Achieving And Sustaining Excellence In The Healthcare Industry Keys Of Success... Lessons Learned From Industry Leaders

Athens Regional Medical Center A Leadership Committed To Excellence SatisQuest leader for 5 consecutive years: Overall quality Overall quality Willingness of a patient to return Willingness of a patient to return Willingness to recommend to a friend Willingness to recommend to a friend

Why Is Excellence More Important Than Ever? Satisfied Patients Are: More likely to return to a hospital or physician More likely to return to a hospital or physician More likely to improve the quality of the work experience for all providers reducing staff turnover, burnout, and disgruntled employees More likely to improve the quality of the work experience for all providers reducing staff turnover, burnout, and disgruntled employees Less likely to to dis-enroll from health plans Less likely to to dis-enroll from health plans Less likely to bring malpractice against the hospital or their physician Less likely to bring malpractice against the hospital or their physician

If you are successful at applying methods of achieving greatness, but then stop doing them: You will slide backwards, from great to good or worse You will slide backwards, from great to good or worse The only way to remain great is to keep applying principles that make you great! The only way to remain great is to keep applying principles that make you great! There is no SINGLE DEFINING ACTION! No grand program, no killer innovation No grand program, no killer innovation No solitary lucky break No solitary lucky break No great revelation No great revelation Attitude – Culture - Commitment

Attributes Of Excellence People People How well they meet the need of their employees How well they meet the need of their employees Service Service How well they meet the needs of their customers How well they meet the needs of their customers Quality Quality How well they deliver care How well they deliver care Growth (balanced) Growth (balanced) How well they increase in selected areas How well they increase in selected areas Finance Finance How well they generate money How well they generate money Community Community How well they meet the needs of the communities they serve How well they meet the needs of the communities they serve

Excellence In Service, People, And Quality Leads to growth Leads to growth Leads to financial viability Leads to financial viability Leads to better quality of life in the community Leads to better quality of life in the community

“The good always want to get better” -- From Good To Great Jim Collins “Always proud, never satisfied” --Gary Phelps, COO, ARMC “A commitment to excellence is made by choice” --Randy Sauls, COO, SGMC

The People Attribute: More Important Than Ever In Current Study: Hospitals with the lowest patient satisfaction had the lowest employee satisfaction Hospitals with the lowest patient satisfaction had the lowest employee satisfaction Likewise those with highest employee satisfaction had highest patient satisfaction Likewise those with highest employee satisfaction had highest patient satisfaction If employee satisfaction is at the heart of the issue, nursing is the “blood that runs through the veins”

Hiring The Right People “Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets or technology…it is one thing above all others, the ability to get and keep enough of the “right people”. Jim Collins, From Good To Great Hiring the right people…be rigorous. When in doubt, don’t hire. Keep looking.

Components Of Service Excellence Process Physical Environment People People – How customers are treated Process – The input-task-output sequence Physical Environment – Does the building, equipment, temperature and sound create a positive image?

Internal Service Quality - People Good, competent people Good, competent people Right pay and benefits Right pay and benefits Training to sustain/gain skills Training to sustain/gain skills Tools and equipment to excel Tools and equipment to excel Feedback and recognition Feedback and recognition

Sustaining Is More Difficult Than Achieving! It is important to put the “care” back in healthcare! "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." Sir Winston Churchill

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” --Aristotle

~ SGMC Customer Service Absolutes ~

“With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.” Thomas E. Buxton

Commitment And Inpatient SatisQuest Improvement Each unit manager held responsible for developing a plan for their unit Each unit manager held responsible for developing a plan for their unit Meet with CustomerCare Team and review past 2 quarters of SatisQuest data and verbatims Meet with CustomerCare Team and review past 2 quarters of SatisQuest data and verbatims Develop a plan for improving unit SatisQuest scores Develop a plan for improving unit SatisQuest scores Utilize hospital developed customer service tools to train staff and develop plan Utilize hospital developed customer service tools to train staff and develop plan Monitor next 2 quarter SatisQuest scores with CCT Monitor next 2 quarter SatisQuest scores with CCT

What Is SGMC Trying To Achieve? It’s our Vision, our Mission, our Values All the time It’s Consistent Excellence It’s doing the right thing for our patients!