How Lexington Health reached a frontline workforce that email couldn't

How it started

Lexington Health is growing fast. More than 9,000 people work across the health system, and about 80% of them are on the frontline, without regular access to a computer or email.

For years, the communications team relied on weekly PDF newsletters and printed posters to keep everyone informed. The team put in real effort, but the messages weren't landing. Frontline staff still felt out of the loop.

"Our biggest challenge was connecting with frontline workers who don't have regular computer access," said Sarah Boozer, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Operations. "That gap was definitely becoming more problematic over time."

There was no way to measure engagement, see who was being reached, or search past updates. And as the organization grew, leaders worried about losing the family feel employees valued most.

One branded hub. The right message, on the right channel, at the right time.

Lexington Health launched MyLexie, a branded internal communications hub powered by Firstup. Championed by Marketing and Communications and HR, with support from IT, it gave employees one place for everything, on the phone already in their pocket.

The mobile app became the channel frontline staff had been missing. Audience segmentation sends updates to the right campus or specialty and skips everyone else. Integrations with Microsoft Teams and UKG keep the audience current with no manual list work.

Departments and leaders now publish directly to their own teams, while central marketing focuses on organization-wide campaigns. "More and more departments are engaging and becoming content publishers," Boozer said.

Adoption starts on day one. The staff development team walks every new hire through MyLexie at orientation and sends them home with a step-by-step guide to the mobile app. 76% of employees registered within the first year.

Automated journeys take onboarding further. A pre-boarding journey welcomes new hires with emails and videos before their start date, then sends a feedback survey the morning after orientation, when people have time to give thoughtful answers. The journey earns a 73.8% open rate and a 71% click rate.

And for the first time, the team can see what's working. Built-in analytics show the reach and engagement of every message, so the team refines its approach based on real data.

"MyLexie has given us a place to meet our employees where they are, to give them the information that they want and need to know in a fun and engaging way. We're really creating a community that represents our culture."
– Sarah Boozer, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Operations, Lexington Health

• 4% decrease in employee turnover across the organization
• Strong engagement on major leadership news, including the CEO's retirement announcement
• Campus-specific Hospital Week campaigns that addressed staff feedback about feeling "siloed out"
• A targeted Magnet campaign for nurses that built up to Magnet with Distinction status, held by only 34 hospitals in the U.S.
• Best in Show for Apps/Interactive at the Healthcare Advertising Awards

Pet photos, baby announcements, and vacation snapshots keep people coming back, which makes them more likely to see the updates that matter. "It's very challenging to maintain that small community culture when you have 9,000 employees," said Heather Weaver, Lead Staff Development Trainer. "This platform has allowed us to preserve that welcoming atmosphere where colleagues still know each other and connect personally."

Next, Lexington Health is expanding pre-boarding into a full first-year onboarding journey that helps managers stay connected with new hires through their most important months.