After a successful run that spanned five decades, the final Impact was published in January 2020.  Impact was UTMB Health’s employee newsletter. It evolved from a one color printed tabloid newspaper to a full color magazine with a digital component. We’ve archived the past several years on these pages for your review and enjoyment.

WeeklyRelays

Weekly Relays - 2.0

Feb 18, 2016, 10:17 AM by Kristen Hensley

weeklyrelays_infographic
In response to extensive feedback from employees at all levels across UTMB in 2014, the university began looking for more effective ways to communicate within our departments, schools and institution as a whole. Research pointed to the need for a more reliable, intentional system of communication that provided an opportunity for face-to-face interaction and two-way communication.

As part of the resulting internal communications redesign, the Internal Communications Council (ICC) was formed, and Weekly Relays were introduced on Feb. 26, 2015. Mid-year improvements, including the addition of Did You Know items,were made in response to feedback from Relay Leaders along the way.

A recent employee survey about Weekly Relays indicated the program is meeting the goal of strengthening internal communications so that employees are better informed, understand how they fit in the UTMB mission, and have a reliable way to voice concerns and get answers to their questions. Results also pointed to some ways the program can be improved.

With the one-year anniversary of Weekly Relays, the ICC and Office of Marketing and Communications will be making additional modifications in response to the survey data to make the initiative even better.

  • The Weekly Relays template will be revised, integrating the entities into one document and making it more engaging.
  • Marketing and Communications will video great Relay meetings to share as best practices for relay leaders and employees alike. Videos will be posted to the Weekly Relay website.
  • Relay Notes will soon incorporate discussion points and conversation starters to assist in improving two-way communication.
  • The ICC will continue to label “action items” and pay careful attention to the timing of items that appear in Relay Notes.

Weekly Relays remain a core means of sharing important information across our campuses, clinics and other facilities each week. Other existing communications channels will be enhanced over the coming months, including a redesign of iUTMB to make information easier to find. As internal communication channels are refined,Marketing and Communications will develop content guidelines to help determine the best channel for particular news items.

In addition to Weekly Relays and in response to feedback from employees, executive leadership kicked off the “Town Hall On the Road” program back in September, which brings executives to work sites to meet with employees who cannot attend traditional Town Hall meetings in Levin Hall on the Galveston Campus. Locations thus far have ranged from conference rooms on the Galveston Campus to the Angleton Danbury Campus and locations in League City and Webster. Visits will continue throughout the year.

Marketing and Communications also brought back a printed version of this newsletter in response to survey and focus group feedback, to complement the online version. And, we created a new Facebook page geared to our internal community. Sign up to follow “I Am UTMB” for news of interest to our employees, students and volunteers.

Employees also can help improve communication. Attend your area’s Weekly Relay.Ask questions. Share concerns. And let Marketing and Communications know about good stories in your area. We look forward to working together to stay connected to one another and to our university’s mission.

Categories