Customer Service – The Roadmap to the Future of Healthcare

1. Customer Service – The Roadmap to the Future of Healthcare Frank A. Corvino President and CEO Greenwich Hospital Sustaining Excellence

2. Overview • The Case for Customer Service in Healthcare • One organization’s journey • Results Sustaining Excellence

3. 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 Sustaining Excellence

4. The Future of Healthcare Sustaining Excellence

5. Consumer Voice • Consumers spending a larger portion of discretionary income on healthcare • Healthcare consumers > “the patient” • Quality and safety to consumers of care Sustaining Excellence

6. 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 Sustaining Excellence

7. Implications of Unhappy Consumer: 2011 Sustaining Excellence

8. Eliciting Consumer Voice Sustaining Excellence

9. 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

10. Consumer Voice Sustaining Excellence

11. Consumer Voice Goes Public Sustaining Excellence

12. Transparency Sustaining Excellence

13. Satisfaction Improvements Sustaining Excellence

14. Attention to Improving Sustaining Excellence

15. 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 Sustaining Excellence

16. Our work began • Aging physical plant geared for inpatient care • Service issues not addressed and not aligned • Patient satisfaction “average” Sustaining Excellence

17. As we began Sustaining Excellence

18. Strategic Plan • Strategic Plan 1991 to 1993 • Business objectives • Managed care (reduced length of stay) • Outpatient versus inpatient focused • Expanded hospital service area • JCAHO survey • Re-accreditation issues related to plant infrastructure • Structural and Financial Review • More cost effective to build a new building than retrofit older building, less disruption to patients Sustaining Excellence

19. “The beginning is the most important part of the work” Plato • Assess current culture • Organizational priority • Set a strong foundation! Sustaining Excellence

20. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision & Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards & Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

21. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision & Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards & Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

22. Vision and Goals • Leader driven • Passionately communicated • Set the pace and expectations • Not a program or a fad • Always raising the bar Sustaining Excellence

23. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision and Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards and Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

24. Standards of Behavior Seven Standards of Service Excellence developed by Employees of the Year • Translation of values to action • Universal • Clear and uncompromising Sustaining Excellence

25. Service Standards Sustaining Excellence

26. 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. The Seven Standards Sustaining Excellence

27. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision and Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards and Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

28. Accountability to Service • Behavioral Standards set and communicated • Reflected as a majority percentage of every performance review Sustaining Excellence

29. Driving Accountability: Staff Meetings • Monthly Leadership Forum • Communicates information to leaders • Cascade through the organization • Driving communication through the organization • Staff meetings Sustaining Excellence

30. Accountability: Staff Meetings • What we saw: • Varied regularity • Inconsistent format • Agendas lacking • Some departments: best practice Sustaining Excellence

31. Staff Meeting Standard Agenda • Service Excellence Steering Committee • Facilitated work groups • Defined “requirements” for staff meetings • Leadership Forum • Introduction of work • Agreement Sustaining Excellence

32. 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. Sustaining Excellence

33. 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 Sustaining Excellence

34. 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. The Seven Standards Sustaining Excellence

35. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision and Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards and Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

36. Element 4: Rewards and Recognition • Quality Award • Kudos • Incentive Program • Service Recognition • Certificates of Appreciation • Length of Service Recognition Sustaining Excellence

37. Rewards and Recognition • Keep it simple and engage everyone • Quality Award Program • How to NOT be an “employee of the month” program • Nomination process • Event Sustaining Excellence

38. Power of Storytelling • Teaches and reinforces positive behaviors • Gives an engaging story to tell • Creates legends in your organization Sustaining Excellence

39. A Few Service Heroes Sustaining Excellence

40. Rewards and Recognition: Financial Incentive Program • Based upon targets: • Patient Satisfaction • Financial • Hospital contributes percent of salary to a 401(a) account for each employee • Weighted targets Sustaining Excellence

41. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision and Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards and Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

42. Element 5: Service Recovery • Skill training • Begins in General Orientation • Solve the problem first! • Staff empowerment • Local ownership • Readily available tools • Be Creative! Sustaining Excellence

43. Sustaining Excellence

44. Service Recovery • If you have a gift shop….. • Minimal requirements • Any staff • No approval • How do you pay for it? • Small Acts of Kindness Fund Sustaining Excellence

45. 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 Examples of Resources Sustaining Excellence

46. True Confessions of a Service Organization Service issues and associated recovery Sustaining Excellence

47. “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?” Sustaining Excellence

48. Our Apologies In 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. Sustaining Excellence

49. Six Elements of Service Excellence • Vision and Goals • Standards of Behavior • Accountability • Rewards and Recognition • Service Recovery • Process Improvement Sustaining Excellence

50. Element 6: Process Improvement Quick Fixes • Flexibility: “Let’s make it happen.” • Staff-generated • “MyIdea” • Ask, What if…? Service Excellence Steering Committee Sustaining Excellence