Customer Service – The Roadmap to the Future of Healthcare

Sustaining Excellence

Customer Service – The Roadmap to the Future of

HealthcareFrank A. Corvino

President and CEOGreenwich Hospital


Overview

The Case for Customer Service in Healthcare

One organization’s journey

Results


Objectives

Describe our journey in changing the culture to one of Service Excellence

Discuss strategies we’ve used to maintain results over time

Share some lessons learned along the way


The Future of Healthcare

Regulatory Oversight Payment tied to Quality & Safety Aging Population Competition

ReimbursementMedicare Rates Resources Primary Care Physicians


Consumer Voice

Consumers spending a larger portion of discretionary income on healthcare

Healthcare consumers > “the patient”

Quality and safety to consumers of care


An Unhappy Consumer Average business does not hear from 96% of dissatisfied

customers

Of those who complain, 50% - 70% will do business again if complaint is resolved. 95% will return if resolved quickly

Average customer with a complaint tells 9 to 10 people, 13% tell more than 20 people

Those who have complained and had resolution tell five people


Implications of Unhappy Consumer: 2011


Eliciting Consumer Voice

What is HCAHPS?

CMS Initiative begun in 2002

Used for publicly reporting hospital performance

Purpose to provide consumers with information helpful in choosing a hospital

Instrument to measure perceptions of care


Consumer Voice

HCAHPS Questions Type of RatingCommunication with Nurses Percent “Always”Communication with Doctors Percent “Always”

Responsiveness of Staff Percent “Always”Pain Management Percent “Always”

Communication about Medications

Percent “Always”

Cleanliness and Quietness Percent “Always”Discharge Information Yes or NoOverall Rating of Care 9 or 10 on a Scale of 0 - 10


Consumer Voice Goes Public


Transparency


Satisfaction Improvements


Attention to Improving


About us…

174-bed, nonprofit community teaching hospital affiliated with the Yale New Haven Health System

Located in Greenwich, Conn., a diverse community within an hour of New York City


Our work began

Aging physical plant geared for inpatient care

Service issues not addressed and not aligned

Patient satisfaction “average”


As we began


Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan 1991 to 1993Business objectives

Managed care (reduced length of stay) Outpatient versus inpatient focused Expanded hospital service area

JCAHO survey Re-accreditation issues related to plant

infrastructureStructural and Financial Review

More cost effective to build a new building than retrofit older building, less disruption to patients


“The beginning is the most important part of the work” Plato

Assess current culture

Organizational priority

Set a strong foundation!


Six Elements of Service Excellence

1. Vision & Goals2. Standards of

Behavior3. Accountability4. Rewards &

Recognition5. Service Recovery6. Process

Improvement



1. Vision & Goals2. Standards of Behavior3. Accountability4. Rewards & Recognition5. Service Recovery6. Process Improvement


Vision and Goals

Leader driven Passionately communicated Set the pace and expectations Not a program or a fad Always raising the bar



1. Vision and Goals2. Standards of

Behavior3. Accountability4. Rewards and

Recognition5. Service Recovery6. Process Improvement


Standards of Behavior

Seven Standards of Service Excellence

developed byEmployees of the Year

Translation of values to action Universal Clear and uncompromising


Service Standards


The Seven Standards

Treat the people we serve as guests.

Respect the privacy and confidentiality of patients, visitors, and staff.

Present a professional image.

Answer the telephone professionally.

Listen to patients, visitors and staff, then act promptly to address concerns.

Anticipate what services and information people need, then take action to provide it.

Maintain a safe and clean environment.



1. Vision and Goals2. Standards of Behavior3. Accountability4. Rewards and Recognition5. Service Recovery6. Process Improvement


Accountability to Service

Behavioral Standards set and communicated

Reflected as a majority percentage of every performance review


Driving Accountability: Staff Meetings

Monthly Leadership ForumCommunicates information to leaders Cascade through the organization

Driving communication through the organizationStaff meetings


Accountability: Staff Meetings

What we saw:

Varied regularity Inconsistent formatAgendas lackingSome departments: best practice


Staff Meeting Standard Agenda

Service Excellence Steering CommitteeFacilitated work groupsDefined “requirements” for staff

meetings

Leadership Forum Introduction of work Agreement


The Greenwich Hospital Staff Meeting: Ground Rules

Departmental Staff meetings will be held on or about the 10th of every month.

Leadership Forum News and Monthly Patient Satisfaction data are available

An opportunity will be made available for staff additions to the Agenda.

The meeting Agenda will be made available 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Staff meeting resources can be posted in a public folder in Outlook for all to use and ensure a consistent message is communicated to all.

The meeting will begin and end on time. Assigned roles of timekeeper and scribe are suggested

Meeting minutes made available to staff within 48 hours.


The Greenwich Hospital Staff Meeting: Basic Agenda

Begin with a Positive Patient Satisfaction and Service Excellence Leadership Forum News Quality Indicators, JCAHO Readiness, Patient

Safety Operational Issues (Unique to Department) Budget and Efficiency Round Table End with a Thank you


The Seven Standards

Treat the people we serve as guests.

Respect the privacy and confidentiality of patients, visitors, and staff.

Present a professional image.

Answer the telephone professionally.

Listen to patients, visitors and staff, then act promptly to address concerns.

Anticipate what services and information people need, then take action to provide it.

Maintain a safe and clean environment.



Vision and Goals Standards of

Behavior Accountability Rewards and

Recognition Service Recovery Process

Improvement


Element 4: Rewards and Recognition

• Quality Award• Kudos• Incentive Program• Service

Recognition• Certificates of

Appreciation• Length of Service

Recognition


Rewards and Recognition

Keep it simple and engage everyone

Quality Award ProgramHow to NOT be an “employee of the

month” programNomination processEvent


Power of Storytelling

Teaches and reinforces positive behaviors

Gives an engaging story to tell

Creates legends in your organization


A Few Service Heroes


Rewards and Recognition: Financial Incentive Program

Based upon targets:Patient SatisfactionFinancial

Hospital contributes percent of salary to a 401(a) account for each employee

Weighted targets



Vision and Goals Standards of Behavior Accountability Rewards and RecognitionService Recovery Process Improvement


Element 5: Service Recovery

Skill training Begins in General Orientation

Solve the problem first! Staff empowerment

Local ownership Readily available tools Be Creative!



Service Recovery

If you have a gift shop…..Minimal requirementsAny staffNo approval

How do you pay for it?Small Acts of Kindness Fund


Examples of Resources

Bubbles Books Comics Crosswords Construction Hats Clifford the Big Red

Dog Calling Cards Picnic Hampers Gift certificates Facilities

management

Local florist Gift Shop Cafeteria Food Allison, Tom, Frank Volunteers Critter program Cash Playing cards Stationary


True Confessions of a Service Organization

Service issues and associated recovery


“Did you HEAR?”

“We had a fire alarm this morning at 2 a.m. By the time we diagnosed

the problem and shut off the noisy alarms about 20 minutes had passed. I wonder how many patients were woken up?”


Our ApologiesIn the early morning hours of Friday, August 27th an

extended alarm may have interrupted your sleep. We

apologize for any inconvenience and wish you

a better night’s sleep this evening.



Vision and Goals Standards of Behavior Accountability Rewards and Recognition Service RecoveryProcess Improvement


Element 6: Process Improvement

Quick Fixes Flexibility: “Let’s

make it happen.” Staff-generated

“MyIdea” Ask, What if…?

Service Excellence Steering Committee


Accountability: Service Excellence Steering Committee

Single most influential system in place

Formed in 1998 with 12 members

2011: 46 members

Chaired by the CEO

Wednesday afternoon at 2:30pm


Committee Members

Nurse ManagersProgram DirectorsED AdministratorsDirector of SecurityStaff membersLaboratory managerFacilities DirectorPhysical Medicine

Hospitality ServicesCOO, CNO, CMO, CQOVP Human ResourcesPatient Finance Manager: AdmittingRadiology managersPhysicians


Steering Committee Agenda

Positive LettersReview of MinutesPatient Satisfaction Report ReviewFocused PresentationsOpen IssuesNew Business


Listening through survey


Vigilance: Listen to patients everyday

Monitor and track all comments

Relentless attention to data

Culture that supports being responsive to patient concerns


Listening through staff

Dedicated staff elicit real-time patient feedback

Teach all staff fundamentals of listening and acting to address concerns

Make it easy for feedback to “bubble up”


Service Excellence Steering Committee

“You can observe a lot just by watching.”

-Yogi Berra


Empowering Staff

Teach the basics

Mentor through Service issues

Let staff make the save

Tell, re-tell and celebrate the stories


Some of Our Challenges

Closure of OB Service at nearby hospital Immediate 40% increase in OB volume

Closure of 2 local hospitalsEmergency department volume

increases20,000 to 42,000 annual visits

10 year multi-phase construction project


Rebuilding from the “inside out”

Operations Improvement

Change in culture

Service Excellence preparation and sustainability


Greenwich Hospital: 2006

“Over the past 11 years we have managed to completely update our campus. We have changed every stone on this campus without ever interrupting patient care and done this during a period of unprecedented growth and patient satisfaction”.

Frank A. CorvinoPresident and CEO


Some results so far…


Strategic Dimensions

Patient Safety, Quality and Operations Improvement

Provider of ChoiceEmployer of ChoiceFinancial Performance


Employer of Choice

Turnover rate 11.0%

Vacancy rate 2.0%


Employer of Choice

Quality Award Program169 Employees nominated for special

recognitionService Awards

305 Employees recognized for service anniversaries of 5 to 45 years of service

Thank You NotesAverage of 500 given to staff annually


Employee Satisfaction

Successful employee incentive program

Dale Carnegie management training offered since 1999 with 200 graduates

Various clinical and manager training programs Management Academy Simulation Center


Hospital Growth

1998 2011Employees 1,026 1898Medical Staff 282 604Operating Revenue $105,185,000 $317,073,000Inpatient Admissions 8,203 13,479Newborns 1,375 1,948Emergency Room 20,996 42,885Ambulatory Procedures

6,520 11,265

Private Referrals 133,974 278,324Westchester Inpatient 15.7% 42.3%


Greenwich Hospital ResultsPatient Satisfaction

National Percentile Ranking (Press Ganey, Inc)


Press Ganey Summit Award

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010


Celebrate Successes!


Lessons Learned

Recognize first this is serious hard work Every single day Every single person

Set standards and drive accountability Relentless attention to detail

Observation Listening and acting upon feedback

Believe Data Anecdotal information

Enable Kindness, Keep it Simple, Engage and Measure!


“The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success.”

Irving BerlinIn an ever-changing, complex

healthcare environment!


Date post:	25-Feb-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	cybill
View:	43 times
Download:	5 times

Customer Service – The Roadmap to the Future of Healthcare

Documents