Ascension recently launched a monthly 15-minute newscast summarizing the work happening around the St. Louis-based health system.
Below, Nick Ragone, Ascension's executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, discusses how the health system launched Good Day Ascension News.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited lightly for clarity and style.
Question: How did Ascension conceive the idea to start Good Day Ascension News?
Nick Ragone: Over the past year, we've been developing additional communication channels to reach all of our 160,000 associates, and particularly our heroic front-line caregivers. We created Good Day Ascension five years ago as a daily internal news summary, and over time we have extended the "Good Day" brand to a quarterly magazine, a podcast, and now to our Good Day Ascension Newscast. It's been enormously popular with our associates, especially our caregivers.
Q: Which teams were involved in launching the newscast?
NR: The Good Day Ascension Newscast was created by our marketing department. I'm so proud that we're able to produce this type of quality news show. The idea for it came from our caregivers, following the success of our Good Day Ascension podcast. With our caregivers spread out over 20 states and 2,700 sites of care, they love seeing what their colleagues are up to.
Q: Who is the newscast’s intended audience, and what is Ascension hoping they will gain from viewing it?
NR: Good Day Ascension Newscast is primarily intended for our associates and caregivers, to share the latest news from around our system and the inspiring work of their colleagues. It's also for the communities that we're privileged to serve. We want them to see and be inspired by our caregivers across the country.
Q: What is the overall goal of Good Day Ascension News?
NR: The goal is to share the stories of our caregivers and associates — to thank them, inspire them, inform them and celebrate them.