Patient satisfaction? Impossible without provider/associate satisfaction
Bob Becker
Bob Becker Marketing & Communications, Medical Educational Resources & Bob Becker Music
Improving the patient 'Experience' and thereby enhancing patient satisfaction and ultimately improving a medical institution's HCAHPS, is simply not possible without improving our provider and associates satisfaction. It's a bi-directional process.
Barely coming out of the first COVID wave brought so many of our medical personnel to, or near, burnout. Yet despite increased digital record-keeping, financial cutbacks and staff shortages, our providers and associates were, and continue to be, heroic and amazing. But, continuing strain and strains continue.
As the initial pandemic began to ease, I contacted our health network's CEO/President and suggested a plan and methodology to address and enhance our providers well-being, and in turn, satisfaction. We titled it; The COVID-19 Diaries. Throughout our seven hospital network, we video interviewed Doctors, Nurses, Psychiatrists, PAs, Case Workers, Social Workers and even Environmental Workers. They offered their most intimate COVID experiences. These were stories about being present to way too many deaths, feelings of helplessness, sorrow, fear and uncertainty. There were equally as many stories shared about self-care, resilience, teamwork, support and gratitude.
We then edited and released scores of 1-3 minute stories, one a day, to our over 25,000 network employees. Quickly, enthusiastic responses came in thanking and telling our CEO how these little videos helped to 'normalize' what many were feeling and going through and provided measures of healing to many. Additionally, they expressed gratitude for being recognized, seen, heard and valued.
Now, more than one and a half years later, we're about to launch a second round of similar videos. We believe we're underscoring the value of our providers and associates and hopefully enhancing their 'experience' and their satisfaction.
If you subscribe to the notion that you can only give to others what you're receiving for yourself, then you can perhaps embrace the notion that offering provider/associate satisfaction, in turn, effectively provides patient satisfaction.
by Bob Becker, Medical Educational Resources founder