“UConn: It Begins With You” – the Health Center’s ongoing customer service initiative – gained momentum last week as clinical and administrative leaders from throughout the Health Center participated in the first in a series of leadership development institutes.

The event included presentations by officials with the Studer™ Group, who shared insights about evidence-based practices to help hospitals and academic medical centers improve overall performance and increase patient satisfaction scores. In addition, Health Center leaders shared their thoughts and enthusiasm for this initiative.

“This is a new day for the UConn Health Center. Working together, as a team, our goal is to hardwire customer service principles among all clinical staff. I know the passion and enthusiasm for our future is already strong. This initiative will take us to the next level,” said Dr. Frank Torti, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the UConn School of Medicine.

“This is not just about our patient satisfaction scores, but how we treat each other and our patients,” added Dr. Mike Summerer, chief executive officer of John Dempsey Hospital.

Summerer noted that along with “UConn: It Begins With You,” the Health Center is also participating with the Connecticut Hospital Association in a collaborative, statewide initiative to eliminate all-cause preventable harm to patients using high-reliability science to create a culture of safety. The premise of this effort is that safety is a science, and ultra-high levels of safety can be achieved by employing high reliability principles. Hospitals that have enacted such principles have reduced serious adverse events and improved safety by 60 percent or more.

In an emotional moment, Dr. Denis Lafreniere, an ENT specialist and interim medical director of the UConn Medical Group, shared a story about a patient who stopped him during a busy clinic day, grabbed him by the arm and thanked him for giving her life back to her. She had a complex medical problem that he successfully treated.

“We want to turn every patient experience into what we would want for our family members,” Lafreniere told the audience. “And we want our staff to have the tools and permission to be excellent.”

The Journey Ahead

The Health Center’s engagement with Studer, which currently has more than 800 health care partners, is expected to last three years. Consultants will work with the Health Center to implement proven tactics to build accountability and improve the environment for excellent patient care services.

Of note, Studer group partners outperform national averages in patient satisfaction measures and the Studer Group, as an institution, is a recipient of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

“We will hold leadership development institutes every quarter. This is an opportunity for learning, leading and building teamwork for the journey ahead,” added Ann Marie Capo, associate vice president, clinical effectiveness and patient safety/chief quality officer, John Dempsey Hospital, who is leading the customer service initiative.

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