Rebuilding a non-profit healthcare brand from the ground up

Client: Cook Hospital & Care Center
Industry: Rural healthcare non-profit
Role: Brand & Content Strategy Lead | Creative Director | Execution
Project Type: Brand Rebuild (Ongoing)

The Challenge

Cook Hospital & Care Center is a critical access hospital set in the rural community of Cook, Minnesota (Population 534 as of the 2020 census data). It’s the biggest employer in the area, and the district it serves covers thousands of square miles across northern St. Louis County.

As of early 2025, CHCC had no cohesive brand system in place. Print and digital marketing pieces lacked shared framework for visuals, content, and overall messaging approach.

The Process

I knew early on that I wanted to work with an external partner to take on the time-intensive design creation process. Firefly Alley Creative Co. stepped into the project with ease, delivering research-backed design proposals that aligned with the direction the hospital was moving in as a whole.

From there, I facilitated a series of workshops with our senior leadership team to ensure that the messaging and personality of the new brand direction would resonate with current and future patients/the community as a whole.

The Result

Cook Hospital & Care Center has officially moved out of fragmented chaos into a warm, heartfelt presence that can now grow and thrive over time.

Overly sterile stock images have been exchanged for imagery that reflects authenticity, warmth, and a deep connection to our community.

The messaging shift is equally notable, using thoughtful, easy-to-understand terms, always framed in the context of the patient experience.

Ultimately, we closed out the project with an impressive list of wins:

• Comprehensive brand guidelines, which were distributed to all levels of leadership
• Canva templates, which made the implementation accessible to a wider group of managers
• A deeper understanding within Senior Leadership of brand and its impact on marketing and community engagement efforts
• Increased excitement and interest from internal staff, who were revitalized by the ongoing updates of key visibility pieces

At Cook Hospital & Care Center, we are driven by a deep commitment to providing exceptional care for our community. Our brand is a reflection of this passion—creating a clear, consistent, and thoughtful presence across everything we do.