Those Troublesome HCAHPS Scores
The only way to ace the HCAHPS is to go beyond caring for patients and make them believe you really do care for them. This journey is just beginning, and it is likely to turn up some interesting strategies along the way—not to mention a good deal of grumbling about the inherent unfairness of being judged on soft skills rather than science and outcomes. One thing is certain, though: The role of the HCAHPS in the government’s value-based purchasing program has the attention of every hospital executive in America.
If you haven’t done so already, consider welcoming a new member to the C-suite, the chief patient experience officer, a term coined by Cleveland Clinic, which appointed the nation’s first CPEO. The lead story in this issue chronicles the luminary site’s path to turn around its scores, undertaken begrudgingly and paved with revelations. You also will hear how the then-new CEO of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, David Fox, lacking the budget to effect his will, put physicians at the center of a performance improvement initiative and earned a Malcolm Baldrige award for excellence. Finally, we offer a report from Dan Paoletti, CEO of the Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP), on what it takes to build a meaningful, statewide health information exchange.Cheryl Proval
Cheryl Proval,
Vice President, Executive Editor, Radiology Business
Cheryl began her career in journalism when Wite-Out was a relatively new technology. During the past 16 years, she has covered radiology and followed developments in healthcare policy. She holds a BA in History from the University of Delaware and likes nothing better than a good story, well told.