Business case: Ohio’s Hospice

Ohio's Hospice is a non-profit organisation providing palliative care across 44 counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. With more than 1,400 employees and hundreds of volunteers spread across six locations, the organisation delivers comfort, compassion and dignity to patients and their families every day.

That geographical spread, however, created a clear challenge: how do you keep everyone connected, ensure information flows smoothly and make employees feel part of one unified organisation?

What challenges called for a new approach?

For years, internal communication relied on email and Microsoft Teams. While both tools were useful, they weren't designed to effectively reach a large, distributed workforce. Important messages often got lost in crowded inboxes, and Teams offered limited options to publish or structure information attractively.

In addition, Ohio's Hospice was still using a custom-built intranet that had become outdated and didn't integrate well with Microsoft 365. Employees struggled to find documents and updates, while the communications team faced difficulties reaching everyone consistently. The organisation needed a modern, user-friendly solution that would bring everything together: news, policies, forms, events and colleague information – all in one central place.

Why did Ohio's Hospice choose Involv Intranet?

Ohio's Hospice selected Involv Intranet, a modern solution fully integrated within Microsoft 365. The familiarity of the platform was a major advantage – employees could start using it right away, without extensive training. Involv offered not only a sleek and intuitive design, but also a structure perfectly tailored to the organisation's setup.

Each business unit received its own SharePoint site, while the main homepage automatically redirects users to the correct department site based on their user profile. This ensures that everyone sees only the information relevant to their role and location. On top of that, the built-in Analytics Center provides valuable insights into how employees use the intranet – which sections are most popular, where engagement can be improved – helping the communications team continuously optimise content and strategy.

What were the key benefits?

• A modern Office 365 intranet solution leveraging the latest Microsoft technology.
• An easy-to-use, centralised platform for communication and employee engagement across the entire workforce.
• Multiple SharePoint intranet sites supporting different business units within one connected structure.
• The best value for money, with an additional discount through Involv's donation programme for non-profit organisations.

What changed after launch?

The new intranet went live in the second quarter of 2021 and quickly became the beating heart of internal communication. Employees can now easily follow news, access documents and connect with colleagues – all from one central hub, accessible on laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Important updates now reach the entire workforce, and forms or procedures can be found in just a few clicks. During the pandemic, the intranet also proved invaluable as a reliable channel for timely information and health-related updates.

“With our new intranet, employees feel better informed and connected to our mission. The platform has truly transformed how we work together.”

A representative of Ohio's Hospice

Why did this solution work so well?

The success of this project lies in the combination of simplicity, familiarity and relevance. Because Involv runs within Microsoft 365, employees immediately felt at home. The modern interface encouraged engagement, while personalised content ensured that everyone only sees what matters to them.

Integration with existing tools like Teams and SharePoint also made content management more efficient and avoided duplication. Thanks to the insights from the Analytics Center, Ohio's Hospice can now continuously improve its digital communication based on real user behaviour.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Ohio's Hospice and Involv shows that a modern intranet is more than just a communication tool – it's a bridge between people, departments and locations. By choosing a future-proof solution built within Microsoft 365 and leveraging Involv's non-profit programme, Ohio's Hospice not only improved internal communication but also maximised value and impact: a powerful example of how technology, efficiency and purpose can work hand in hand to strengthen organisations that care.