Healthcare hiring and part-time staff set the agenda.
St. Michael Medical Center on Myhre Road is Kitsap County's largest private employer, with more than 2,000 employees in the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance's latest count. Its new hospital opened in Silverdale in December 2020 with a Level III trauma center, and a 74-bed patient tower followed in December 2025.
That matters to every clinic, dental office, therapy practice and home care agency nearby. Nurses, medical assistants and billing staff compare your offer with the hospital system's. You rarely win on salary alone, so the medical contribution, what a parent pays for family coverage and how fast coverage starts carry real weight. Our medical and dental practices page goes into detail.
Silverdale is also home to Kitsap Mall and the county's largest cluster of stores and restaurants, which run on part-time and variable hours. Write down who is eligible, how hours are counted and when coverage starts before you quote. Federal rules cap any waiting period at 90 days.
Three decisions for a Silverdale employer.
Eligibility in writing
Set the hours threshold, the waiting period and how variable-hour staff are measured. If you have 50 or more full-time equivalent employees, the ACA employer rules apply, and our FTE calculator is a quick first check.
Family contribution
Clinical staff often carry dependents. Model employee-only and family tiers side by side so you can see what a parent actually pays each paycheck. The comparison workbook helps with planning; its averages are not payroll instructions.
Military households
Naval Base Kitsap's Bangor installation is just north of town, and many applicants come from military families with TRICARE. If you have 20 or more employees, do not offer opt-out pay aimed only at TRICARE users. Federal law prohibits it.
Check the exact locations people use.
Care near home
Starting points include the St. Michael campus and Peninsula Community Health Services, which runs clinics around Kitsap County, including a dental clinic in Silverdale. These examples establish locations, not plan participation. Ask employees which providers they use and confirm each one in the proposed plan.
Staff who commute in
Store and clinic staff may live in Bremerton, Poulsbo, Port Orchard or farther out on the peninsula. Check networks where people live, not only near your front door.
What Silverdale employers ask.
How can a small clinic compete with the hospital's benefits?
Pick the things candidates notice first: a meaningful contribution toward family coverage, coverage that starts soon after hire and dental. Each costs less than matching hospital pay. We show the cost of each option before you decide.
Do part-time employees have to be offered coverage?
Applicable large employers, those with 50 or more full-time equivalents, must offer coverage to employees who average 30 or more hours a week to avoid certain penalties. Smaller employers set eligibility in the plan, within carrier rules. Either way, write it down and apply it the same way to everyone.
Can we keep our carrier and just change the contribution?
Yes. A renewal review can keep the carrier and change contributions, plan options or both. Compare those changes against alternatives using the same census and start date.
The full package, locally.
Employee Benefits
Group medical, dental, vision, life and disability, level-funded and voluntary coverage.
Explore benefits →Business Services
COBRA, ACA compliance and pre-tax accounts, plus an enrollment platform at no added cost from us. Administrator fees may apply.
Explore services →Life Insurance
Term, whole life, final expense and key person coverage for owners and partners.
Explore life →Other areas we serve nearby.
Bremerton
Shipyard contractors and Kitsap employers whose staff often have TRICARE or federal coverage.
See Bremerton →Port Angeles
Olympic Peninsula employers where recruiting is hard and every referral means travel.
See Port Angeles →Sequim
Employers hiring next to a hospital district and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.
See Sequim →All Washington areas
Every city we serve, plus the small group rating area for each county.
See all areas →Quote your Silverdale group.
Send your census and eligibility rules. We will show family costs per paycheck, not only premiums.