Prince William Hospital - Manassas, VA

Compass Award Winner: Outpatient Services Greater Than 75,000 Procedures

Prince William Hospital is committed to providing exceptional health care to those it serves. Besides providing exceptional clinical care, the commitment means striving to exceed the expectations of patients and their families. Press Ganey surveys are used to gauge success at achieving customer satisfaction. Taking to heart patient comments, outpatient services efforts were refocused.

Two of the biggest deficits were adequate parking and registration wait times. The parking problem was solved by increasing the number of parking spaces available for customers and by providing off-site parking with a shuttle service for employees. In addition, the free convenient valet parking service was heavily promoted.

To facilitate patient care and meet customer expectations regarding the registration process, standards were developed, including:

• A 15-minute or less wait.
• Acknowledging patients by name.
• Informing patients of the conclusion of the registration process.
• Asking if there is anything else the patient needs.

Point-of-service registration was instituted to reduce wait times. This was accomplished by streamlining the scheduling and pre-registration process.

Separately, departments that offer outpatient services took actions specific to patients’ needs. For example, Medical Imaging:

• Installed a blanket warmer for patient comfort.
• Renovated and expanded a reception room for the convenience of families.
• Provided complimentary beverages and snacks following procedures.
• Installed an ice machine for patient ice packs and beverages.

Further, Prince William Hospital encouraged its employees to take an active part in managing patient expectations. Standards were instituted and employees were provided scripting to guide them. The hospital also gave employees tools for managing service recovery.

Communication was critical to improving customer satisfaction so plasma screens were installed in high traffic areas to communicate meeting schedules and special programs to remind employees as well as inform patients and visitors. Hospital leadership started patient rounding to hear the voice of the customers.

Employee satisfaction was a priority of hospital leadership. A reward and recognition team was established to ensure that employees knew that the hospital valued their dedication and caring professionalism. The I CARE program (Integrity, Commitment, Accountability, Responsiveness, and Expertise) was started so that directors and managers could reward individuals for “going above and beyond.”

Improving customer satisfaction required the collaboration of multiple teams. Communication, collaboration, and empathy between departments was fostered. In short, Prince William Hospital succeeded because it listened to all of its customers—patients and visitors, employees, physicians, and volunteers.