Case Study: Black River Memorial Hospital achieves improved patient outcomes and a 9.6% net operating margin with Saba

Top hospital improves patient outcomes and bottom line with talent management

Black River Memorial Hospital, a small but full-service critical access hospital in Jackson County, Wisconsin, faced industry-wide change—advanced diagnostics, shorter stays, more outpatient care and looming healthcare reform—while struggling with a paper-based performance review system, missed appraisal deadlines and weak alignment between staff work and organizational strategy. Leadership identified the need to shift culture toward performance, accountability and outcomes to prepare for value-based payment models.

The hospital implemented Halogen TalentSpace (Halogen Performance and Halogen 360 Multirater) and followed a three-step plan—automation of appraisals and 360° feedback, goal setting and alignment, and organization-wide pay-for-performance. Results included patient perception scores rising from the 70th to the 95th percentile, 100% evaluation completion, employee engagement in the 90th–98th percentiles, turnover at 10% versus a 13–16% industry norm, smoother Joint Commission audits and net operating margin growth from under 1% (2008) to 9.6% (2011), positioning the hospital for healthcare reform.

Black River Memorial Hospital

Holly Winn

Chief Operating Officer