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
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
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
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
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
o Employee engagement
o Doctor buy-in
o Ultimately, patient loyalty
What do patients want?
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•
•
High quality clinical care
Ease of access
Follow through
Respect and courtesy
Affordability
What do our organizations often
look like?
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•
•
•
•
•
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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
Organizational Culture
Employee Engagement
Financial Returns
CULTURE
Patient Loyalty
Doctor
Engagement
Driving Employee Engagement
• Employee selection
• Effective and thorough training and
orientation
• Defined performance expectations
• Timely and meaningful feedback
• Organizational investment in ongoing
development
Rule # 1 – Put the Right People on
the Bus
“First who,
then what.”
Jim Collins,
“Good to Great”
The 12 Elements of Great Managing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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.
The 12 Elements of Great Managing
(Continued)
7.
8.
At work, my opinions seem to count.
The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel
my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to
doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to
me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn
and grow.
Source: “12: The Elements of Great
Managing”, 2006, Gallup Press
Cross Industry Best Practices
Hardwiring Excellence – Studer’s
Principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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
Patient Centered Care Scripts
•
•
•
•
•
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Begin with a greeting
Identify yourself
Listen
Ask a clarifying question
Always make an offer of assistance
Follow through
Roadmap
•
•
•
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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
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, thankyous)
 Start to hardwire key
behaviors
 Reward and recognize
 Introduce a new
accountability system
 Roll out behavior
standards
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
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”
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
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!
Assessing Your Staff
• Inspiring the High Performers
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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
Assessing Your Staff
• Developing the Middle Performers

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Reassure – Let them know they are valued
Support – Describe good qualities
Coach – Cover development opportunities
Support – Reaffirm good qualities
Assessing Your Staff
• Isolating Low Performers

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Describe what has been observed
Evaluate how you feel
Show what needs to be done
Define consequences of continued same
performance
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Questions | Comments
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
Laurie K. Baedke, FACHE, CMPE
President
LIFEworks Healthcare Group, Inc.
1150 Westridge Drive
Blair, NE 68008
402.680.3311
baedke@elifeworks.com
www.lauriebaedke.com/blog