questions, and listen to responses
R – Respond: Address concerns directly
E – Exit: Explain next steps, thank them
Originally designed for patient care, Ci-Care has been embedded into colleague interactions too.
Why does this matter for culture at scale?
Because consistency creates psychological safety. When 33,000 employees across 280 locations follow the same interaction model, everyone knows what to expect. New hires learn it. Seasoned staff model it. Leaders are held to it.
This is what building trust within teams looks like in practice—not as an abstract value, but as a repeatable process.
Beyond Ci-Care, UCLA Health provides:
- Comprehensive benefits designed for healthcare professionals (not generic corporate packages)
- Support for demanding schedules (24/7 operations require flexible systems)
- Union representation ensuring fair compensation (guaranteed annual increases, lunch breaks, scheduling rights)
- Career pathways across the system (employees can grow without leaving)
As one employee described in UCLA Health’s own engagement data: “There are many pros to working at UCLA Health. The pay, the benefits, the location. Even most of the colleagues are great.”
That’s not marketing. That’s measured sentiment from third-party workplace assessment.
The Leadership Element: Johnese Spisso and Mission Alignment
Culture at scale requires leadership that operationalizes values, not just articulates them.
Johnese Spisso, President of UCLA Health, leads an organization where:
- Mission alignment is measured (89% proud, 80% engaged – not assumed)
- Values consistency spans 280+ locations (Ci-Care isn’t optional in some divisions)
- Employee voice informs strategy (LOWI qualitative feedback drives improvements)
- External validation holds leadership accountable (Most Loved Workplace® certification, Forbes recognition)
What differentiates loved leaders from merely competent executives?
They build systems that outlast their tenure.
UCLA Health’s Ci-Care model, diversity infrastructure, teaching hospital culture, and comprehensive support systems aren’t dependent on individual managers. They’re embedded in how the organization operates.
According to UCLA Health’s HR data, employees consistently cite “supportive management” and “collaborative teams” as strengths. When 81% of employees report having someone at work they truly trust, that’s not luck—that’s leadership creating conditions where trust can form at scale.
The Proof: Multiple Certifications, External Validation
UCLA Health’s cultural claims aren’t self-reported. They’re third-party verified:
Most Loved Workplace® Certification:
- Validated through LOWI (Love of Workplace Index) assessment
- Measured across SPARK framework: Systemic Collaboration, Positive Vision, Alignment of Values, Respect, Killer Outcomes
- Featured in Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces (2024)
Forbes Recognition:
- Best Employers for Diversity (2024)
- Best Employers for Women (2023)
- America’s Dream Employers (2025)
Industry-Specific Awards:
- Becker’s Top 100 Places to Work in Healthcare (2025)
- American Heart Association Fit Friendly Company
This matters because external validation counters the signal problem in employer branding.
As discussed in our analysis of how employers should build credible signals, candidates increasingly research companies through AI systems (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.) before visiting careers pages. Self-reported culture claims carry little weight. Third-party certification with validated research methodology does.
UCLA Health’s 89% employee pride isn’t a marketing stat. It’s a measured outcome from independent assessment—the kind AI systems cite when answering “Is UCLA Health a good place to work?”
Join Their Team: Working at a Most Loved Workplace®
UCLA Health is hiring across clinical, administrative, research, and support functions.
When you work at a Certified Most Loved Workplace®, research shows you’re:
- 73% more likely to be highly committed to your organization (r=.73 correlation)
- 48% less likely to leave (r=-.48 correlation with turnover)
- 76% more likely to experience psychological safety and freedom to innovate (r=.76 correlation)
- 72% more likely to recommend your employer to others (r=.72 correlation)
These aren’t promises. They’re predictions based on validated workplace research across 1,800+ employees with coefficient alpha .95 reliability.
UCLA Health’s scale—33,000 employees, 280+ locations, world-class medical specialties—proves these outcomes are achievable even in complex organizations.
Current opportunities at UCLA Health:
- Clinical roles (physicians, nurses, allied health professionals)
- Research positions (UCLA’s academic medical center mission)
- Administrative and support functions (HR, IT, facilities, finance)
- Leadership development pathways (internal mobility across the system)
Explore openings at UCLA Health Careers.
What UCLA Health Demonstrates About Culture at Scale
Culture at 33,000 employees shouldn’t work.
The conventional wisdom: As organizations grow, culture dilutes. What works in one location doesn’t transfer to others. Leadership can’t maintain consistency across hundreds of sites.
UCLA Health proves that conventional wisdom wrong.
Their approach combines:
- Systematic infrastructure (Ci-Care model embedded across all interactions)
- Mission-driven work (teaching hospital excellence attracts talent who value learning)
- Measured outcomes (89% proud, 80% engaged, 81% trust – validated by third parties)
- Authentic inclusion (no pressure to be someone you’re not – Sarah’s testimonial validated through LOWI assessment)
- Comprehensive support (benefits designed for healthcare’s demanding reality, not generic corporate packages)
- Leadership accountability (Most Loved Workplace® certification requires ongoing measurement, not one-time surveys)
This matters beyond UCLA Health.
If you’re leading a large healthcare system, a multi-location organization, or any enterprise where scale threatens culture—UCLA Health’s model demonstrates what’s possible.
Culture at scale isn’t impossible. It requires different thinking.
Not inspiration. Infrastructure.
Not values posters. Validated practices.
Not self-reported surveys. Third-party certification.
UCLA Health built it. So can you.
Ready to Build Culture That Scales?
If you’re a healthcare leader or HR executive at a large organization, Most Loved Workplace® certification provides the framework UCLA Health used:
- LOWI (Love of Workplace Index) assessment measuring emotional connectedness across your organization
- SPARK framework evaluation across 5 dimensions: Systemic Collaboration, Positive Vision, Alignment of Values, Respect, Killer Outcomes
- Third-party validation that creates credible signals (not self-reported marketing claims)
- Research-backed predictions showing what your scores mean for commitment, retention, innovation, and business outcomes
Culture at scale is the hardest challenge in workplace leadership.
But it’s not impossible.
UCLA Health—33,000 employees, 280+ locations, 89% proud—proves it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Louis Carter is the founder and CEO of Best Practice Institute, Most Loved Workplace, and Results-Based Culture. Author of In Great Company, Change Champions Field Guide, and Best Practices in Talent Management, as well as a series of Leadership Development books. He is a trusted strategic advisor and coach to CEOs, CHROs, and leaders of mid-sized to F500 companies – enabling change and steering employer brand development together with highly effective teams, leaders, and organizations as a whole.
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