Like many other health centers and clinics in the year 2022, Primary Care & Hope had high demand, overwhelmed staff, and nearly 36% turnover given the trying times of the previous years. Although they were below the national average, they still wanted to improve their staff retention.
“We were really just trying to survive,” Theresa Dellinger tells me. She joined the staff during that time as the Human Resources Director and knew staff retention was a priority in the world of healthcare.
Primary Care & Hope is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving as the medical home for over 15,000 patients in Middle Tennessee. They are an important part of their community, providing primary, preventative, and chronic healthcare services to anyone—regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
In her first months on board, Theresa made a commitment to reversing the turnover trend and improving the satisfaction of both staff and patients so they could better serve their community.
A Data-Driven Wake-Up Call
“The first thing I did was take a deep dive into the data that I had in front of me,” Theresa says. It quickly became clear that their salaries weren’t comparable to those around them in the Nashville and Murfreesboro markets.
“We have a huge family practice clinic and hospital chain right at our back door,” she explains. “So, we really have to be competitive in order to maintain our staff.”
Theresa was able to use the TPCA Compensation & Benefits Analysis and the NACHC Salary & Benefits Report to determine their new salary structure and presented her findings to Lisa Terry, CEO, who supported making the changes.
Hiring for Heart
The second thing Theresa wanted to refocus on was Primary Care & Hope’s hiring philosophy—skills matter, but mission alignment matters more.
“When we bring people in for interviews, we really hone in on our core values and find like-minded people that have care and compassion for the people we serve,” she says. “We can teach people the skills they need to be successful in our organization, but we can’t teach them to be nice. We can’t teach them to be compassionate.”
This approach has proven to be successful for Primary Care & Hope, improving their work culture and patient satisfaction. Theresa tells me that even though it can take longer to fill a position this way, the right person always makes the wait worth it.
Making HR Human Again
For many employees, HR can feel distant or even intimidating. Theresa was determined to change that.
From day one, she made visibility a priority. Each day, Theresa and her team walk the halls, checking in with staff, asking how things are going, and making sure they have what they need to succeed. “Sometimes it’s the small things—just being present—that make the biggest difference,” she shares.
That same approach extends across leadership. The CEO, COO, and CFO are regularly on the floor, connecting with staff and even interacting with patients. “I think that makes them so approachable to staff,” Theresa says.
Together, these simple, everyday moments have helped transform HR from something employees fear into a resource they trust.
Recognition That Resonates
At Primary Care & Hope Clinic, recognition isn’t reserved for major milestones; it’s woven into the everyday culture.
The team has built intentional moments of appreciation throughout the year, from organization-wide gatherings and holiday celebrations to simple, meaningful gestures that make employees feel seen. Whether it’s a summer picnic, a fall festival, or a shared meal during the holidays, these moments bring staff together across locations and create space to connect beyond the day-to-day work.
They also do employee spotlights when a patient gives positive feedback about their experience. “For example, we had a patient Google review about how clean our bathrooms were,” Theresa says. “We highlighted the entire custodial staff and brought them their favorite treats as a token of our appreciation.”
The Patient Impact
As a result of their improved staff retention, Primary Care & Hope has seen a positive impact on their patients’ experience.
With more consistent care teams in place, patients can build lasting relationships with the people who care for them. Providers and nurses aren’t just familiar faces; they become trusted partners in each patient’s health journey. The clinic’s patient-centered model reinforces this connection, pairing providers with dedicated nurses to support ongoing, coordinated care.
In some cases, those bonds are so strong that patients don’t just connect with their provider; they connect with the entire care team. Theresa tells me about one of their long-term providers who is retiring and the process of changing his patients over to another provider. “We have patients saying, ‘Well, can I follow his nurse? I want to go wherever she is going.’”
Long-tenured staff members, like a nurse known affectionately by patients as “Miss Dee,” become a steady presence in patients’ lives—checking in, following up, and holding them accountable in ways that feel both personal and supportive.
This kind of continuity doesn’t just improve satisfaction; it supports better outcomes. When patients feel known and supported, they’re more likely to stay engaged in their care, follow treatment plans, and return when they need help.
More Than Retention
Primary Care & Hope’s turnover rate is now 22%, reduced by almost half compared to 2022.
For Theresa, reducing turnover wasn’t just about improving a number—it was about building something stronger.
By investing in their people through competitive pay, intentional hiring, visible leadership, and meaningful recognition, Primary Care & Hope created a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and connected to the mission. And that culture shows up in every patient interaction.
Because in the end, retention isn’t just about keeping staff. It’s about strengthening relationships, improving care, and ensuring communities continue to receive the compassion and consistency they deserve.
- Want to learn more about Primary Care & Hope’s retention strategies? Contact Theresa Dellinger, HR Director at Primary Care & Hope, at theresa.dellinger@hopeclnc.org.
- Interested in exploring HR-related topics, exchanging ideas and strategies, and sharing practical solutions to common issues? Reach out to sade.sleet@tnpca.org for information on TPCA’s HR/Workforce Networking Group.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.