Ideas That Work: Sum of Multiple Parts

Practical pearls from your colleagues. Emory Ambulatory Surgery Center at Spivey Station satisfies patients with a bevy of little extras.

Virtually every surgery center’s patient satisfaction scores take a dip or miss the target from time to time. What matters is how centers respond.

For Emory Ambulatory Surgery Center at Spivey Station in Jonesboro, Ga., the response not only lifted slightly off-target scores, but it also earned the center an Honorable Mention spot in the 2024 OR Excellence Awards in the Patient Satisfaction and Experience Category.

There wasn’t a single narrow initiative Emory employed that changed the tide. Rather, it responded with a barrage of patient-satisfying extras that hit the mark.

“To boost patient satisfaction scores, several strategies were adopted, starting with the distribution of Thank You cards by Front Desk Administrator Ann Dorsey and the regular posting and review of patient survey results by myself and Shift Nurse Manager Jana Yates, MSN, RN,” says Persila A. Bencomo, MSN-NI, RN, clinical nurse manager. “Additional measures included staff recognition through e-recognition points, patient comfort amenities (coffee, food delivery and blankets if they get cold), pre-op and follow-up calls by nurses, and direct engagement with patients to address any issues.” Whether it’s the PACU nurses’ check-up callbacks the day after surgery or the detailed explanation nurses offer patients about what to expect immediately following the pre-op handoff, it was the sum of these extra steps that proved much greater than any one patient-satisfier on its own.

Ms. Bencomo says the effort to improve patient satisfaction scores also led to enhanced patient engagement and communication, which in turn fostered stronger patient-staff relationships and improved trust and cooperation. It also led to several indirect benefits. “Staff morale has increased significantly,” she says. “Recognition and positive feedback served as strong motivators and boosted overall job satisfaction.” OSM