Vicki LoPachin, MD, fourth from left, presented the Patient Experience trophy to leaders from Mount Sinai Queens. From left, Brijen Shah, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Medical Affairs; Caryn A. Schwab; Jill Goldstein, RN, MS, MA, Vice President, Nursing; and Judy Trilivas, RN, MA, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Ask physicians and staff at Mount Sinai Queens (MSQ), what is meant by the “Mount Sinai Queens Way,” a core set of values and behaviors that was created by the staff, and you are likely to hear the words “kind-hearted,” “courteous,” and “teamwork.” These values guide the way employees treat each other and engage with their patients, says Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens, a hospital with approximately 1,450 employees, which is located in Astoria. “We place a very high value on coming to work each day wanting to do a great job,” Ms. Schwab adds. “We have a shared commitment to making our hospital a better place.”
On Tuesday, February 27, physicians and staff at MSQ took a few minutes out of their busy schedules to celebrate their strong culture, when Vicki LoPachin, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai Health System, presented Ms. Schwab and Mount Sinai Queens with a trophy for their “Outstanding Commitment to Patient Experience.”
The trophy was given to MSQ for its 100 percent response rate to the Patient Experience Survey, which was launched throughout the Health System in December, under the leadership of Dr. LoPachin. The survey—rolled out at the Health System’s seven hospitals, Mount Sinai Union Square and Chelsea, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice, off-site practices, corporate services, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai—gathered valuable insight into how Mount Sinai can ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate care to its patients at all times. The survey was the beginning of a patient experience improvement process that will enable the Mount Sinai Health System to create the best environment for patients to receive care.
Eighteen thousand Mount Sinai employees took the survey. Employees at MSQ—the location with the most stellar response rate—showed a strong understanding of how their roles contribute to the patient experience, can improve the patient experience, and foster the teamwork needed to help patients even when it is not part of their job.
Staff at Mount Sinai Queens gathered around their trophy.
“Everybody who works at Mount Sinai Queens has an impact on the patient experience,” says Ms. Schwab. “If you work in billing, for example, it means sending the right bill. If you’re in the pharmacy, it means getting the correct medications to the hospital floor in a timely manner. Improvement is a continuous process. Many of us have relatives who have been cared for at Mount Sinai and can speak in a personal way about their experiences. We, as leaders, want to see those positive experiences extended to every patient, every day, every time.”
Communicating the values of safety and quality in patient care, and treating patients the way employees themselves would like to be treated, is an ongoing process at MSQ. When senior leaders conduct hospital rounds, they ask about the procedures that are running smoothly and discuss how to fix the barriers to success. Town Hall meetings—held every three months—are among the methods used for communicating the hospital’s shared values. MSQ employees open each Town Hall with a patient story or a scenario that encourages empathy and compassion by putting themselves in the place of a patient.
“Every employee is important and connected to caregiving,” says Judy Trilivas, RN, MA, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai Queens. If an employee notices a patient in need, he or she is encouraged to respond—even if it is simply to help summon the patient’s nurse. “It may be something as simple as bringing a patient a box of tissues or moving a patient’s tray closer to his or her bed,” she adds. “When employees are engaged, it drives patient safety and quality.”
Ms. Schwab says, “We were thrilled with the results of the survey.” Yet, she acknowledges, “We’re on this journey, and we still have a long way to go. We work hard to be consistent in what we say and do. We strive to model behaviors and provide structure. Communication is key.”