Meet Internal Communications Professional, Peyton Woodson Cooper

Peyton Woodson Cooper launched an internal communications department at Houston’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in January 2017. Eight months later, Hurricane Harvey hammered the region and stranded the hospital on high ground surrounded by water. Cooper’s key challenge was keeping employees engaged and informed. Cooper employed each and every channel available to her, including digital signage, conference calls, a disaster line and an employee newsletter. She triaged material to communicate the most important news first. Staff shared the experience on social media, along with photos and testimonials from management, and told their managers how valuable Cooper’s communications efforts were.