Health care jobs boom in Sacramento region: Here are the top eight employers

The Sacramento health care sector has grown by 23 percent in the last four years, the highest growth rate of any economic sector except construction, according to numbers from the state Employment Development Department. Using statistics gathered by The Business Journals, here are the eight largest health care employers in the region, which includes Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado and Placer counties. The top eight employed nearly 60,000.

1. Kaiser Permanente

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 16,959

Percentage increase since 2014: 92 percent

Year established: 1965

The health care giant leads the list in both growth and number of employees. Employees work in health insurance, hospital care, research and other areas.

2. UC Davis Health

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 13,012

Percentage increase since 2014: 44 percent

Year established: 1852

The health system operates an academic health center and is owned and operated by the University of California. It includes the UC Davis School of Medicine, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and the UC Davis Medical Group. The 142-acre campus includes a level 1 trauma center.

3. Sutter Health

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 12,138

Percentage increase since 2014: 16 percent

Year established: 1923

Sutter Health is a large health care system with hospitals and services in California and Hawaii. It provides services in cancer care, diabetes care, children’s health, sleep disorders and weight loss surgery.

4. Dignity Health

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 7,000

Percentage increase since 2014: 0 percent

Year established: 1895

Dignity Health provides health care through its 39 hospitals and 400+ care centers across 21 states. It’s the largest hospital in California and provides cancer treatment, surgeries, women’s health treatments and urgent care. Two congregations of the Sisters of Mercy combined their ten hospitals in 1986, forming Catholic Healthcare West. In 2012, the hospital left the Catholic Church and changed its name to Dignity Health. Though the company hasn’t grown since 2014, it remains the fourth-largest health care employer in the region.

5. Health Net Inc.

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 3,000

Percentage increase since 2014: 30 percent

Year established: 1979

Health Net provides insurance plans throughout the country through group, individual and government-sponsored programs. It makes philanthropic contributions to groups supporting health programs for children and military families and offers prescription services.

6. VSP Global

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 2,700

Percentage increase since 2014: 13 percent

Year established: 1955

VSP Global provides vision care services such as insurance, eyewear and eye care services. It has locations throughout the world and is the largest eye-insurance program in the country.

7. Blue Shield of California

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 2,319

Percentage increase since 2014: 26 percent

Year established: 1939

Blue Shield is a nonprofit health plan provider throughout the country. It contracts with 96 percent of hospitals, the most of any insurance company.

8. Eskaton

Number of local full-time employees in 2018: 1,347

Percentage increase since 2014: 14 percent

Year established: 1968

Eskaton Village Carmichael is a gated senior retirement community. Its services includes short-term rehabilitation, long-term nursing care and therapy.

Editor’s Note: This story was corrected at 9:10 a.m. on Aug. 27 to reflect Blue Sheild and VSP Global’s correct founding years and details about the UC Davis Medical Center.

This story was originally published August 9, 2018 at 12:01 AM.