Like so many health systems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC Health – a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based health system with 15 hospitals, 19 campuses, 900 clinics and more than 33,000 employees – faced big challenges around nurse engagement and retention.
THE CHALLENGE
Burnout and stress levels were high and turnover kept climbing. At one point, the nurse turnover rate hit 30%, which put major pressure not only on overall morale and labor costs, but also on the nurse managers who repeatedly had to recruit new team members while keeping up with many other mounting responsibilities.
Nurse managers were stretched thin. Juggling day-to-day clinical responsibilities alongside heavy administrative work left little room for regular, meaningful check-ins with their teams and timely recognition. Recognition was happening, but inconsistently. While well-meaning, those moments were hard to track and even harder to carry forward into things like evaluations or growth conversations.
"Leaders didn't always have a clear picture of who was going above and beyond or where support was most needed, especially across large, complex teams," said Lorie Rhine, RN, chief nursing executive at UNC Health. "They lacked the time and technological support to be able to track and recognize accomplishments, celebrate special moments and intervene proactively for teammates at elevated turnover risk.
"It was clear we needed a better way," she continued. "A system that could help us connect more intentionally and regularly with our people. Something to support consistent recognition, surface insights and bridge communication gaps."
That's where UNC Health's HR team stepped in. They were the ones who, as a key part of a systemwide people initiative dubbed UNC Health for Me, sought out innovative new technologies to simplify work for leaders and enhance their personalized engagement with their teams – key steps in boosting culture and retention, she added.
PROPOSAL
UNC Health staff discovered a platform from IT vendor Laudio they determined would give them a way to not only simplify daily work for leaders by centralizing their key workflows and leveraging artificial intelligence throughout the workflows but also strengthen how leaders connect with their teams.
"It's a platform designed specifically to support frontline leaders and, when it comes to team engagement, it replaces manual tracking and disconnected systems with aggregated data and AI-driven recommendations for timely, high-impact actions leaders can take with their teams," Rhine explained. "It flags things that might otherwise get missed, like birthdays, work anniversaries, and someone going above and beyond.
"It also has a turnover risk score that helps leaders proactively intervene when AI indicates someone on their team has a high potential of leaving," she continued. "The platform also gives leaders a better way to stay on top of things like teammate one-on-one meetings and new hire check-ins."
When a nurse manager is juggling countless priorities, it's easy for such things to slip through the cracks, she added.
"The platform keeps those moments front and center with great visibility into what's coming up and anything that's overdue," she said. "What's more, it integrates with our HRIS and other systems, so it's not just 'another thing' being added to leaders' plates. Rather, it's a system to help them get time back and do more of what they set out to do as leaders – supporting and inspiring their team members and helping them succeed in their roles.
"I started looking at Laudio back when I was at Summa Health, so I was already familiar with what it could do before coming to UNC Health," she noted. "What stood out to me then, and still does now, is how it encourages real, human connection. It's not just about checking a box. It helps leaders be more intentional and present with their teams, which is foundational to our UNC Health for Me program."
That strategy centers around six key pillars: Engage Me, Welcome Me, Develop Me, Value Me, Care for Me, and Include Me. The platform helps bring those to life in everyday leadership, she added.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
At UNC Health, the Laudio platform is a core technology for leaders throughout the organization.
"I'm most familiar with how our nursing teams use it, but it's really a systemwide tool," Rhine explained. "Nurse managers, directors, executives, HR leaders and others are using it to stay better connected with their people. That cross-functional use speaks to how closely HR and nursing have worked together to bring this initiative to life.
"It's become a part of our daily workflow," she continued. "Leaders get AI-based recommendations and insights that help them keep track of check-ins, milestones, and other meaningful moments that deserve a quick shoutout or thank you."
One of the things Rhine appreciates most about the platform is that it captures those interactions along the way, so instead of trying to piece together a year's worth of feedback at evaluation time, a manager has a full picture right there.
"It makes it so much easier for our leaders to recognize the full impact someone's made over time," she said. "The platform also connects with our internal systems to help support things like stay interviews, 'favorite things' surveys for recognition, and tracking professional development goals. It's a tool for retention, growth and culture.
"The system is especially helpful for new managers," she noted. "They get reminders about onboarding check-ins and one-on-one meetings, and can easily track how new hires are settling in. It even flags when someone's been working longer shifts than expected, so leaders can step in, show support and help avoid burnout."
Those little moments of care go a long way, especially for nurses today who want more support and guidance from management, she added.
"With the platform, we're able to operationalize many of the core leader best practices in nursing and make it easier for our new nurse managers to follow them," she said.
RESULTS
UNC Health has seen measurable and significant results since implementing the Laudio platform as part of its leadership engagement strategy.
Key results include $5.4 million saved annually in nurse turnover, Rhine reported.
"Through more consistent engagement, better visibility into team dynamics and more personalized recognition, UNC Health has been able to reduce its annual costs related to nurse turnover," she explained. "These savings reflect improved retention and a healthier, more engaged workforce."
There has been a nearly 20% reduction in the nurse turnover rate.
"The platform contributed to an almost 20% reduction in nurse turnover, a critical metric during a time when nursing shortages are an industry-wide concern," she said. "This drop is thanks to leaders having more time, building stronger relationships with their teams and being able to step in sooner when someone might be struggling."
Additionally, 94% of managers report increased capacity and effectiveness.
"Manager feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," Rhine reported. "By streamlining administrative tasks and surfacing priority actions, the platform has enabled managers to redirect their time toward building culture, coaching staff and problem-solving."
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
In today's healthcare world, leaders need tools that help them connect and communicate, Rhine said.
"For any organization thinking about bringing in a platform like this, don't think of it as just a nice-to-have tool on the side," she advised. "The real value comes when it's fully woven into how your leaders operate, whether that's in training, performance reviews, your HR systems or your broader people strategy.
"It's about giving leaders what they need to lead well, day in and day out – and driving long-term, foundational, sustained change," she added.
Further, consistency is the secret sauce, she said.
"Without something like this, recognition and feedback often come down to good intentions, but they're easy to lose track of or simply miss due to lack of bandwidth, visibility, etc.," she concluded. "A platform like this helps scale those small, meaningful moments into something bigger. It helps build a culture where people feel seen, supported and appreciated, which is what ultimately keeps them engaged and on board."
Follow Bill's health IT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
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