St. Tammany Parish Hospital - Covington, LA
"CARES: A Commitment to Exemplary Customer Service"
Nearly three years ago, St. Tammany Parish Hospital made a commitment to change its culture. Knowing that a direct link exists between happy employees and satisfied customers, the facility set out to achieve greatness by becoming the employer of choice and the preferred health care provider in the region.
Actionable Steps
The executive leadership took an active role in pushing the organization toward greatness. Their goals and vision were communicated to all employees with an emphasis on caring for the staff. A focus on creating a lasting foundation for providing superior customer service resulted in the CARES model. The model links services standards to behaviors for positive outcomes, and includes: Creating a positive first impression; Anticipating customer needs; Respecting patients, staff, and all customers; the Efficient delivery of service; and Safety first and foremost. The model facilitated stakeholder buy-in through clear articulation of the organization’s purpose, specifically St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s customers.
The initial rollout of CARES included intensive organization-wide training events to educate all employees on the model. To ensure continuous commitment, an annual CARES renewal pledge is made by all employees and new employees receive information on CARES during their formal orientation to the hospital.
To reinforce the CARES message, a reward and recognition program was developed that includes:
• Ambassador Club—recognizes four exemplary staff members each quarter. Recipients attend a reception in their honor, receive a $50.00 savings bond, a special pin, and an identification badge that recognizes them as an Ambassador of the organization.
• Caught in the Act—gives staff, patients, and visitors the ability to recognize employees for exceptional service. Caught in the Act nomination forms are located throughout the hospital and offsite locations to facilitate participation.
• Above and Beyond—provides managers and supervisors the ability to recognize staff who go the extra mile in assisting patients and fellow staff members. Staff can redeem their Above and Beyond cards for selected items in the gift shop or receive a free meal in the cafeteria.
Two senior vice presidents led the “Patient Experience Task Force,” which is composed of employees in direct contact with customers. The group has become a powerful voice in changing St. Tammany’s culture and raising the bar for customer service delivery. The Task Force has been able to show the Board of Commissioners that gains in Press Ganey scores met the identified goals.
Results
The commitment to employees that began in 2002 has proven to be the force that has driven sustained improvements in patient satisfaction. There have been demonstrable correlations between employee satisfaction and overall patient satisfaction. In addition, the hospital has demonstrated that other measures of success can be aligned to these efforts. The vacancy rate has decreased from 5.78% in 2003 (4Q) to 4.5% in 2004 (4Q). The increased number of applicants for vacant positions has allowed the hospital to select the right employees. Finally, the hospital’s financial performance has greatly improved from 2002 to 2004, yielding much higher margins. Thus, having a satisfied and engaged staff has been the key to St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s success.