I'm pleased to introduce Marilyn Suttle, as my first 'guest blogger'! Marilyn is a work/life success coach and coauthor of Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan Custom Learning Systems and Sky Lakes Medical Center’s culture change success is featured in her book. For more information, visit www.WhosYourGladys.com or preorder your book at your favorite online book store.
----
Every couple of years, I have a client who brings me back to run a personal development program for her staff. Since I don’t see the client often, I always reference a file I keep on my computer to help me remember details about the company and my contacts there. About six years ago, on a crisp fall day, I brought in a large bowl of caramels to place at the registration table for participants to enjoy. My client made a bee-line for the caramels saying, “These are my favorite candies.” At the end of the training, I asked her if she’d like to keep the handful of left-over caramels. With a big smile, she whisked them into her bag.
What did I do when I got back to my office? I put a note in her file that said, “Kate loves caramels.” I knew it would be unlikely that I’d remember that a year or two later. By typing her preference in her file, it’s easier for me to delight my customer by bringing caramels every time I train there. It’s a small thing, but I’m pretty sure that from the time she calls me to set up a training until the time I show up, she looks forward to the caramels. It’s a small thing, but it makes a difference…or does it?
What would really happen if I didn’t bring the caramels?
What if you didn’t greet the next patient who walks through your doors with eye contact and a smile within five seconds of their arrival?
What would really happen if you simply said, ‘Goodbye’ when a patient leaves the room without asking, “How can we make your experience with us even better next time?”
What would really happen? Well, probably nothing…but that isn’t good news.
Even if your hospital has an outstanding reputation for service, it’s easy to slip out of a service excellence mindset when you’re under a time-crunch or dealing with the pressures of a downsized staff with a full-sized workload. You let one thing slip, and nothing seems to change, so it becomes easier to let it slip the next time. Before you know it, that intangible something that keeps patient satisfaction scores high is missing. By the time you realize it, some of your patients and their referrals may be missing, too.
When you’re dealing with urgent matters like ordering supplies or getting scheduling issues resolved, the finer nuances of customer service may seem less important. How do you measure the impact of pleasing a patient by remembering his name or following up her visit with a thank you card? It’s human nature to consider: “Maybe if I forfeited my extra attention from a few patients today, I’ll have time to get the backed up paperwork completed.” However, it’s an act of service excellence to remember that it’s the intangible – the feelings, the emotional connection that patients experience with you – that tells them loud and clear that they matter.
What do you think? Remembering the finer points of service excellence isn’t easy when you’re busy. How do you remind yourself to focus on the patient’s experience?
For more information, visit www.WhosYourGladys.com or preorder your book at your favorite online book store.
6/24/09
5/26/09
Value-Based Purchasing Boot Camps 2
I just got back from Alabama where I presented a Value-Based Purchasing Boot Camp with JL Morgan and Associates. The response was phenomenal!
It's clear to me that Alabama understands that having an effective HCAHPS / Value-Based Purchasing plan is critical. I only hope that other states follow suit.
If you interested in learning how to leverage HCAHPS and VBP to create world class patient satisfaction and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage please let me know and I'll be on the next plane.
For more information click here.
It's clear to me that Alabama understands that having an effective HCAHPS / Value-Based Purchasing plan is critical. I only hope that other states follow suit.
If you interested in learning how to leverage HCAHPS and VBP to create world class patient satisfaction and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage please let me know and I'll be on the next plane.
For more information click here.
Value-Based Purchasing Boot Camps - 1
Call it the 'game-changer'.
There's no way around it now, as patient experience is poised to become a direct and quantifiable cost center.
So, what's your plan?
While we're running a series of VBP Boot Camps across the country, we also make them available to executive teams of hospitals - to present customized strategies to get them ready for VBP.
...Call Veronica Doncaster to book yours today! 1.800.667.7325, extension 207.
There's no way around it now, as patient experience is poised to become a direct and quantifiable cost center.
So, what's your plan?
While we're running a series of VBP Boot Camps across the country, we also make them available to executive teams of hospitals - to present customized strategies to get them ready for VBP.
...Call Veronica Doncaster to book yours today! 1.800.667.7325, extension 207.
5/22/09
Healthcare Professional Appreciation Day - May 28
They make a profound difference in our lives.
They are our neighbors. They are our friends. Sometimes, we don't even know their names.
They're definitely under-appreciated.
Their work and their caring make us well again.
They are orderlies, housekeepers, technicians, nurses, attendants, clerks, cooks, servers, doctors, secretaries, administrators, managers, security guards, ambulance drivers, engineers, surgeons, pilots...and many more.
They are the professionals that work in healthcare.
So, I urge you to take a few minutes on May 28, and express a simple 'thanks' to someone who works in the healthcare field.
It's easy. Pick up the phone. Send a letter, visit a hospital, or use the links at http://www.healthcareprofessionalappreciationday.com to reach out to someone who works in healthcare.
Use the form on that page (link above) to nominate a person who works in healthcare to receive a $1000 continuing education scholarship.
The scholarship will be awarded on June 28, 2009, and annually thereafter.
They are our neighbors. They are our friends. Sometimes, we don't even know their names.
They're definitely under-appreciated.
Their work and their caring make us well again.
They are orderlies, housekeepers, technicians, nurses, attendants, clerks, cooks, servers, doctors, secretaries, administrators, managers, security guards, ambulance drivers, engineers, surgeons, pilots...and many more.
They are the professionals that work in healthcare.
So, I urge you to take a few minutes on May 28, and express a simple 'thanks' to someone who works in the healthcare field.
It's easy. Pick up the phone. Send a letter, visit a hospital, or use the links at http://www.healthcareprofessionalappreciationday.com to reach out to someone who works in healthcare.
Use the form on that page (link above) to nominate a person who works in healthcare to receive a $1000 continuing education scholarship.
The scholarship will be awarded on June 28, 2009, and annually thereafter.
5/12/09
The Bottom 50 HCAHPS Performers
I set our analysts loose on the 2007 HospitalCompare data set, to analyze the bottom-50 hospitals in the category "Percent of patients who reported that YES, they would definitely recommend the hospital."
The objective of the analysis was to isolate trends that might point to cultural issues common in the lower performers at this time.
The analysis showed that the worst performance categories for these hospitals were in the areas of 'Staff Explanation'. They showed a general desire by patients to have their treatments, medications, and recovery instructions clearly explained to them.
While it's too soon to tell whether these failures are a cultural issue, the results might certainly be seen as an indicator of a culture-challenge.
To see the results click here:
The objective of the analysis was to isolate trends that might point to cultural issues common in the lower performers at this time.
The analysis showed that the worst performance categories for these hospitals were in the areas of 'Staff Explanation'. They showed a general desire by patients to have their treatments, medications, and recovery instructions clearly explained to them.
While it's too soon to tell whether these failures are a cultural issue, the results might certainly be seen as an indicator of a culture-challenge.
To see the results click here:
Five Facts about Culture
Here are five facts about culture from a report titled 'Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis'.
Although most reports I've come across indicate that culture can be effectively changed, controlled and managed to support organizational goals they often downplay the complexity of such a strategy. If changing your culture is something your serious about, understand that it's not a "get in get out" solution. It takes time and specialty training.
1. Culture indicates the 'way of life' for workers who often take its influence for granted (they simply accept it). The firms culture becomes obvious when an aspect of it causes a corporate setback (it must change).
2. Culture is stable over time and it resists quick changes.
3. A culture involves internal and external aspects. Internally, a culture might encourage quality, cost effectiveness and accuracy.
4. Culture can be measured, evaluated and perfected.
5. Culture can be managed to support the firm's strategic plan.
Although most reports I've come across indicate that culture can be effectively changed, controlled and managed to support organizational goals they often downplay the complexity of such a strategy. If changing your culture is something your serious about, understand that it's not a "get in get out" solution. It takes time and specialty training.
1. Culture indicates the 'way of life' for workers who often take its influence for granted (they simply accept it). The firms culture becomes obvious when an aspect of it causes a corporate setback (it must change).
2. Culture is stable over time and it resists quick changes.
3. A culture involves internal and external aspects. Internally, a culture might encourage quality, cost effectiveness and accuracy.
4. Culture can be measured, evaluated and perfected.
5. Culture can be managed to support the firm's strategic plan.
5/5/09
Resilient Leadership in Turbulent Times webinar tomorrow
When the economy tanks, effective leaders are needed most.
Managing through economic hardship requires that all leaders acknowledge the uncertainty of the economy, and display a sensitivity to its impact on all staff.
Effective managers realize that its not just employees who may be feeling a new set of stresses, but entire families and neighborhoods.
Leaders that can provide comfort, communication, and resiliency training are the leaders that will emerge the winners when the dust settles...and so will their teams.
This webinar, designed for hospital leaders, will present important issues to consider during these extraordinary times. Solid strategies for communicating with both senior and middle managers will be presented, along with a sure-fire way to assure your frontliners are both informed and motivated.
If you can join in, please register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/492806240 .
See you tomorrow!
Brian.
Managing through economic hardship requires that all leaders acknowledge the uncertainty of the economy, and display a sensitivity to its impact on all staff.
Effective managers realize that its not just employees who may be feeling a new set of stresses, but entire families and neighborhoods.
Leaders that can provide comfort, communication, and resiliency training are the leaders that will emerge the winners when the dust settles...and so will their teams.
This webinar, designed for hospital leaders, will present important issues to consider during these extraordinary times. Solid strategies for communicating with both senior and middle managers will be presented, along with a sure-fire way to assure your frontliners are both informed and motivated.
If you can join in, please register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/492806240 .
See you tomorrow!
Brian.
5/4/09
HCAHPS - How to solve night quietness
This question might be a little misleading for patients.
Was it the hallway noise that was keeping them up at night, or something else? Do they really care, if they couldn't sleep?
Getting to the bottom of it starts with an effective rounding process.
So, let's start there: get a rounding process in place (hourly is recommended) that supports patients in their key comfort points, but also ascertains if your patient slept well the night before.
If this is your 'focus question', have a pre-scripted set of follow-ups prepared so that all rounders can drill down: "why not, what was keeping you up?"/"when did you try to sleep?" etc.
...the objective is to determine, through a uniform conversational protocol, if hallway noise was in fact the issue.
If it was - move on it.
If it was something else: roommate noise, visitors, etc. you can deal with that.
Once the rounding on the patient is complete, the information must be logged. Get a trending tool to help you identify issues. This'll save tons of time, and actually make rounding a fundamental building block in your HCAHPS improvement plan.
Interested in a tool? Our Bellwether tool provides all of the stability and robust support you'll need in a very easy to handle package...call us to find out more about how Bellwether, with an effective rounding process, can be integral to your HCAHPS plan! 1800.667.7325. ext:219
Brian.
Was it the hallway noise that was keeping them up at night, or something else? Do they really care, if they couldn't sleep?
Getting to the bottom of it starts with an effective rounding process.
So, let's start there: get a rounding process in place (hourly is recommended) that supports patients in their key comfort points, but also ascertains if your patient slept well the night before.
If this is your 'focus question', have a pre-scripted set of follow-ups prepared so that all rounders can drill down: "why not, what was keeping you up?"/"when did you try to sleep?" etc.
...the objective is to determine, through a uniform conversational protocol, if hallway noise was in fact the issue.
If it was - move on it.
If it was something else: roommate noise, visitors, etc. you can deal with that.
Once the rounding on the patient is complete, the information must be logged. Get a trending tool to help you identify issues. This'll save tons of time, and actually make rounding a fundamental building block in your HCAHPS improvement plan.
Interested in a tool? Our Bellwether tool provides all of the stability and robust support you'll need in a very easy to handle package...call us to find out more about how Bellwether, with an effective rounding process, can be integral to your HCAHPS plan! 1800.667.7325. ext:219
Brian.
5/1/09
We're celebrating tonight!
I'm proud to announce that we're celebrating our 25th anniversary at 'The Blue Skies Ball' tonight!
With 500 of our closest friends and clients in attendance, we're going to dance to a big band, and celebrate!
We chose "Blue Skies" because the lyrics to the song are so uplifting and reflect our view of the future.
'nothin' but blue skies..."
Brian.
With 500 of our closest friends and clients in attendance, we're going to dance to a big band, and celebrate!
We chose "Blue Skies" because the lyrics to the song are so uplifting and reflect our view of the future.
'nothin' but blue skies..."
Brian.
Kudos to Modern Healthcare!
Excellent email blast this week, featuring interviews with CEO's of health systems, and their takes on the state of the industry.
Insightful, brief.
Excellent work!
Insightful, brief.
Excellent work!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
