Nebraska Medicine

 | Case Study

Modernizing an intranet

Healing the digital employee experience with a place for the “need to know” and the “nice to know.”

How it started

Searching for a healthier way

In healthcare, most employees don’t have a computer dedicated to, or readily available for, internal communication. Nebraska Medicine needed a better communications delivery system that could reach a broad spectrum of roles with information that was not dependent on email. What the staff really needed was a larger-scale digital employee experience platform, so the comms team, with strong buy-in at the CEO level, took this as a mandate to get it done.

The team knew they were looking for a complete digital employee experience solution, not just somewhere to store documents or send emails. They needed an engagement system—an omnichannel employee communication platform that would help them address the unique challenges of their dispersed, frontline workforce. 

Where they landed

A platform purpose-built for engagement and experience

After exploring several tools, and even entertaining the possibility of building a home-grown solution, they realized that not many platforms could replace their intranet and email while also helping with engagement and retention.

The Firstup platform was the solution.

Beyond replacing email and intranet tools, the team is already looking to overhaul digital displays and kiosks across sites as well as invest in assistant integrations to their commonly used enterprise systems, providing frictionless access to the tasks and information employees need. 

While happy with the early success, the team is realistic in how long it takes to bring change forward, especially to a workforce that is often overburdened and underappreciated. In a recent interview, Director of Communications, Paul Baltes described it by using the “wet cement” analogy, “We want to give people as many tools as we can to build engagement and communication both ways,” so that, when the cement dries, the solid foundation is built and there is a clear pathway for where to go for information. 

Communication is the foundation of every business objective, mission statement or core value. If leaders are thoughtful and thorough, both editorially and technically, the organization will benefit. Just like in medicine, having a clear and defined treatment plan is the best defense for any ailment. 

About

Nebraska Medicine

As the state’s leading academic health system, and affiliated with one of the country’s premier health science research and education centers, Nebraska Medicine provides patient access to more than 1,000 doctors in nearly 40 specialty and primary healthcare centers across the state. Named one of America’s 100 best hospitals, they’ve built an international reputation for breakthroughs in cancer care, organ transplantation, and treatment of infectious diseases. Employing over 10,000 employees, they have the added complexity that a majority of their medical staff maintain dual employment through their research and education partner, the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

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