Seamless Rebadging: 5 Expert Tips for Health Systems

Health system mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. Consultancy firm KaufmanHall reported 65 mergers or acquisitions across public and private health systems in 2023 — an increase of 23% from the previous year — totaling $38.4 billion in revenue.

While these numbers highlight the sweeping changes reshaping health care networks, they often overlook a necessary detail that happens at the ground level. With each merger, health systems must present a unified identity across all locations, and that requires rebadging.

What Is Rebadging?

Rebadging is the process of updating employee ID badges to align with new branding, compliance requirements or operational changes.

This can occur due to mergers or rebranding efforts, or to meet specific contractual obligations. It typically involves replacing old badges with new ones that reflect updated logos, colors or names, and ensuring that employee access cards are consistent with the latest organizational identity.

Whether you’re rebadging due to a large-scale merger or something else, it’s important to ensure the process is as smooth and efficient as possible. Hiccups in the rebadging process can cause disruptions to your staff and daily operations.

“You still have a population of employees that need to work every day,” says Travis Brewington, ID Shop vice president. “It’s in the organization’s best interest to do this as quickly as possible.”

Keep reading for five expert tips for a smooth and seamless rebadging process.

1. Start With a Solid Plan

A smooth rebadging process starts with a plan. Start with a stakeholder meeting to align needs, timelines and logistics, and to ensure that all departments are on the same page.

Set clear roles for each department: HR oversees badge design and distribution, IT handles tech and access, and Admin coordinates communication. With every department involved, stakeholder meetings ensure that everyone is aligned on needs, timelines and logistics.

Every Department Plays a Role

Rebadging is a team effort. Each department within your organization has a role to play.

• Human Resources (HR) leads personnel transitions and brand elements.
• Information Technology (IT) provides tech solutions and digital updates.
• Administration (Admin) coordinates communication and oversight.

2. Prioritize Staff Convenience

Frontline employees will be the first to test and adapt to the new badges, so scheduling replacements with minimal disruption is key. Coordinate with HR to activate new badges efficiently, maintaining access continuity so employees can focus on their core responsibilities without added hassle.

“An RN still has all of their RN duties and can’t be spending more time than necessary changing out a badge.” 

—Travis Brewington, Vice President, ID Shop

3. Ensure Secure Data Handling

Security has to be your number one priority during rebadging. Work with IT to update digital identities, ensure security protocols, and adjust access settings as badges are swapped out. Your rebadging partner will follow secure processes for printing and activation to protect the health system and employees.

4. Future-Proof Your ID System

A rebadge is the perfect time to evaluate your current badge technology and consider upgrades. If you’re still operating using a license-based badge management system, you may want to consider a switch to a more advanced cloud-based model. This is especially true if your growth includes multiple sites.

“It is a great time to enhance your card technology or switch from one platform to another because you do have some disruption. You can either have somebody come on-site and do it, or provide all your data to us via a secure portal.” 

—Travis Brewington, Vice President, ID Shop

5. Consider Stakeholder Impact

A successful rebadge affects stakeholders in and outside of your health system. Here’s how to make the process as smooth as possible.

For care staff. Minimize security and access issues by streamlining processes up front and communicating changes to staff throughout the process. Ensure that care staff know who to contact if they need help with badge access during the transition.

For suppliers/partners. Offer open communication and plenty of lead time to suppliers, vendors and external partners. Provide easy access to brand elements should they need to update shared branding or platforms. Reassure suppliers there will be minimal interruptions in everyday operations.

For patients. Communicate changes in badging at the first point of contact and with signage throughout to address any badge-related confusion. Maintaining trust in providers and quality of care through open communication is critical.

Pro Tip: To mitigate change resistance, start early with open communication about your rebadge. Engage employees at every step along the way, provide adequate training on new systems, and ensure open lines of communication with a dedicated point person throughout the process.

A Badge Transition Plan for Health Systems: Step-By-Step

Follow this step-by-step guide, and don’t miss a beat when it comes to producing and distributing your new badges.

1. Design. Establish visual and data elements for each new badge that align with overall brand or identity changes.
2. Set up. Work with an ID badge provider to set up requirements, including printing and technical considerations. 
3. Communicate. Share the plan and process company-wide and set expectations among employees for swapping out expired credentials. 
4. Manage. Activate new badges, ensuring they meet security protocols, and retire old ones. Issue new credentials to all staff members.
5. Train. Educate staff and stakeholders on new badge functionality and uses, including facility access. 
6. Overlap. Consider a temporary period where old and new badges are functional, allowing the entire system time to transition.
7. Refine. Gather insights on the process from employees and stakeholders. Use feedback to refine processes. 

Choose the Right Partner

Your health system runs like a well-oiled machine, with each person doing their part. Throwing in a major rebadging effort can divert attention away from critical care and management tasks. Finding a reliable partner who can shoulder the burden of the rebadge allows staff to continue on in their roles uninterrupted.

Ready for your seamless, stress-free rebadge? We’re here to be your trusted partner, ensuring your health system can transition smoothly without disrupting daily operations.

“We’ll be as involved as you need us to be, and we can certainly provide as much equipment or expertise as the situation may garner.” 

—Travis Brewington, Vice President, ID Shop

Depending on your needs, there are three ways we can help:

• Hands-off support. If you have everything ready to print, we can take care of the printing and deliver the badges to you, organized exactly as needed. This hands-off approach keeps the process efficient and simple.
• Print and fulfill. For organizations needing full fulfillment, we can handle not only printing but also mailing badges directly to individuals via USPS, FedEx or UPS. This approach ensures that each staff member receives their badge without additional distribution work on your end.
• On-site support. ID Shop can come directly to your facility, bringing all necessary equipment and personnel to manage the rebadging process as an extension of your team. This approach is ideal for large-scale transitions, allowing us to coordinate everything on-site for maximum efficiency and minimal disruption.

Reach out to our customer service team toll-free at (844) 443-7467 or visit idshop.com/contact-us for more information.