Sentara Healthcare, the third largest employer in the state of Virginia, has been recognized as one of America’s Best Employers in 2018 by Forbes.

Ranking in the Best Large Employers category, Sentara is No. 177 of 500 companies categorized into 25 industries. Sentara was named alongside only 24 other large organizations in the health care and social industry group.

Forbes chose America’s Best Employers based on an independent survey from a vast sample of more than 30,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. The employees were anonymously consulted through several online panels, not conducted by their employers. This methodology allowed employees to openly state their opinions, avoiding any influence from their employer.

In addition to being asked about work related topics, employees were asked whether they would recommend their current employer to others. They were also prompted to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively.

To ensure each employee has the best possible training and tools, Sentara offers a multitude of professional growth opportunities with the Sentara Leadership Institute, the Sentara College of Health Sciences, computer-based and simulation laboratory sessions for initial and ongoing training as well as regular best-practice reviews, team coaching and annual benchmark training.

Sentara is committed to recognizing top performance with peer-to-peer recognition programs, the annual CEO Awards as well as performance-based bonus incentives. Underscoring its commitment to excellence, Sentara Healthcare was recently named a Top 15 Health System for 2018 by IBM Watson Health.

In addition to providing extensive professional growth opportunities, Sentara offers medical, dental and vision coverage plans as well as life, disability and critical illness insurance. Sentara also offers paid time off, flexible spending accounts, 403(b)/401(k) retirement funds with matching contributions as well as a pension plan, identity theft and legal coverage, discounts on medical services and health insurance, and many general wellness programs. In 2017, Sentara also established a living wage and doubled its tuition assistance.

To view the full rankings and learn more about the methodology, visit www.forbes.com.