In this conversation, Mike Webb sits down with Jordy Rabinowitz, SVP of HR, and Tracy Tillery, Director of HR Operations, to unpack how Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) scaled from a single-campus hospital to a 10-hospital, seven-campus system—and what that explosive growth meant for retirement benefits.
Between 2009 and 2016 WMCHealth’s roster ballooned from zero defined-contribution plans to 15 separate plans spread across multiple recordkeepers. Through a phased RFP process the team collapsed fees, standardized provisions, and ultimately migrated all 8,000+ participants and nearly $500 million in assets onto a single recordkeeper platform.
Tillery details a boots-on-the-ground communications playbook: campus-wide town halls, blackout-period FAQs, and one-on-one counseling with the new recordkeeper. Building trust early—by tying every change back to lower fees and stronger outcomes—helped them navigate major consolidations with virtually no negative employee feedback.
With the “plumbing” fixed, HR pivoted to engagement. A network-wide Retirement Week and “Catch-the-Match” campaign lifted plan participation by 13 percent and raised average deferral rates enough to capture an additional 9 percent of employer-match dollars that had been left on the table.
Rabinowitz emphasizes the strategic value of consistency: aligned plan designs simplify nondiscrimination testing, trim administrative overhead, and let fiduciary committees focus on higher-level initiatives such as Roth conversions, auto-features, and targeted financial-wellness programs.
If your organization is juggling mergers, multiple recordkeepers, or uneven benefit designs, this episode is a blueprint for turning consolidation into a catalyst for lower costs, streamlined compliance, and higher employee confidence in retirement.
As a notable member of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, J.Money shares his journey towards financial independence and the key tenants of FIRE, including how to adopt the philosophy without entirely sacrificing your lifestyle.
At the Expo, employees have direct access to valuable retirement planning activities, resources, and other useful information and can meet with the State of Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (Oregon PERS) and Oregon Savings Growth Plan (OSGP) retirement counselors, health insurance experts, and investment professionals. There are also workshops and resources tailored for everyone—from the newest public employee to someone ready to retire.
While many retirement plan sponsors struggle to engage participants, the State of Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (Oregon PERS) Expo has amassed a following among their employees, exceeding attendance expectations every year. Learn how the Expo got its start, how they keep their members coming back, and what the future holds.