Case study: West Tennessee Healthcare

The challenge

Originally established out of necessity for a modern hospital during World War II, West Tennessee Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare systems in the greater Tennessee area. Its internal HR teams utilized a traditional enrollment system for years, using outdated paper processes and separate platforms that made it hard for employees to easily access their benefits. West Tennessee knew it needed to consolidate its benefits offerings and innovate its technology to drive engagement, educate employees on new plan offerings and changes, and reach people how and when they wanted to be reached. 

A timely tech refresh

West Tennessee Healthcare partnered with Alight in 2020 to upgrade its benefits technology and drive employee engagement. Alight's benefits administration provided additional guidance and educated employees on: 

• Differences in options and plan tiers. 
• What types of plans they were currently enrolled in. 
• Company contributions to medical premiums. 
• How to access and review their HSA/FSA contributions, and more. 

The new solution also consolidated most of West Tennessee Healthcare’s benefits on a single platform, making the information easier for employees to access and understand. When annual enrollment arrived, the HR team consolidated all of employees’ benefits offerings — including voluntary benefits — onto one platform. 

An extension of the team 

West Tennessee Healthcare’s HR department experienced immediate relief as they were no longer overwhelmed with a legacy system and outdated technology. They began to see Alight as an extension of their own team and relied on their expert guidance and call center support to help transition employees to the new platform. 

An added benefit 

Recognizing Alight’s capability to accommodate a variety of its benefits needs, West Tennessee Healthcare took it a step further and implemented Alight Benefits Guidance (ABG) for its employees to support annual enrollment. ABG provided employees access to a personalized, one-on-one session with a certified counselor — either in-person or over the phone — to discuss benefits packages and information. The sessions allowed employees to better understand West Tennessee Healthcare’s comprehensive offerings and recognize just how beneficial they were in the competitive market. It also enabled employees to discuss their current benefits options and identify which plans made sense for their type of family, preferences and life situations. 

Checking multiple boxes 

West Tennessee Healthcare’s partnership with Alight benefited not just their initial annual enrollment, but their employee experience in general. The Alight team used various means of unique communication tactics, from electronic benefit guides, postcards, digital screens, emails blasts, videos and more, to reach employees on their own terms and within their preferred channels. By combining best-in-class technology with personalized support of a benefits counselor, employees had access to everything they needed to make informed, optimized benefits decisions and stay engaged year-round.