Valley Medical Center received first-place honors in the nonprofit category of Seattle Business magazine’s Best Companies to Work For 2011.

It marks the 10th consecutive year that VMC has been named a Best Company to Work For in the Pacific Northwest, and the second time to be selected as the top nonprofit in the state.

“We are humbled and thrilled to once again be named one of the top 100 Best Companies to Work For, and extremely gratified to be named the No. 1 Best Company to Work For in the state in the non-profit category,” said Rich Roodman, Valley Medical Center CEO. “As we move forward into a partnership with UW Medicine, we will continue to strive to provide an excellent workplace for our exceptional staff to thrive as they care for our patients.”

According to Seattle Business, “This is the year that separates true best companies from pretenders. An economic contraction the country hasn’t seen since the Great Depression has put pressure on all aspects of a business. Layoffs, pay freezes and cuts, benefits pruning—all have been the norm during these turbulent times. Many employees are simply thankful to have a job, and are less concerned with health club memberships and other perks. … These are the companies that have survived turbulent times and managed to keep their employees happy.”