Unlock Health Taps Consumer Brand Expert to Overhaul Patient Digital Experience

NASHVILLE, TN – December 18, 2025 – In a move that underscores the healthcare industry's accelerating shift toward consumer-grade technology, strategic marketing firm Unlock Health today announced the appointment of Jamie Mermelstein as its new Vice President of Digital Experience. The hiring of Mermelstein, a veteran of a top-tier agency known for shaping global consumer brands, signals a deliberate strategy to dismantle the clunky, outdated digital interfaces that have long frustrated patients and to rebuild them with the elegant simplicity found in leading retail and tech applications.

The appointment strengthens the Nashville-based agency’s capacity to serve its client base of health systems and healthcare organizations, which are increasingly competing for patients who expect the same level of digital convenience from their doctor's office as they do from their bank or favorite online store.

A Strategic Play for a Consumer-Centric Future

Unlock Health, which integrates marketing, technology, and managed care consulting, has positioned itself as a partner for healthcare organizations navigating a complex landscape. The firm's core mission is to align brand strategy with revenue goals, helping providers attract patients and protect margins. The addition of Mermelstein is a clear escalation of this strategy, placing a premium on the end-user's digital journey.

The move is a direct response to a market where digital front doors—from websites to patient portals and mobile apps—are no longer optional but are critical drivers of patient acquisition and loyalty. Brandon Edwards, CEO and Co-Founder of Unlock Health, framed the hire as part of a larger mission. "As an award-winning partner to America's health systems, we continue to bring in senior subject matter experts who can help us bring modern digital marketing experiences to an industry many consider conservative and outdated," Edwards stated.

This perspective highlights a key challenge in healthcare: a historical lag in adopting the user-centric design principles that are standard in other industries. Edwards added, "Jamie has led digital experience for some of the top retail, technology and healthcare brands and what many consider 'household' names. Her breadth of experience and her leadership over a high-performing digital practice add a ton of value to our own digital experience offerings." This infusion of outside expertise is designed to give Unlock Health and its clients a distinct competitive advantage.

From Global Brands to Patient Portals

Mermelstein brings over a decade of experience translating complex business requirements into intuitive digital products. Most recently, she led the digital practice at Red Antler, a brand strategy agency renowned for its work with category-defining companies. Her portfolio includes collaborations with giants like Google and McKinsey, as well as consumer-facing powerhouses such as Sonos and Kenvue, the Johnson & Johnson consumer health spin-off.

Her work at Red Antler involved creating comprehensive brand experiences that span all digital touchpoints. For example, the agency’s work with McKinsey focused on inspiring human progress through a new creative platform, while its project for Google Fiber aimed to humanize a utility service. This experience—distilling complex services into simple, engaging narratives and interfaces—is directly applicable to the challenges of modern healthcare. Patients must often navigate labyrinthine systems of appointments, records, billing, and communication. Applying the design thinking used for a premium audio product like Sonos or a global consultancy like McKinsey to a patient portal could revolutionize the experience.

Mermelstein herself sees a clear parallel. "I've spent my career building consumer-centric digital experiences for some of the world's leading brands and now, I'm thrilled to bring that passion for human-centered design, technology, storytelling, and innovation into the healthcare space," she said. Her goal, she added, is to help health systems "modernize their digital experiences, streamline patient-facing platforms and create digital that create more meaningful engagement and drive brand growth."

The "Consumerization" of Healthcare Is Here

Mermelstein's appointment is not happening in a vacuum. It is a reflection of a powerful, industry-wide trend known as the "consumerization" of healthcare. Today's patients, armed with smartphones and conditioned by seamless digital services, are bringing those same expectations to their healthcare providers. They are no longer passive recipients of care but active consumers who choose providers based on convenience, access, and overall experience—much of which is now digital.

Industry analysis reveals a growing demand for features that are commonplace elsewhere:
* Seamless Onboarding and Navigation: Patients expect intuitive patient portals that don't require a manual to operate.
* Personalization: Leveraging data and AI to provide tailored health information, appointment reminders, and care plan updates.
* Multi-channel Consistency: A unified experience whether the patient is on a hospital website, a mobile app, or a telehealth platform.
* On-Demand Access: Easy-to-use virtual care options and 24/7 access to information and support through tools like AI-powered chatbots.

However, delivering on these expectations in healthcare is uniquely challenging. Strict privacy regulations, the need for clinical accuracy, and the burden of integrating with legacy electronic health record (EHR) systems create significant hurdles. This is precisely where an expert in human-centered design becomes critical. The task is not simply to build a prettier interface, but to deeply understand patient needs and anxieties, and to design digital pathways that reduce friction and build trust in a highly sensitive context.

Redefining Patient Engagement and Competitive Edge

For health systems, the stakes are high. A positive digital experience can be a powerful differentiator, leading to higher patient satisfaction, better adherence to care plans, and improved health outcomes. Conversely, a frustrating digital front door can lead to patient churn, administrative inefficiencies, and a damaged brand reputation. By investing in top-tier digital experience leadership, Unlock Health is betting that it can deliver a significant return for its clients.

The impact of this strategic direction is twofold. From the patient's perspective, this focus promises a future where scheduling an appointment, viewing lab results, or paying a bill is as simple as ordering a ride-share. It means replacing confusing jargon and dead-end web pages with clear, empathetic, and actionable information. For a patient managing a chronic condition or a family navigating a health crisis, this reduction in digital friction can have a profound impact on their overall well-being.

From a business strategy perspective, Mermelstein's hire positions Unlock Health as a forward-thinking leader in a crowded market of healthcare marketing agencies. While many agencies offer digital services, few can claim leadership with deep roots in the world of elite consumer branding. This move signals to the market that Unlock Health is not just about traditional marketing campaigns, but about fundamentally re-engineering the digital relationship between patients and providers. Industry analysts suggest that this cross-pollination of talent—bringing consumer tech savvy into the regulated world of healthcare—is essential for any organization aiming to win in the modern healthcare economy. It is a recognition that the future of patient loyalty will be built not just in the exam room, but on the screen of a smartphone.