A hospital-wide customer service initiative began last month at Texas County Memorial
Hospital, board members heard at their monthly meeting last week.
Following the previous month’s board meeting, 11department managers formed the
‘Customer Quality Team’, reported Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH.
Murray explained that TCMH staff has always prided themselves on providing
“excellent, personalized care.”
“With the addition of formalized patient satisfaction surveys, we are educating our
employees and our patients,” Murray said. “We can always improve our customer
service.”
Currently, TCMH contracts with Press Ganey, an international company that provides
satisfaction benchmarking for healthcare providers. Forty-five percent of all hospitals
with 55 or more beds in the U.S. contract with Press Ganey to do patient satisfaction
surveys. In 2007, one in 11 U.S. households received a Press Ganey survey.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal healthcare organization,
requires inpatient surveys to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
“In the future, we may see our reimbursement rates tied to survey results,” Murray said.
The 11-member team at TCMH composed an in-service about customer service, and all
employees were asked to attend one of 10 in-service sessions. About 350 hospital
employees attended,
“The Customer Quality Team has developed a plan to formally address customer service
at TCMH,” Murray explained.
Initial steps by the group include recognizing that customers at TCMH include patients,
family members of patients, corporate representatives, physicians and fellow employees.
The team is developing monthly focus areas such as introducing yourself to patients
before procedures and asking customers if they have any other needs.
“The team is making daily rounds to the patient rooms to ensure that our patients are
happy with the care they are receiving,” Murray said. He noted that members of the
medical staff are also eager to participate in customer service initiatives at TCMH.
Jane Kirkwood, hospital board member, noted, “The attitude of the employees can make
a big difference in a patient’s stay.”
In addition to the hospital wide steps being taken to focus on customer service, individual
departments are also focusing on specific things they can do to provide better customer
care. Murray described the obstetrics department “Care Call” that’s being made to all
mothers within a few days of discharge from TCMH. The housekeeping department is
leaving a signed card in each patient room after cleaning the room.
The Customer Quality Team is hosting a “Customer Quality Day” in November to
celebrate the efforts of employees.
“I believe our patient surveys will positively reflect the efforts of our staff,” Murray said.
Currently, 37percent of TCMH patients surveyed return completed surveys, a percentage
that is higher than the national average.
“We are reminding our patients that they will receive a survey in the mail after they
return home,” Murray said, “and we tell them they can help us if they will fill out the
survey and return it.”
Data being collected in the fourth quarter of 2008 will be made public on a Medicare
Web site beginning in 2009.
In other news, Murray reported that the TCMH worker’s compensation loss ratio is at
less than 1 percent, down from 26 percent in 2007. Six years ago the hospital’s loss ratio
was 152 percent.
“The company that provides our worker’s compensation coverage has an association
average of 15 percent this year,” Murray said. “I believe our excellent loss ratio comes
from paying strong attention to the details in managing worker’s compensation.”
Colette Briggs, TCMH nurse manager, handles worker’s compensation as part of her
duties in employee health and safety.
In October, TCMH held public forums throughout the county to provide information
about the hospital expansion project. “I can say that everything has been positive,”
Murray said regarding attendance at the forums.
“Key people have been in attendance,” said Omanez Fockler, board member. “It’s neat
that our physicians are attending and providing input at the meetings, too.”
The final public forum will be 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at the Citizen’s Center in Roby.
Murray also reported that the bond documents for the expansion project are very close to
completion.
“With the right climate for putting bonds on the market, we may be able to send our
bonds to the market in mid to late November,” Murray said.
Market downturns have affected interest rates and the ability to market bonds, which
TCMH needs to finance the $17.5 million needed for the expansion.
“If the market conditions are right, we may be able to bring the final approval for the
project to the November board meeting,” Murray said.
In financial news, Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer at TCMH, reported a negative
bottom line of $26,566 for September and a year-to-date balance of $211,477.
Several departments were under budget for September, and overall expenses were down,
but inpatient volume was also down. Outpatient services slightly exceeded budgeted
expectations.
“Hospitals across southern Missouri are experiencing a decrease in business,” Murray
said. He explained that he had spoken with several hospital administrators that concurred
with a recent drop in business attributing it to the downturn in the economy as well as
good weather.
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Dr. Steve Hawkins, vice chief of staff;
Doretta Todd-Willis, director of nursing; Joleen Senter Durham, director of public
relations; board members Kirkwood, Fockler, Larry Southern, Mark Forbes, Janet
Wiseman and Forbes’ Pharmacy intern, John Huff.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is noon Tuesday, Nov. 25, in the
downstairs meeting room of the hospital.
Due to the Christmas holiday, the regularly scheduled board meeting for December has
been moved up to noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, also in the downstairs meeting room of the
hospital.