Ensemble Health Partners: Celebrating a Decade of Success

Ensemble Health Partners, a leading provider of technology-enabled revenue cycle management solutions, believes in people first, last, and always. They redefine what’s possible in healthcare by empowering their more than 12,000 associates to be the difference. Ensemble uses associate recognition to create a people-first culture that wins top workplace awards every year.

Situation

Ensemble understands recognition is key to a thriving culture, so when it came to their upcoming 10^th company anniversary, they knew they wanted to do something special for their associates. “When we celebrate as a company, we want to celebrate in a way that everyone can participate. Our 10-year anniversary is a huge milestone for us, so we wanted to celebrate big,” explains Richard Lewis, AVP, Culture and Inclusion.

But with associates in 48 states in the U.S. and in India, they wanted something that would help every associate feel valued and a sense of belonging.

“Our people are our secret sauce. Our culture is people first, last, and always. We integrate everyone into our culture, from our associates to our patients; our mindset is people first. And the more people are recognised, the more they feel they belong,” says Whitney Fullam, Manager, Program Implementation. The sense of belonging helps associates feel ownership and fulfillment and solidifies Ensemble as an employer of choice.

To create a personal, inclusive, and unique experience for their 10^th anniversary celebration, the company turned to O.C. Tanner for help. They collaborated with O.C. Tanner’s Design Centre on ideas, content, and fun ways to make the celebration about associates, and something they could share with their families at home.

“O.C. Tanner really made it personal. They helped us think through how we can make this not just an event, but help people feel the love and pride in all that we’ve accomplished together. We appreciate the O.C. Tanner team for seeing our vision and helping us bring it to life, creating something that will usher us into the next decade.”
—Richard Lewis, AVP, Culture and Inclusion

“The O.C, Tanner Design Centre team took our ideas and hit the mark immediately. The creativity inspired our teams, and they delivered on a short turnaround,” says Fullam.

Solution

For Ensemble Health Partners’ 10^th anniversary, the company planned the Ensemble Games, a celebration that had local associates attending and a live stream so all associates could participate. The event included messages from clients, executives who participated in various sports and games, giveaways, and plenty of energy and fun. Senior leaders are very involved in associate events and recognition at Ensemble—they use the People-First principle in every decision they make for the company—and were fully supportive of the games.

To make the celebration even more personal for their people, every associate also received a 10-year anniversary Yearbook^TM, a keepsake book whose pages are filled with stories of Ensemble’s journey—their growth, successes, and accomplishments as a company over the past decade. There were fun activities like crossword puzzles and coloring pages personalised to Ensemble, memories and messages from executives, and space for associates to reflect on and write about their own careers and achievements at the company. Yearbook serves as a way to remind associates what makes them special and unique in the organisation.

“There was a buzz around the Yearbook. It was such a nice way to surprise and delight. Yearbook provides the impact of feeling recognised for just being who you are.”
—Whitney Fullam, Manager, Program Implementation

There was also an opportunity for associates to choose a gift from a curated selection of gifts, to help them share the recognition with family and friends and remember the anniversary. While choosing and sourcing gifts can often be challenging, O.C. Tanner helped Ensemble with ideas, sourcing, and delivery.

“The flexibility of choosing something for myself or someone I love, something I need in the kitchen or a gadget I can use or something I can wear, something that doesn’t have to be expensive but is of great quality, that’s supported by great customer service from O.C. Tanner—that’s something that is hugely appreciated by our associates,” says Lewis.

“Associates are very proud to wear or display the Ensemble logo, which is amazing given we are only 10 years old. We love that people are engaged in that way,” adds Fullam. It’s a testament to the pride and inclusion associates feel due to Ensemble’s recognition efforts.

Results

The 10^th-anniversary celebration, Yearbook, and gift reminded associates of the growth, struggles, and accomplishments of Ensemble, which engendered an increased sense of price and accomplishment. But more importantly, associates appreciated being included and recognised. 

“Associates tell us they’ve never experienced this type of recognition in their previous organisations. In healthcare, many culture initiatives focus on doctors and nurses but often neglect other associates in the revenue cycle stream. We want these associates to know they matter, and we want to recognise them. When you do, you foster a sense of belonging and pride,” explains Lewis. One of the leaders in the India office thanked the Ensemble team for including their associates in the celebration. “He said, ‘We just wanted to tell you thank you for including us’. So often, associates in India get overlooked. The impact of just being remembered and recognised is incredible.”

The Yearbook is now being used beyond their 10-year anniversary celebration. It’s a great reminder of the company’s history and accomplishments and is now shared during Ensemble’s onboarding events for new associates and holiday events for families. Recognising associates and helping them feel they belong has influenced improvements in engagement survey scores and contributed to being named a Top Workplace.

“It’s so exciting that an idea we were talking about for over a year came to life, and to see our associates be excited about it as well. Yearbook wasn’t about Ensemble the company, but about the associate, so they could reflect on their journey, why they matter, and how they were an important piece of our 10-year anniversary and feel proud. The overall impact of Yearbook itself is something we are all so proud of,” says Fullam.