When it comes to building a healthier, more connected Commonwealth, few organizations have the reach or responsibility of Sentara Health. For years, S.I.R. served as a trusted partner to Sentara, helping them listen to communities, communicate with authenticity, and drive meaningful change — from boardroom strategy to the frontlines of care.

Elevating the Sentara Brand for a New Era

As Sentara set its sights on new service areas and a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the organization recognized the importance of a unified, modern brand identity. S.I.R. led extensive resident surveys and benchmarking to capture what Sentara meant to people, inside and outside the organization. Our findings guided the development of a refreshed design system and updated naming conventions, ensuring the brand resonated across every touchpoint. The new brand, launched in 2021, positioned Sentara for growth while honoring its legacy of community trust and care. In 2024, we collaborated with them to evaluate and update their brand, ensuring it remained current and accurately reflected their identity.

Voices of Kindness: Award-Winning Storytelling in a Time of Crisis

When the pandemic heightened tensions and stress, Sentara wanted to remind Virginians — and its own employees — what kindness and unity could look like. S.I.R. brought this vision to life through the Voices of Kindness campaign, a cinematic TV and digital series celebrating everyday heroes at each Sentara hospital. With authentic voices, evocative visuals, and a neighborly tone, these stories touched hearts and garnered millions of views, quickly becoming Sentara’s most successful social content ever.

Anchoring Communities: Shining a Light on Local Impact

Beyond clinical care, Sentara’s mission extends into the heart of each community it serves. With S.I.R.’s help, the Anchoring Communities mini-documentary series showcased grant partners and beneficiaries across Virginia, highlighting organizations like Birth Sisters and Virginia Supportive Housing. By letting real people tell their stories in their own words, Sentara raised awareness for critical causes and deepened connections with community partners, setting a new standard for authentic healthcare storytelling.

A Blueprint for Social Responsibility

Recognizing that true health starts long before someone steps into a clinic, Sentara partnered with S.I.R. to develop a corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework focused on the social determinants of health. Drawing on best practices and robust stakeholder research, S.I.R. helped Sentara set clear priorities, performance measures, and a unified vision for impact. When the pandemic struck, this framework allowed Sentara to rapidly mobilize resources for food security, workforce development, and mental health, demonstrating the power of planning with purpose.

As part of this initiative, S.I.R. produced the Sentara Cares video series during the early days of COVID-19, featuring unscripted conversations with employees and partners. The series made Sentara’s commitment visible at a time when communities needed reassurance, showing real people collaborating for real change.

Recognizing the far-reaching impact of social determinants of health, Sentara’s commitment extended well beyond the walls of its hospitals, especially during the pandemic. In partnership with S.I.R. and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, Sentara helped launch the “We Care” package initiative. This rapid-response program delivered nutritious food and health resources to thousands of families across Virginia, setting a new standard for how healthcare and community organizations can work together in a crisis. The result was not just immediate relief, but a blueprint for future public health collaboration across the state.

Sentara Scholars: Investing in the Next Generation

To help address workforce shortages and inspire future healthcare leaders, Sentara launched the Sentara Scholars program. S.I.R. collaborated with the organization to design and promote this initiative, highlighting the scholars’ stories and expanding the program’s reach. By investing in education and career pathways, Sentara is not only filling vital roles but also reinforcing its mission to serve and empower Virginia’s communities for years to come.

Building Trust, Leading with Heart

From brand strategy and communications to community investment and workforce development, S.I.R. has helped Sentara stay ahead of change, amplify its impact, and build lasting trust with the people it serves. Together, we have shown that when an organization listens deeply, invests in its community, and tells stories with honesty and heart, real progress follows.

Is your organization ready to engage, adapt, and lead?
Contact S.I.R. We would love to help you create impact that lasts.

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