The DRIVE to Patient-Centered Excellence is SBH’s system-wide campaign to improve the patient experience. DRIVE represents the organization’s values, which are Diversity, Respect, Integrity, Vision, and Excellence. At SBH, we believe that every individual is a key part of the patient experience.

Patient experience goes beyond mere satisfaction. It encompasses clinical measures, safety,quality and the environment. It personalizes the patient’s care and strengthens the relationship between the hospital and the individual. In short, it is everything. Unlike other service industries such as retail and hospitality, however, healthcare can be more difficult to navigate for the layperson. This means that we need to take the extra step to make sure that our patients and their family members always know what is happening and why. If an issue does arise, keep the following words in mind: Listen, Apologize, Solve, and Thank. These words are what makes a service recovery effort a successful one.

Remember, it is up to us to set up the expectation for how the patient will feel about their experience. Throughout your medical residency training, communication and empathy will be just as important as your clinical skills. There will always be opportunities to improve and always more good that we can do for our patients.