Patient Experience: Improving Volunteer Retention and Patient Care Delivery Chris Perez Patient Experience Manager Carolinas HealthCare System Charlotte, NC Learning Objectives Be equipped to work collaboratively with their respective Patient Experience teammates to place volunteers in roles that meet the needs of the patients served. Be able to develop volunteer service descriptions that reflect the volunteer s role in the patient experience. Be equipped to improve volunteer retention by ensuring volunteers understand their role in the patient experience. Carolinas HealthCare System Central Division duplicate, forward or distribute. 1
We ve All Been There Before 2012-2014: Our Problem Only retaining 45% of volunteers for more than 6 months Of those, only 9% still volunteer Volunteers often given busywork Inconsistent management Patient Experience Manager took over as Volunteer Services Manager in 2014 Why Does This Happen? Boring Work Lack of Purpose No Buy-In duplicate, forward or distribute. 2
The Game Changer How Does the Patient Experience Fit in all this? Understand the patients needs Understand empathy Help you find the purpose in the work Understanding Patient Needs Patient & Family Rounding Utilizing Data Task vs Purpose duplicate, forward or distribute. 3
Patient & Family Rounding Real time feedback: It takes a long time to answer my call bell I don t know how to use this dumb TV How do I get more blankets for my mom? Begin to develop an idea of what s important Patient satisfaction surveys HCAHPS survey data Comment reports Priority Index Utilizing Data Priority Index duplicate, forward or distribute. 4
Understanding Empathy More on Empathy Put yourself in others' shoes Acknowledge their fear and suffering Connect with patients It's often what patients/families remember the most Why we do what we do What part do you play? "Make these admission packets" vs "This will help the patients by " Connect to Purpose duplicate, forward or distribute. 5
Why is Connecting to Purpose Important? "Millennials are, in essence, 'venture consumers,' They re not looking to fill a slot in a faceless company, any more than a good venture capitalist is looking to toss money at a faceless startup. They re looking strategically at opportunities to invest in a place where they can make a difference, preferably a place that itself makes a difference." Source: Forbes, What Millenials Want in the Workplace What We Did Next Worked with Patient Experience team to develop strategic volunteer roles based upon patient needs Explained how the volunteer fits into the Patient Experience Wove empathy into the fabric of volunteer orientation How Did it Work Out? Retained 60% of volunteers longer than 6 months Even with 1/3 of staffing Even with 2 new teammates learning the ropes Higher volunteer satisfaction and engagement Impact on overall Patient Experience duplicate, forward or distribute. 6
Let's Try it Out... Scenario #1: The Radiology department manager contacts you about a hallway closure in their area of the hospital. He is asking for volunteers to be stationed in front of the closed hall 5 days a week, 8 hours a day to re-direct foot traffic. What should you do first? (After rolling your eyes and sighing loudly) Let's Add a Little More... Scenario #1.5: The Patient Experience Coordinator tells you that she's rounded on several patients in that department and their biggest concern is feeling like they're left alone with few updates and not many check-ins by staff. What now? What do you tell a potential volunteer about this role? Ok, One More... Scenario #2: The Patient Experience Coordinator at your facility schedules a meeting with you and the Nurse Manager of the Neuroscience unit. In the meeting you learn that the biggest needs on the unit are surrounding staff responsiveness as well as overall care and comfort. You agree that assigning volunteers to help answer call bells and perform care and comfort rounds would be a great use of a volunteer s time. What do you say to the volunteers you re trying to recruit for this role? duplicate, forward or distribute. 7
Ask Yourself: Does this role/request truly meet the patients' needs? When I "sell" this role, does at come across a busywork or purposeful work? Do my volunteers meet others (patients, families, teammates) with empathy? In the End... It's a new day in healthcare: Patients value human connection and compassion They expect high quality health care A patient-centered volunteer program aligns itself perfectly with the rest of your facility/system (or at least it should) Stop wasting time and start finding purpose, start truly engaging your volunteers "I like to fit in places where I can and help when I can. It really makes me really happy to see that someone values my time and effort. Volunteering has positively changed my life and has transitioned from being a mere requirement into being rooted in my lifestyle. " Michelle Nguyen Neuro Telemetry Unit Volunteer Carolinas Medical Center duplicate, forward or distribute. 8
Presenter s info Chris Perez Carolinas HealthCare System Christopher.Perez@carolinashealthcare.org Thank you for your time! Please remember to complete your evaluations which can be left at your table. duplicate, forward or distribute. 9