Overview: Faced with rising support needs, outdated on-premises systems, and increasingly complex call flows, Gillette Children’s in Minnesota needed a unified communication and contact center platform that could scale with its evolving needs. After evaluating multiple providers, the organization chose the unified 8x8 Work and 8x8 Contact Center platform to power a cloud-first transformation that now supports over 1,800 users and 84 contact center agents across 11 statewide locations. With 8x8, Gillette Children’s has streamlined operations, improved visibility, and empowered staff to deliver seamless, high-quality care.

“We have complex routing needs, but at the end of the day, someone has to answer the phone. We wanted a system that let us work together, not in silos. 8x8 enables that.”

Melissa Beyer

Senior Practice Manager for Business Support, Gillette Children’s

Transforming care with communicationlink to this section

Gillette Children’s is a nationally recognized leader in care for children with complex brain, bone, and movement conditions. With a 60-bed hospital and 11 locations across Minnesota, the organization supports thousands of patient interactions annually.

Behind the scenes, a dynamic partnership helps ensure the technology behind those patient interactions runs smoothly: Melissa Beyer, Senior Practice Manager for Business Support and Operations and Jane Gehrke, Senior Telecommunications Analyst. Together, they oversee the systems and processes that connect patients, families, and care teams across the organization.

Both bring a problem-solving mindset to their work. “We touch every department,” said Jane. “From inpatient nurses to vice presidents, we help everyone stay connected. It’s incredibly rewarding.” Melissa added, “What I love most is solving problems—working through complex workflows and finding solutions that improve how we serve our patients and staff. It’s about making a difference in someone’s day.”

Choosing a cloud-first partnerlink to this section

When Gillette Children’s began evaluating new communications platforms, their goal was to replace aging infrastructure and reduce the complexity of managing multiple vendors. Their existing environment relied on Avaya for unified communications and a separate provider for contact center operations—creating silos, driving up costs, and complicating everyday administration. “Our hardware was at end-of-life, and managing two separate systems was inefficient,” said Melissa. “We needed mobility, call recording, better reporting, and a path to the cloud—all at a sustainable cost.”

Initially unfamiliar with 8x8, Jane and Melissa were introduced through a trusted IT partner. “We had assumed we’d go with one of the bigger names like RingCentral,” Jane shared. “But 8x8 impressed us right away. When RingCentral told us to change our workflows to fit their system, 8x8 configured a complex routing request live on a call. That level of support sold us.”

Gillette Children’s chose to implement 8x8 Work and 8x8 Contact Center—bringing unified communications and contact center onto a single platform. “It has made administration so much easier and has given us the flexibility to manage the system the way we needed, without having to coordinate across vendors,” said Melissa.

The 8x8 team’s hands-on, collaborative approach stood out from the beginning and has remained consistent throughout the relationship. Since making the switch, Jane and Melissa have led a four-year transformation, consolidating systems, rethinking workflows, and building a future-ready communications infrastructure.

Easy administration and exceptional supportlink to this section

With 8x8, Jane gained intuitive tools to manage the system independently. “At first, the learning curve was steep,” she said. “But now I handle most tasks myself, and 8x8 support is amazing. They’re fast, knowledgeable, and treat me like a true partner.”

The team added 8x8 Service Advantage to their plan, allowing them to outsource complex programming or call flow updates. “What might take me 10 hours, our managed services engineer can do in 20 minutes,” said Jane. “It’s been a lifesaver.”

Having a single telecom lead supporting a system of this scale is a challenge—but with 8x8’s intuitive admin interface, thorough training resources, and accessible support, Jane is able to handle a wide range of requests independently. When she’s away, Melissa can rely on 8x8 to step in. “They’ve got our back,” said Melissa. “We’re never on our own.”

Analytics that drive actionlink to this section

One of the most transformative capabilities for Gillette has been 8x8’s analytics. “We love the reporting,” said Melissa. “It shows every step in the call journey—who picked up, who transferred, how long it took. It’s helped us pinpoint issues, defend staff when there’s a complaint, and improve overall service.”

This level of insight was impossible with their previous system and has empowered leadership to make more data-driven decisions. Beyond incident analysis, the analytics tools help the organization forecast staffing needs, identify inefficiencies, and improve the patient and family experience.

Jane and Melissa also value how analytics help them be proactive. “Now we can spot trends before they become problems,” said Jane. “Whether it’s call volumes, wait times, or system usage, we finally have the visibility to manage operations strategically.”

Improved collaboration and business outcomeslink to this section

The move to 8x8 has generated measurable improvements across Gillette’s operations. By unifying communications for all hospital and clinic locations on a single cloud-based platform, the organization has significantly boosted efficiency and reduced annual maintenance costs by 25% in the first three years. An intuitive user interface has helped drive rapid adoption across both clinical and administrative teams, while responsive support and access to managed services ensure seamless operations—even with a lean telecom team.

Beyond infrastructure gains, 8x8 has also helped bridge communication gaps between departments. “We have complex routing needs, but at the end of the day, someone has to answer the phone,” said Melissa. “We wanted a system that let us work together, not in silos. 8x8 enables that.”

This integration is especially critical in a healthcare environment, where communication breakdowns can affect care delivery. With 8x8, the entire organization now operates on a shared communications foundation, leading to faster escalations, fewer dropped calls, and a better experience for patients and families.

“Now we can spot trends before they become problems. Whether it’s call volumes, wait times, or system usage, we finally have the visibility to manage operations strategically.”

Jane Gehrke

Senior Telecommunications Analyst, Gillette Children’s

Cloud-first, future-focusedlink to this section

Looking ahead, Gillette Children’s sees 8x8 as a long-term partner in innovation. From expanding AI tools to exploring new automation and workforce engagement capabilities, Jane and Melissa are excited about what’s next.

Their team is already exploring how tools like 8x8® Conversation IQ™ and 8x8® Intelligent Customer Assistant™ can further reduce complexity and support staff during high-volume periods. They also plan to continue expanding their use of managed services to stay ahead of demand while keeping their internal team lean and agile.

“Phones aren’t going away in healthcare,” said Jane. “Our job is to make sure communication supports, not hinders, care. With 8x8, we’re doing that better than ever.”