Integrating and building employee support following a health care merger

A prominent U.S.-based cancer treatment and research center struggled with integrating employees from a newly acquired network of hospitals and outpatient centers. Key issues included maintaining continuity of patient care, addressing reputational concerns related to the acquisition, and ensuring stability in relationships with patients, partners, and the health care community.

• uild employee buy-in for the combined organization and minimize uncertainty around eventual changes to operating models, organization structures, key processes, cultural priorities and/or governance.
• Conducted deep dive sessions with leaders to identify areas of concern and risk and to convey employee communications and expectations.
• Developed a communications toolkit for leaders including key messages, talking points, and Q&A documents.
• Conducted pulse survey with employees from both sides of the acquisition to assess their level of understanding around the transaction and its strategic rationale, as well as their areas of concern.
• Developed and launched transaction microsite for the intranet including an email address through which employees could submit questions.
• Developed a comprehensive plan for pre-close communications and engagement to keep employees updated on transaction progress.

Our focused and highly coordinated approach helped identify areas of concern, built trust with employees by including them in the process, and clearly articulated the rationale for the acquisition and a path forward. Following employee surveys, the news and integration were ultimately well received, and employees felt confident in the future direction of the combined entity.