1. Create a Culture of Caring with Volunteers
MAHA Conference
Mackinac Island
June 10th, 2015
Carol Bridges, Director of Volunteer Services
Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital

2. Objectives Understand the current state of patient satisfaction
Describe a Culture of Caring model designed to reduce patient/family/visitor suffering
Discuss the key components of changing the role of a volunteer to become more patient/family/visitor focused

3. Press Ganey/HCAHPS Questions
Emergency (Press Ganey):
Courtesy with which family or friends were treated
Staff concern to let a family member or friend be with you while you were being treated
Degree to which staff cared about you as a person
Your confidence that staff provided care in a safe and secure manner
Likelihood of your recommending_________
In-Patient (HCAHPS)
Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family
Hospital staff took my preferences into account
Response to my concerns/complaints
Staff addressed my emotional needs

4. Value Based Purchasing Summary (Proposed FY17)

5. Purpose versus Function
What is the difference between your function and your purpose?
Gift Shop
Function is to correctly ring up purchases.
Purpose is to create a warm and friendly customer experience.
Information Desk/Greeter
Function is to look up room numbers for visitors.
Purpose is to create a welcoming experience to the guests entering the business.
What is your Personal Purpose Statement?

6. Purpose and Ownership
Welcome to my hospital: I am here to help you I am here to care for you I am here to meet your needs I am here to keep you safe I am here to listen to you

7. “Technical competence isn’t
optional; neither is kindness or genuine caring.”
~ Marcus Engel

8. In order to give individualized care and provide empathy and compassion we must acknowledge suffering of our patients and make the connection. Suffering includes the physical pain and loss that may accompany illness or treatment, as well as the fear, anxiety, confusion and frustration surrounding the patient experience.

9. Preventing Suffering Improve Teamwork Deliver Care with Courtesy
Be Helpful
Avoid Unnecessary Wait
Make Processes efficient/easy
Clean/Quiet Environment
Adequate Amenities
Appropriate Service Recovery

10. How Can WE Create a Culture of Caring?
Establish Relationships
With your Service/Customer Excellence Department
With your Patient Advocate
With your Chief Nursing Officer and Nurse Managers
Know
What your hospital’s patient satisfaction scores are
What initiatives are currently in place to improve them Do
Reassess all your volunteer job descriptions
Review how you train new volunteers
Revise your roles to meet the needs of the patients/visitors

12. See me as a person -Get to know one personal thing about the patient
Build relationship by listening and getting to know the patient
Respect patient/customer diversity and individuality
Share backstory with the entire care team (if a patient has shared something)
Acquire Cultural awareness
Discover the patient's fears and worries

13. Build trust, safety, security, & confidence
-Establish a consistent orientation process
-Put the patient at the center of your volunteer roles
Introduce yourself by name, years of experience
Continually “manage up” your hospital, the staff, the volunteers
Find out what resources are available

14. Partner with patient and staff to communicate in a timely manner
-Communicate updates and keep patient/family informed of delays
Regularly provide updates
Surgical Lounge
Emergency Department
Lobby
Do not wait for the patient/visitor to come to you
Be aware of their body language, sense frustration
Every Patient, Every Time!

15. Help with healing and recovery
-Create a menu of alternatives to offer patients
who may be suffering
Brainstorm various options to help alleviate suffering such as distractions (e.g. TV, music), personal/comfort items, massage, close doors, turn off lights, eye masks, calming scents.
Find out what you CAN offer.
Comfort Care volunteers?

16. Facilitate the patient’s transition to the next phase of their care
-Send patients and families off with the sense that all their needs were taken care of
Ensure that all of the patient and family questions/concerns were addressed
Make sure the patient/family has the right connections for compliments and concerns

17. Take joy and pride in providing care for patients
-Show empathy and ask yourself
“What if this was me or my family?”
Before each patient encounter, be prepared to be present with them by using STOP to re-center yourself:
Stop
Take a breath
Observe your thoughts/feeling/emotions
Proceed
Team/Staff has a backstory too; get to know each other and work as a team

18. Key Words at Key Moments
HOW GUESTS FORM IMPRESSIONS OF US
38%
55%
How we say it
How we look when we say it
(Inflection/Tone)
(Non Verbal/
Body Language) 7%
What we say (Vocal/Words) 18

19. Keys to Empathizing
Use “Caring” body language—you are the most important person right now
Match their volume then drop your volume
Use the person’s name more often
Forearm touch
Do more listening than talking
“That must have been [NAME EMOTION]”
If you don’t define the experience for the patient, they are going to define it themselves…leading to a gap

20. HEART – Service Recovery
Hear – the concern or complaint without interrupting.
Empathize - try to put yourself in their position and understand how they must feel, but do not tell your own story.
Apologize - Regardless of the situation or who is at fault, but do not “blame” staff, do not inflame the situation.
Respond - Reassure the guest you will get someone who can help. Know your resources.
Thank the Guest – “thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

21. How can volunteers work together to improve our patient experience?

22. “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer
“There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer. With it beats the spirit of service, generosity and compassion…and the health and well-being of our community, our country and our world.”
-Kobi Yamada