Effective communication with frontline healthcare workers has always been a critical challenge for healthcare organizations. Ardent Health Services, with over 26,000 employees across multiple states, faced this very issue.
Traditional methods like emails and newsletters just weren’t cutting it—especially for their deskless nurses, physicians, and clinical staff who rarely have time to check messages during busy shifts. Without an effective way to reach these employees, important information was slipping through the cracks, creating risks for both staff and patient care. Here’s how they turned this challenge into an opportunity for better engagement and communication.
In 2017, Ardent Health Services recognized a gap in their internal communication efforts. Despite having multiple traditional channels—email, newsletters, intranet, digital displays, and team huddles—the majority of their workforce, made up of nurses, physicians, and other clinical staff, were hard to reach during their shifts. Most of these frontline caregivers are deskless and rarely have time to check work emails, leading to missed communications on critical updates, safety protocols, and leadership messages.
“Unless they are charting in Epic, which is our electronic health record, nurses aren’t on a computer during their shifts. And it’s very unlikely that they check work email when they get home. They may miss our newsletter altogether.”
— Amanda Armstrong, AVP of Talent Marketing, Ardent Health Services
The communication gap presented risks: crucial information wasn’t reaching those who needed it most, leading to potential miscommunication, missed safety updates, and disconnection from leadership. Amanda Armstrong and her team sought a solution that could directly connect with their deskless workforce, paving the way for theEMPLOYEEapp to become a vital tool in their communication strategy.
In 2017, Ardent Health Services implemented theEMPLOYEEapp to solve the challenge of reaching their dispersed and busy workforce. The app gave their frontline teams a direct and convenient communication channel, accessible both on and off their shifts. This became even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, as timely communication became a matter of safety and efficiency.
“Our employees don’t always have time to read email, attend a town hall meeting, or read a monthly newsletter. So, we leverage theEMPLOYEEapp to share updates, resources, and encouragement.”
— Amanda Armstrong, AVP of Talent Marketing, Ardent Health Services
The app proved instrumental during the pandemic, allowing Ardent to:
In addition to safety information, theEMPLOYEEapp served as a channel for wellness resources and mental health support, vital to Ardent’s employee well-being during the pandemic.
One standout feature was the app’s role in daily health assessments. TheEMPLOYEEapp enabled Ardent to implement an easy-to-use health check system for all employees, ensuring compliance and safety across their organization.
In addition, leadership used theEMPLOYEEapp to express gratitude and publicly recognize the efforts of frontline staff, further fostering a sense of community and support during a challenging time.
“I’ve looked back over the last year and a half, and the top viewed content was all about helping employees connect with resources available to them,” says Armstrong.
Ardent saw remarkable success with theEMPLOYEEapp:
“The main driver for our adoption growth was communicating how easy it is to download the app. One thing I did was create business cards that we handed out to employees with three steps of how to download.”
— Cole Rommel, Digital Data Analyst, Ardent Health Services
Ardent Health Services is a leading healthcare provider dedicated to delivering high-quality care and improving the well-being of communities across the United States. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent operates 30 hospitals, 26,000 employees, and more than 1,200 employed providers across six states. Ardent’s integrated healthcare system encompasses a diverse range of services, including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, specialty care, and outpatient facilities.
Learn more at ardenthealth.com.
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