Deborah J. Urbank, LNHA ElderWood Health Care at Lakewood Hamburg, NY

1. NYS Empire Quality Partnership“Improving Customer Service Programs through Utilization of Customer Satisfaction Tools” Deborah J. Urbank, LNHA ElderWood Health Care at Lakewood Hamburg, NY

2. ElderWood Health Care at Lakewood • 166 bed facility • Western New York suburban location just south of Buffalo • Opened in 1985 • Offer skilled nursing and subacute rehabilitation

3. Initial Phases of Survey Process • Initially used a homegrown product • Met with barriers • Limited benchmarking • Did not ensure anonymity for customers • No correlation to overall satisfaction • Study of data was cumbersome

4. Enhanced survey tools • Began using a national vendor in 2005 • Long term care residents and families • Annually • Short term care residents • Upon discharge • Employees • Annually

5. Advantages of new process • National, state, and corporate benchmarks • Ensures reliability and anonymity of data • Correlation between individual survey criteria and “overall satisfaction” and “recommendation to others” • Priority Action Agenda • Individual customer groups • Ability to focus on differing customer needs

6. Data Processing • Data brought to Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (CQI) • Interdisciplinary team with all facility departments represented • Priority Action Agenda items reviewed • Entire CQI team brainstorms • Action Plans determined • Action Plan Team Leaders assigned

7. Action Plan Progression • Action Plan Team Leader takes responsibility for… • Recruiting supporting team members – management or frontline • Developing plan using process improvement method - i.e. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) • Reporting progress to CQI Committee

8. Process Improvement Method (PDSA) • Plan is developed – • Root cause analysis used to decide on course of action. (Why? Why? Why?) • DO - Carry out the plan. • Study – how well did the plan work? • If desired results achieved – proceed to Act • If not – go back to plan and start over • Act – Incorporate successful plan into processes

9. Barriers Met and Resolved • Obtaining sufficient data • Recently began considering long term care resident and family congruently for reliable response data • Customer comments used to further investigate criteria responses • Process revised to ensure every short term care resident receives survey prior to discharge • Raffle giveaways to encourage employee response

10. Impact of Customer Service Surveys • Survey results are linked to improved customer service • Survey results are obtained • Processes are developed based on results • Processes incorporated into systems • Systems produce desired results

11. The rest of the story…. • Formal survey results are used to develop systems to please our customers but… • Informal day to day listening has been equally important • Strive to keep abreast of changing customer needs

12. Role of Staff in Customer Service • Core value based staff training has been an integral factor • Happy, contented staff produce satisfied customers • Staff are empowered to listen and respond to customer needs and desires

13. Customer Service Programs • Family Forum • Family Orientation • Customer Relationship Management Program • ElderBridge • Unit Liaison • Make A Wish • Pass It Forward

14. Results: Long-term careFamily/Resident Recommendation to Others

15. Results: Long-term care Family/Resident Overall Satisfaction

16. Results: Short-term care Recommendation to Others

17. Results: Short-term care Overall Satisfaction

18. Next steps • Continue with current process which includes using the national vendor • Incorporate specific questions focused on person-centered care • Use survey results to direct culture change initiative