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FEATURE


safety and quality principles are fol- lowed, this attitude eventually catches on like fire and becomes something we all work on together as a team.” This team mentality


is essential,


Comerford says, which is why ASCs must make sure all staff members buy into the importance of the culture. “If somebody on the team is a ‘bad egg’ or toxic employee, action should be taken to address this quickly. ASCs do not want to have someone on staff who does not represent them well to all patients.” ASCs should stress the importance


of a patient-centric culture from the moment staff begin to work at the facil- ity, she says. “Culture is a part of the training our staff receive. The training addresses cultural sensitivity and also emphasizes that patients are customers and should never be taken for granted.” To determine how successful your


organization is in its efforts to deliver patient-centric care, Higman says, your ASC needs to assess whether the patient is always front of mind when making decisions. “Put yourself in a patient’s shoes and walk through the whole patient-facing process—the whole care continuum. That starts from initial referral in the physician’s office, even before the patient is scheduled for sur- gery, and then all the way through the billing component on the back end. Ask yourself throughout the process whether how you perform tasks is the friendliest way possible. I guarantee you will find opportunities for improvement.” A patient’s satisfaction with a care


experience is heavily dependent upon the staff members’ satisfaction with their work, Comerford says. “When people are happy in their workplace, it trans- lates to the patients. ASCs need to treat their employees fairly, which includes an appropriate wage and benefits package. It also includes seemingly small but sig- nificant gestures, such as granting time off for family responsibilities and saying thank you for doing a good job.”


There has been a lot of research into how to make culture stick. It is not easy and does not happen quickly, but the journey is worthwhile.”


—Adam Higman, Soyring Consulting


Patient-centric care should address more than just patient needs, Higman says. “Make sure you are thinking of the support network around these indi- viduals—their families and friends. Make sure you have discussions and good communication mechanisms with members of the support network before and after surgery.”


Maintain Ongoing Efforts One of the many tactics Braden’s ASC uses to keep patient safety front and center for its staff and patients is put- ting educational information on safety, hand hygiene and infection control in its staff, physician and patient bath- rooms. “They are great places to have a captive audience,” Braden says. “We publish safety information on our web site, and in our lobby, and make sure patients understand the importance of taking their satisfaction survey, which we use to drive practice decisions.” Higman advises ASCs to find ways to ensure there are ongoing discus- sions among staff members about patient-centric care. “Ways to do so can include forming a committee that focuses solely on patient-centered care, establishing metrics to rate per- formance in this area and using differ-


ent mechanisms to track your perfor- mance. These are systems you can put in place to make sure efforts concern- ing culture stay consistently on your radar and are not treated as ‘check- box’ items.”


Comerford says that she has seen


many ASCs build patient satisfaction levels by using inventive ways to create a stronger connection between the staff and patients. “Some centers provide a card to patients at the end of their pro- cedure that identifies and includes pic- tures of the nurses who have provided care during their stay. This gives the patient a way to personally acknowl- edge caregivers who made their expe- rience a positive one. I think this is a really awesome tool that allows patients to recognize staff, which the staff certainly appreciate.”


The focus on patient-centric care is not going away, and that is good, Higman says. “Talking about culture may seem like a bit of a soft topic, but there is a reason why there is greater attention being paid to it in the ASC industry. It is really important if you are going to have success in attracting patients and continuing to get referrals for your facility.”


ASC FOCUS FEBRUARY 2017 19


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