Ellis Medicine has been a patient-first organization for years. And it’s worked well. They’ve made many a happy patient, and their reputation has grown steadily. But staff and employees haven’t always felt that hospital leadership showed them the same love they share with their patients. So when Ellis came to Smith & Jones to promote their brand, we suggested they start at the heart of the organization.

Ellis leadership had done a lot to show employees just how much they were appreciated. Numerous recognition programs had been launched, but they lacked consistency and a common theme. Leadership had its heart in the right place, but employees wanted one central idea they could believe in.

At the same time we were listening to the employee perspective, the CEO was trying to address the issue himself. Having spent time in the peace corps, he knew the power of bringing your heart to work. He knew inspiring his employees to do so could be a powerful, lasting solution. 

Healthcare providers are human; they carry their emotions, stories and challenges with them. Our creative team delivered the concept “what did you bring to work today” that acknowledged both sides of a caregiver’s life while letting them know it was ok to bring their heart to work. 

The campaign roll out began with a series of town hall meetings where the CEO delivered the vision. We followed with videos in which employees recounted a time another staff member had helped him or her through a difficult bringing their heart to work moment. We complemented meetings and videos with inspirational large format print and owned media, a year-long calendar of activities to keep engagement going, and a system to recognize and reward employees for participation.