Display Technology
Learn how and why North Memorial Health, a network of two hospitals and 24 specialty and primary care clinics in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, upgraded its digital signage strategy with the help of Reach Media Network.
Photo courtesy of North Memorial
April 4, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
North Memorial Health, a network of two hospitals and 24 specialty and primary care clinics in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, is no stranger to tapping digital signage technology to share information with healthcare staff and clients.
But its initial signage system was not delivering what the institution needed: the ability to share important messages and display content across all locations to patients as well as 350-plus care providers and 6,000-plus team members.
«We needed a solution that allowed us to also personalize where needed for specific audiences,» Kelsey Graf, senior content strategist, said in an email interview.
The initial signage system required content to be sent to the primary contact at the signage partner, which would then load it onto the designated screens. That, said Graf, made it more challenging to display content in a fast manner when needed.
«By having digital signage in locations where we are more likely to have a captive audience (such as waiting areas at clinics and emergency departments), we can help address pain points or promote priority areas within the system,» she said.
So North Memorial Health went looking for a partner to update and upgrade its digital signage strategy.
Finding the best digital signage tech partner
North Memorial chose Reach Media Network for the digital signage project. It learned about the platform from an in-house team member.
«At the time, we were looking for a digital display option that allowed our team to fully manage the content scheduling independently, which was not the case with the system we had been using previously and Reach fit our needs perfectly,» said Graf.
The digital signage transition involves Reach along with several North Memorial internal teams, including IT, facilities, marketing and patient experience. The signage is primarily managed by marketing with occasional assistance from IT and facilities when troubleshooting or preparing to install a new screen.
Since the transition began with Reach in 2017, North Memorial Health has implemented 26 digital signage licenses across many of its hospital and clinic locations and the network employs a variety of digital signage content. Each facility has at least one digital display, with some having multiple screens for additional content.
There are welcome and lobby signage greeting visitors in several facilities and some locations have what North Memorial has deemed «WOW Walls,» given the digital walls’ impression on visitors.
Locations with cafe options now have menu boards and other cafeteria signage to promote new items and health tips.
The latest deployment included four more players in key clinics
Return on investment
The Reach screen and digital signage network is increasingly serving as a channel that team members know to consider when it comes to managing projects and communications for patients, said Graf.
«It has served as a useful tool for communicating during cold and flu season this year, providing education on when to visit the emergency department versus urgent care to help offset the message influx of ED patients, recommended masking in locations where patients are particularly susceptible to virus exposure and has also communicated increased wait times to those waiting,» she said.
While the medical center doesn’t have specific data tied to the initiative, Graf said the education-based digital signage has played a critical role in supporting staff at times when the hospitals were at maximum capacity and emergency departments were overflowing.
«Over time, digital signage has become a key channel in our communications plan which wasn’t always the case,» said Graf. «Where it was previously a less-used resource for promoting a service, class or new offering, it is now one of our primary channels to share content in a targeted and well received way. «
The independent content loading aspect is something the institution wishes it had had with the initial digital signage technology effort.
«The primary thing we would have done differently is start with a system that offers independent content loading from the get-go. Having the ability to be self-sufficient in the display of content is a huge benefit for our system as we can be more responsive in real-time to urgent needs such as increased wait times in our emergency department,» said Graf.
Tips, advice for digital signage deployments
Organizations looking to take a similar route to North Memorial’s digital signage journey need to know there is some prep work and planning work involved way before choosing a partner and a technology, according to Kiersten Gibson, EVP sales and marketing at Reach.
«Rolling out digital signage is exciting, but a little prep work goes a long way to ensure success,» she said.
Gibson recommends enterprises answer the following questions:
- What is your communication goal? Before anything else, figure out what you want your signage to accomplish. Are you sharing company updates? Engaging visitors? Highlighting key metrics? Your goal will help guide screen placement, content strategy, and layout decisions. Get this nailed down first, and everything else will fall into place.
- Can you automate content? Nobody wants to spend hours manually updating screens. The good news is there are tons of ways to automate content! Think live data feeds, social media, schedules, weather alerts or KPI dashboards.
- Who is managing your screens? Even the best digital signage won’t be effective if no one’s managing it. Whether you have one screen or a large network, knowing who keeps content updated and engaging is important.
«A little planning upfront makes a huge difference in the long run,» said Gibson who noted many organizations have a lot of misconceptions regarding digital signage.
The list includes it’s too costly, it’s too hard to manage and it’s only for big companies.
«It’s too expensive is the number one concern we hear, but the reality is that digital signage is more affordable than ever. With screens and hardware becoming more cost-effective, you don’t have to break the bank to implement a signage solution,» said Gibson
The management concern, especially for companies with a small team, can be handled with the right tools and support.
«At Reach, we ensure clients have everything they need, from step-by-step guides and tutorial videos to live walk throughs. Plus, our team shares smart tips and strategies to simplify content creation, scheduling, and updates so even the busiest teams can keep their screens fresh without a ton of extra work,» she said.
Digital signage is within reach of any enterprise and can help engage the audience, streamline message and enhance the customer experience, she added.
«Picking the right digital signage partner can make all the difference,» said Gibson and that involves doing some research on the potential partner’s background, client feedback, ensuring it’s a scalable option and determining ease of use.
«Technology should make your life easier, not harder. Always demo the software to see if it’s user-friendly and intuitive,» Gibson said.
About Judy Mottl
Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.
Connect with Judy: