Integrating Disparate Cultures after a Major Health Tech Merger

The Challenge:

After two large healthcare systems merged, the new entity faced major cultural challenges. Each organization brought its own unique culture, values, and leadership styles, creating confusion, silos, and employee disengagement. The new leadership team needed to establish a cohesive identity quickly to avoid drops in productivity and maintain the high standards of patient care across dozens of facilities. Andes Advisory was engaged to develop and execute a comprehensive cultural integration plan to build a shared vision and align behaviors across the organization.

The Solution:

Andes crafted a robust, multi-level approach to cultural transformation:

• Conducted a Cultural Audit: Led workshops and focus groups across all levels to understand each organization’s culture, strengths, and areas of conflict.

  
  

• Unified Vision and Values Framework: Facilitated leadership sessions to create shared values and guiding principles that resonated across the newly merged entity.

  
  

• Targeted Communication and Engagement Strategy: Implemented a multi-channel communication plan, including town halls, leader roadshows, and digital forums.

  
  

• Leadership Training and Development: Equipped leaders with the skills to model new values and lead through change.

  
  

• Continuous Feedback Mechanism: Established regular feedback loops to monitor progress and adapt the approach as needed.

  
  

The Results:

The transformation led to a unified culture, a more engaged workforce, and improved leadership alignment:

• 20% Increase in Employee Engagement: Boosted engagement scores through a strong, unified identity.

  
  

• 35% Reduction in Voluntary Turnover: Implemented targeted strategies that significantly decreased turnover.

  
  

• 50% Improvement in Leadership Cohesion: Strengthened alignment and communication across senior leadership, enabling better strategic execution.