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 patient’s 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 patient’s 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 and St
St. Elizabeth Medical Center and St. Luke Hospitals WE 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. We work together and do our part to anticipate our customers’ needs
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 customer’s 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 “It’s not my job,” “I don’t know,” “I am not your nurse,” “We’re short staffed today,” or “I’ve 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 patient’s room as though you are visiting a family member or close friend. Knock before entering a patient’s 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 family’s 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 everyone’s 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:
CMS has proposed that HCAHPS performance be linked to a hospital’s 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 didn’t rate a hospital with most favorable rating possible
To indicate the hospital’s 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 ( )
Laura Tranter at St. Elizabeth ( )
Have a great day!