1. Think Like a Patient: Creating a Culture of Exceptional Customer Service
Laurie K. Baedke, FACHE, CMPE
President
LIFEworks Healthcare Group, Inc.
Nebraska Optometric Association Fall Convention 2011
September 23, 2011

2. Learning Objectives
Understand the anatomy of patient centered experiences
Recommend strategies for employee selection, recognition and retention that foster a culture of patient focused service
Learn best practices, ideas, and techniques from successful patient focused organizations
Unleash the power of employee and patient loyalty

3. Patient Centered Care
Patient-Centered Care is defined as “health care that establishes a partnership among practitioners, patients and their families (when appropriate) to ensure that patients have the education and support they need to make decisions and participate in their own care.”
National Health Quality Report 2004

4. Practical Patient Centered Care
Patients have a good place where they can receive quality care
Employees have a good place to work
Doctors have a good place to practice optometry

5. Consumer Driven Healthcare
Transparency and technology are effecting the healthcare market
Consumerism and availability of data
Expectations for service and quality
The internet is a force multiplier
Patient Centered Care is a process of:
Targeted clinical process improvement
Systematic organizational culture development
Employee engagement
Doctor buy-in
Ultimately, patient loyalty

6. What do patients want? High quality clinical care Ease of access
Follow through
Respect and courtesy
Affordability

7. What do our organizations often look like?
Overworked and overwhelmed
Rude and unfriendly
Silo approach to work
Leadership turnover
Low skill level in staff
Culture of “it’s not my job” and finger-pointing
Reluctance to change
Lack of accountability
No follow through

8. Organizational Culture
Employee Engagement
Financial Returns CULTURE Doctor Engagement
Patient Loyalty

9. Driving Employee Engagement
Employee selection
Effective and thorough training and orientation
Defined performance expectations
Timely and meaningful feedback
Organizational investment in ongoing development

10. Rule # 1 – Put the Right People on the Bus
“First who,
then what.”
Jim Collins,
“Good to Great”

11. The 12 Elements of Great Managing
I know what it expected of me at work.
I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
There is someone at work who encourages my development.

12. The 12 Elements of Great Managing (Continued)
At work, my opinions seem to count.
The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
I have a best friend at work.
In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Source: “12: The Elements of Great Managing”, 2006, Gallup Press

13. Cross Industry Best Practices

14. Hardwiring Excellence – Studer’s Principles
Commit to Excellence
Measure the Important Things
Build a Culture Around Service
Create and Develop Leaders
Focus on Employee Satisfaction
Build Individual Accountability
Align Behaviors with Goals and Values
Communicate at All Levels
Recognize and Reward Success
Source: “Hardwiring Excellence”, 2003, Fire Starter Press

15. Patient Centered Care Scripts
Begin with a greeting
Identify yourself
Listen
Ask a clarifying question
Always make an offer of assistance
Follow through

16. Roadmap Define the vision Design the structure for the change process
Align culture and vision
Identify processes, policies, operating standards, and performance metrics
Measure progress
Celebrate wins
Continue to evolve as the organization changes

17. The 5 Phases of Organizational Change Phase 1 – The Honeymoon
What to Expect
Sense of excitement
Right “to do” list
“Things will get better”
Hope reigns
Easy, quick fixes are implemented
Key Action Steps
Build the emotional bank account (rounding, thank-yous)
Start to hardwire key behaviors
Reward and recognize
Introduce a new accountability system
Roll out behavior standards

18. The 5 Phases of Organizational Change Phase 2 – Reality Sets In
What to Expect
We | They
Inconsistency
Bigger than I thought
This will impact me
Some are getting it. Some are not.
Key Action Steps
Evaluate and focus training
Increase substance of communication to staff
Continue to implement hardwiring

19. The 5 Phases of Organizational Change Phase 3 – The Uncomfortable Gap
What to Expect
The Wall Appears (more employees are really getting it – some obviously are not and it becomes intolerable)
Tougher decisions must be made
Process improvement increases
Need for standardization becomes evident
Inconsistencies become more obvious
Key Action Steps
Evaluate and focus training
Continue to re-rerecruit high performers
Increase substance of communication to staff
Finalize hardwiring
Promote | recognize your winners
Ensure that the “right people” are in the “right places”

20. The 5 Phases of Organizational Change Phase 4 - Consistency
What to Expect
Organization-wide high performing results
Right leaders are in place
Everyone understands the keys to success
Disciplined people and disciplined processes
Proactive leadership
Key Action Steps
Push for innovation
Standardize and repeat key behaviors

21. The 5 Phases of Organizational Change Phase 5 – Leading the Way - Results
What to Expect
Employees have purpose
Patients choose your practice over others
Doctors and employees want to work at your clinic
We are changing eye care for the better
What seemed to have been impossible is being achieved
Key Action Steps
Keep it up!

22. Assessing Your Staff Inspiring the High Performers
Tell them where the organization is going
Thank them for their good work
Outline why they are so important
Ask is there anything you can do for them

23. Assessing Your Staff Developing the Middle Performers
Reassure – Let them know they are valued
Support – Describe good qualities
Coach – Cover development opportunities
Support – Reaffirm good qualities

24. Assessing Your Staff Isolating Low Performers
Describe what has been observed
Evaluate how you feel
Show what needs to be done
Define consequences of continued same performance

25. Lessons Learned
True transformation takes time. You cannot skip steps to get there!
Behavior change requires training, reinforcement, and reward | recognition.
Training must be uniform and consistent. Turnover and drifting off course will occur if you train once and expect people to get it.

26. Lessons Learned
Key leadership, including doctors, must be on board for the transformation process to occur in good time. It can occur without them, but it takes a lot longer and is more at risk.
Your message must be multi-generational. What has meaning to the middle aged employee may have no meaning whatsoever to the millenium employee.

27. Lessons Learned
Compare all new “initiatives” to your core mission and values. If they don’t further your mission or connect to your values, don’t do them!
Connect the dots for doctors and employees by coming back to the heart of who you are and what you stand for with new programs. Patient centered care should be at the core of all you do.

28. Lessons Learned
Devote resources to communication, rewards, and recognition. If these things happen as an afterthought, you will slow or even endanger the change process.
Continuity is paramount. If you have the right people on the bus, work hard to keep them there. When new employees join your organization, have a planned approach to their orientation to patient centered care.

29. Lessons Learned
Patient centered care connects to the deepest aspirations people have for working in healthcare. Capitalize on this and don’t lose sight of it. It can be your best source of energy and creativity, and motivation becomes easier.
Explain “what’s in it for me” to doctors. Identify how patient centered care benefits them and their patients. Find a doctor leader to champion the process, who is credible and influential, and reward them for their time and effort.

30. Questions | Comments

31. Bibliography
“Hardwiring Excellence”, Quint Studer, 2003, Fire Starter Publishing
“12: The Elements of Great Managing”, Rodd Wagner & James Harter, 2006, Gallup Press
“If Disney Ran Your Hospital”, Fred Lee, 2004, Second River Healthcare Press
“Strengths Based Leadership”, Tom Rath & Barry Conchie, 2008, Gallup Press
“Good to Great”, Jim Collins, 2001, HarperCollins
“Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success”, Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg, 1997, Broadway Books

32. Laurie K. Baedke, FACHE, CMPE President LIFEworks Healthcare Group, Inc Westridge Drive Blair, NE