By JULIE MINDA
St. Louis-based Ascension is reorganizing its operating structure and has started rolling out a new branding convention that incorporates the system moniker into the names of Ascension facilities across the U.S.
Tersigni
Anthony R. Tersigni, president and chief executive of Ascension, said the changes are a continuation of an effort that started several years ago to create "one Ascension," an integrated network of the health system's facilities, using standardized approaches to delivering health care services. Ascension expects this integration to result in improved internal collaboration and better support for the system's clinicians and staff. The system also anticipates the changes will enable its facilities to provide more affordable and higher-quality care.
Tersigni said Ascension's mission has not changed from when its historic sponsors founded the facilities that now make up the system. That mission is to serve "all persons, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable."
Tersigni said the reorganization will only enhance its mission, by making health care delivery more efficient and the system easier to navigate for all, including the poor and vulnerable. He said Ascension will continue to advocate for a just and compassionate society and to invest in charity care and community benefit.
Integrated structure
Ascension's new structure partitions the system into a "Healthcare Division" and a "Solutions Division."
The Healthcare Division includes Ascension's 141 hospitals as well as its 30-plus senior living facilities, its physician-led medical group, outpatient sites, community clinics and home health services. Ascension Executive Vice President Robert J. Henkel will serve as the Healthcare Division's president and chief executive. Henkel is the chair of CHA's board of trustees.
The Solutions Division includes Ascension subsidiaries that deliver services to Ascension facilities and to other organizations. These subsidiaries are: Ascension Information Services, Ascension Investment Management, Ascension Care Management, the Ascension Ministry Service Center, Ascension SmartHealth Solutions, Ascension Holdings, Ascension Global Mission, Ascension Ventures and the Ascension Leader Institute. The vast majority of these subsidiaries are limited liability companies at various stages of development, according to Tersigni. He said the Solutions Division will not have a head for the time being. Each Solutions subsidiary already has a chief executive.
According to Tersigni, there will be no broadscale changes in leadership, staffing, market configuration or local market decision-making control, in connection with the restructuring. "We believe health care is regional and local," said Tersigni. "And so we will continue to rely on our great talent (in the local markets) to continue to respond to community need."
Tersigni said Ascension has been moving toward this integrated structure over the last several years, by organizing its facilities into geographic regions and by establishing systemwide services to standardize its work across the U.S. Some of these systemwide functions include marketing/communications, legal, human resources, finance and advocacy.
He said the newly integrated structure transforms Ascension from a holding company into an operating company. He said Ascension is making the shift to respond to changes in the health care system, including the move from a fee-for-service payer environment to a fee-for-value paradigm, in which there is a focus on population health. In this environment, the system must unify the work it is doing across the continuum of care, said Tersigni.
Unified brand
Ascension also is rebranding its facility names to include the system name. Ascension has about 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and the District of Columbia. The rebranding will take place on a market-by-market basis over the next several years.
The health system began rolling out the unified naming structure in two of its largest markets last month. Over the next 12 to 18 months, Ascension's 15 Michigan hospitals and 24 Wisconsin hospitals — and hundreds of additional care sites in those states — will be incorporating the system name into their facility names. For instance, Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Mich., is becoming "Ascension Borgess Hospital"; and Columbia St. Mary's in Milwaukee is becoming "Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital."
Ragone
According to Nick Ragone, chief marketing and communications officer for Ascension, the system has launched a branding campaign that includes broadcast, print, digital, earned media and advertising that reaches people when they are outside of their residence.
"So far, the response from associates, patients, physicians, community leaders and others has been very positive," Ragone said. He noted that market research leading up to the campaign launch "showed that the Ascension name is additive to the existing legacy names, because it demonstrates to the community how we've developed integrated systems of care. Patients also find it comforting to know that their local doctor is supported by a nationwide collaboration of experts and innovators."
Ragone said a top goal of the rebranding is to build general awareness of the system's scope in the regions Ascension serves. He said currently most people living in those regions do not know that their local facility is part of a much broader network that can meet a full continuum of health care needs.
Tersigni said when patients understand the interconnection among Ascension sites, it will be easier for them to access and navigate the system.
Soft launch
Prior to last month's formal announcement of the integrated structure and unified name, Ascension already had used the systemwide infrastructure and branding to launch its participation in Veterans Choice. Through the Veterans Choice program, private market providers offer health services to veterans who live far from a Veterans Affairs facility or who are unable to get care in a timely manner from a Veterans Affairs facility. All Ascension providers began offering services through the program early this year; and the system marketed their efforts under the Ascension name. Tersigni said launching that service was the perfect opportunity to put the unified infrastructure and branding into action. Ragone noted that market research conducted after that rollout showed increased awareness of the system where Ascension Veterans Choice was marketed, and positive perception of the system because of its service to veterans.
Ragone said he expects similar favorable outcomes under the current restructuring and rebranding. "With all of our ministries celebrating this shared language, we will create a connected community of healing and show we are stronger when we all serve together."
Copyright © 2016 by the Catholic Health Association
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