Ochsner Health, a leading nonprofit healthcare provider, with hospitals and clinics located in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida, inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through its mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate.

Sheena Ronsonet is the Vice President of Total Rewards at Ochsner Health, responsible for leading the compensation, benefits and leave teams for the healthcare system’s 42,000 team members. In July 2025, Ochsner decided to offer earned wage access (EWA) through Rain to allow its team members access to their earned but unpaid wages. We recently sat down with Sheena to discuss the decision to offer EWA and her overall experience with Rain. This is what she told us in her words.

Challenge

Ochsner Health wanted to offer a benefit that would provide financial stress relief to its team members. Some team members were taking on gig jobs to get money today and calling out from their scheduled shifts.

How Rain helped

Rain gave Ochsner Health team members secure, on-demand access to money they’d already earned — no loans and no credit checks. The integration was fast, the rollout smooth and adoption immediate. Within weeks, more than one in five eligible team members were using Rain. It empowered Ochsner’s workforce, reduced stress and strengthened trust — all while fitting seamlessly into the organization's Total Rewards strategy.

Deciding to offer a financial wellness benefit

Anecdotally, we heard that team members were calling out of their shifts so they could work a second job offering same-day pay. We have an employee financial assistance program funded by Ochsner. Team members can apply for assistance if they’re facing financial hardship. We also offer 401(k) loans and work with a small loan company that provides loans through a payroll deduction program, without a credit check.

Hearing direct feedback through a variety of communication methods, including team member town hall sessions we host throughout the system, helped us realize that EWA was an innovative tool that could definitely help our team members. Additionally, it was so meaningful for our executive team to be completely on board and advocate for implementation of the program.

"Health care is our business, and our business is helping people get healthy. And we’re not just talking about physical health. Financially healthy team members, who are not stressing about money, provide better care to our patients. It’s that simple."

Why we chose Rain

We first reviewed current Workday partners since this is our HRIS system of choice. We looked at several vendors, one of which used an intercept model. There were a lot of concerns about the various different models. We take the security of our systems and our team members’ information seriously, implementing rigorous safeguards to protect confidentiality, integrity and availability at every level.

When we met with Rain, the relationship felt different right from the start. It was a true partnership from day one, an approach we welcomed and that has continued from the first interaction.

Smooth and seamless implementation

Our Payroll, HRIS and IS teams played pivotal roles in the implementation. From the initial vendor evaluation through decision-making and execution, they were key partners at every stage. Once our decision was made to proceed with Rain, the Payroll and IS teams worked closely with Rain to build pay codes, test file feeds and ensure accuracy.

One of the smartest moves we made was launching Rain mid-pay period. When team members opened the app for the first time, they immediately saw their available earnings balance. That instant visibility created trust and excitement right from the start.

Our communication strategy was equally important. We started with our leaders and HR support team and then moved on to our broader employee base. Rain’s team hosted multiple webinars, helped us craft messaging, and supported us along every step of the way.

Early results and employee impact

Today, around 21% of eligible team members are active Rain users, and roughly 16% use the tool regularly — just months after launch. Earned wage access is not just a financial tool; it’s a human one. It gives our people the flexibility to handle life’s moments, big or small, with confidence and dignity.

The feedback has been wonderful. One mom told us she’d used Rain at a previous employer and was thrilled to see it here. Another employee shared that she used it to replace a broken dryer, avoiding the need for a high-interest credit card.

Those are small stories, but they represent something big — less stress, more stability and a stronger sense of trust between Ochsner and our team members.

As someone who loves data, I’m also studying the ripple effects — whether 401(k) loans or short-term payroll loans are decreasing, whether absenteeism is improving, and how access to earned wages may be supporting retention.

Customer success and partnership

I can’t say enough about Rain’s customer success team. From Christy in sales, to Keith in implementation, to Cassie and Nick in customer success — every handoff has been seamless.

When I’ve needed reporting adjustments or dashboard enhancements, they’ve delivered within a day. After I shared how I like to analyze data, Rain’s product team built automated reports tailored exactly to our needs. That kind of responsiveness is rare.

Rain feels like an extension of our own HR and Payroll teams — proactive, data-savvy and genuinely invested in our success.

Lessons learned

For other healthcare organizations considering earned wage access, my advice is simple — start small, move fast and communicate clearly.

You don’t need to overcomplicate it; base rate and hours worked are enough. Launch mid-pay period so team members see immediate impact. And make sure leaders and HR partners are prepared to answer questions confidently.

We chose to automatically include individual contributors and supervisors, while allowing managers and above to opt in during open enrollment. That balance works beautifully for our structure.

Most importantly, remember, this isn’t just a benefit. It’s a message of trust and care — a tangible way to say, “We see you, and we’re here for you.”

If you want to support your team members holistically, Rain would be a wonderful extension of your total rewards offerings. This is not a loan, it’s dignity and flexibility, delivered through access to the money your team members have already earned.