We make patients, family members, and guests feel welcome and at home in our hospital and facilities.

1
Welcome
Environmentally Mindful
We make patients, family members, and guests feel
welcome and at home in our hospital and
facilities.
We work together to maintain a clean, peaceful
environment that promotes rest and healing.
Communication
Anticipate Needs
Respect
Evaluate Patient Needs Before Leaving
We communicate clearly and regularly with our
patients and family members so that they are kept
informed and know what to expect.
We work together and do our part to anticipate
our customers needs, and to ensure that those
needs are met.
We treat our customers and fellow employees how
we expect to be treated, and we treat every
patient as if they were a family member.
Before ending a patient or family encounter, we
evaluate whether the patient or family needs
anything else.
2
Customer Service Goal

• To be a national leader in customer service by
  scoring
• in the top 10th percentile in all HCAHPS areas,
  as well
• as in other national patient satisfaction
  databases.
• We will achieve our goal through the efforts and
  dedication
• of associates who are passionate about delivering
• exceptional customer service and exceeding the
• expectations of our customers.

3
Many Benefits of Customer Service

• Our customers and associates both benefit when we
  provide
• exceptional care and service to our patients and
  families.
• It is rewarding to know that you have helped
  someone
• during an important and often difficult time in
  their life.
• It is gratifying to know that your efforts
  directly impact a patients comfort and healing
  process.
• Satisfied customers are loyal customers. This
  enhances our financial performance and positively
  impacts Gainsharing.

4
Working Together to Improve the Patient and
Family Experience

• Research shows that both what we say to patients
  and families and how we say it are critical to
  how our patients feel about their experience
  while in our care.
• In addition, good communication can decrease
  patient and family anxiety, improve safety and
  even improve the patients response to treatment.
• Every patient and family encounter, with every
  associate, needs to be a caring and helpful
  encounter.

5
Your Part in Improving the Patient and Family
Experience

• Caring words and phrases can be used to decrease
  patient and family anxiety and to help our
  patients and families have a positive experience
  and better outcomes.
• Certain behaviors can communicate to patients and
  families that WE CARE.
• These caring words, phrases and behaviors are
  found in our new WE CARE Customer Service
  Standards.

6
St. Elizabeth Medical Center andSt. Luke
HospitalsWE CARE Customer Service Standards

WE CARE Welcome Environmentally
Mindful Communication Anticipate
Needs Respect Evaluate Patient Needs Before
Leaving
7
WELCOME
We make patients, family members and guests feel
welcome and at home in our hospital and
facilities.

• In public and patient care areas, acknowledge
  patients, family members, and guests by greeting
  them warmly, making eye contact, and smiling.
• When introducing yourself, provide your name and
  title or role. Also, ask the patient for their
  name and use their name during the conversation
  to make it more personal.
• As appropriate, introduce other team members and
  mention their roles and titles in a positive
  manner.
• Be approachable and treat every person as if they
  are the most important person within the facility.

8
ENVIRONMENTALLY MINDFUL
We work together to maintain a clean, peaceful
environment that promotes rest and healing.

• Make personal calls and have personal
  conversations in nonpublic areas and out of
  earshot of patients and visitors.
• Prevent unnecessary noise and speak quietly in
  patient care areas, especially during evening and
  nighttime hours.
• Help maintain a clean and orderly environment for
  patients and employees by picking up after
  ourselves, picking up trash, and informing
  housekeeping if an area needs a special cleaning.
• Reduce clutter within patient rooms and waiting
  areas when possible.

9
COMMUNICATION
We communicate clearly and regularly with our
patients and family members so that they are kept
informed and know what to expect.

• Describe timeframe of when tests, procedures, or
  future events will occur. Provide test results
• in a timely manner.
• Encourage questions by asking, What questions do
  you have about the information I just shared?
• Explain use of hospital-issued cell phones and
  how patients/family can contact you, if needed.
• Respond to, reassure, and update patients/family
  promptly and frequently, especially if there is a
  wait time. If someone did have to wait
  acknowledge that by saying, I am sorry you had
  to wait.
• Update whiteboards to reflect current information.

10
ANTICIPATE NEEDS
We work together and do our part to anticipate
our customers needs and to ensure that those
needs are met.

• Anticipate customer needs and requests in a
  proactive manner.
• Take ownership of the customers needs by
  following up yourself on their requests or
  seeking assistance if you cannot help directly.
  If you cannot help the patient or family member
  directly, respond by saying let me find someone
  who can help you with that.
• Avoid saying to the customer Its not my job,
  I dont know, I am not your nurse, Were
  short staffed today, or Ive never done that
  before.
• Be dependable and respond quickly to requests and
  needs.
• Take responsibility for your behavior,
  professionalism and the way associates and
  patients may perceive you.

11
RESPECT
We treat our customers and fellow employees how
we expect to be treated, and we treat every
patient as if they are a family member.

• Enter the patients room as though you are
  visiting a family member or close friend. Knock
  before entering a patients room or area.
• Allow patients and visitors to enter and exit
  elevators and doorways first and hold doors open
  for them if possible.
• Acknowledge every employee as a valued team
  member cooperation is expected. Avoid blaming or
  speaking negatively about any person, department,
  or staff in front of patients.
• Escort patients and visitors to their
  destination, rather than pointing, whenever you
  are not in an emergency situation or with a
  patient.

12
EVALUATE PATIENT NEEDS BEFORE LEAVING
Before ending a patient or family encounter, we
evaluate whether the patient or family member
needs anything else.

• Before leaving a patient, make sure items the
  patient needs are within reach (i.e. blanket,
  pillow, bedside table, call light, etc.)
• Before ending a patient or family encounter, ask
  Is there anything else I can do for you?
  Actively listen to their response and follow-up
  if needed.
• If the patient or familys need is beyond what
  you can provide, find someone who can assist the
  patient or family member.
• When ending a patient or family encounter, thank
  them and try to use their name when saying
  goodbye.

13
WE CARE Customer Service Standards

• The WE CARE Customer Service Standards are
  everyones responsibility.
• All associates should work together to ensure
  that every patient and family encounter is a
  caring encounter.
• In 2009, the WE CARE Customer Service Standards
  will be part of all associates annual
  performance appraisals in Success Factors.

14
HCAHPS
Introducing the era of publicly reported patient
satisfaction, or patient experience, data

15
HCAHPS Hospital Consumer Assessment of
Healthcare Providers and Systems

• HCAHPS is the first national, hospital-based
  Inpatient satisfaction survey.
• HCAHPS is sponsored by the Centers for Medicare
  Medicaid Services (CMS) and was created by the
  Agency for Healthcare Research Quality (AHRQ).
• HCAHPS is currently for Inpatients only, but
  other hospital areas may be included in the
  future.

16
The HCAHPS Survey Process

• The HCAHPS inpatient survey contains 27
  questions and covers the following topics through
  a telephone survey process (St. Elizabeth) or a
  mail survey process (St. Luke)
• Nurse Communication
• Doctor Communication
• Responsiveness of Hospital Staff
• Pain Management
• Communication About New Medicines
• Discharge Information
• Quietness Around Room at Night
• Room Bathroom Kept Clean During Stay
• Overall Rating of Hospital
• Willingness to Recommend Hospital
• In addition to the HCAHPS survey, we also survey
  patients from other areas such as the Emergency
  Department and Outpatient departments.

17
Why Is HCAHPS Important?

• The HCAHPS survey focuses on what is important to
  patients, as confirmed by research.
• HCAHPS is an opportunity to learn about the
  experiences of our patients, and use that
  feedback to improve our care services.
• In spring, 2009 it will be mandatory that all
  hospitals publicly report their HCAHPS results on
  a website for all to see www.hospitalcompare.hhs.
  gov.
• CMS has proposed that HCAHPS performance be
  linked to a hospitals Medicare reimbursement.

18
HCAHPS Guidelines

• Hospitals and their employees are not allowed
• To attempt to influence or encourage patients to
  answer HCAHPS questions a particular way
• To ask patients to explain why they didnt rate a
  hospital with most favorable rating possible
• To indicate the hospitals goal is for all
  patients to give the hospital the Always or
  other top response
• If CMS discovers a hospital is doing this, then
  sanctions may be applied.

19
Thank you for your efforts and your commitment to
our patients, families, visitors and guests!

• If you have any questions or suggestions, please
  speak with your manager or contact
• Karen Bell at St. Luke (572-2256)
• Laura Tranter at St. Elizabeth (301-5548)
• customerservice_at_stelizabeth.com
• Have a great day!