In an integrated health care organization, the patient is supposed to be treated concerning what the patients mean to the facility. In as much as the patients are seeking assistance from the facility, they are also the sole reason the facility exists. The CEO raised very pertinent issues because they are the core to client satisfaction. In a health care institution, the clients needed to feel welcome respected and assured that their issues would be looked into with the seriousness it deserves. For a patient visiting the place, how they are received from the parking lot all the way to the medical profession handling them is a process that they will judge. If there is no regulation at the parking lot, for instance, they will view the facility as shady and therefore will expect such services. In the end, the institution will lose out on customers.

It is therefore paramount for the staff at the facility to treat the patients very empathetically. This will build confidence in the patients and ease the provision of services within the facilities since most of the patients will be willing to follow protocol, have confidence in the way they are handled and in the process market the facility by recommending it to other probable clients. In this regard, a health facility should be well rounded. Since the core business is health care, other factors govern the offering of services to the public. The facility should balance rapport with the clients and excellent health care Providence for maximum success of the institution. Otherwise, the institution loses out. Once the rapport is established, there will be a better interaction between the staff from the junior to the senior levels and the patients who visit the place.

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As it has been said many times before, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.”  This certainly holds true in professional and clinical environments.  Healthcare facilities should treat a patient as an undercover boss, and as a shareholder.  A shareholder is simply someone that has a vested interest in a project, task, or process.  A patient has a vested interest in their health, and receiving a high level of care with professional, courteous service is the core of that interest.  The facility should be clean, climate should be optimally controlled, and staff should be inviting and knowledgeable.  When someone visits a health care facility they are usually feeling ill and emotions are usually compromised by ailments.  Therefore, first impressions should be outstanding, because patients generally would prefer to be anywhere but a hospital or clinic.

The patient experience is based on perception and interaction.  No one would enjoy a drab environment with staff that appear to be inept at best.  The patient should be greeted and engaged in the communication about the level of care that will be provided.  When health professionals care, patients care as well.  Hospitals, clinics, and facilities are rated and those that rank/rate high are more attractive to healthcare providers, clients and patients.  Effective communication skills are highly valued by the patient and a critical part of the first impression.  Therefore, the facility personnel should be able to communicate clearly and show that they are willing, ready and capable of providing the highest level of care.  Customer service in the patient experience is a difficult endeavor and usually demands alternative means of reaching the patient.

Recently I saw a billboard with a digital counter that displayed the current wait time at the ER.  I have not seen the wait time exceed 7 minutes.  This basic counter exerts confidence in the patients that they will not spend their evening in the ER.  It shows the public that they are on standby waiting, and ready to provide services.  The sign also speaks volumes about the efficiency of the ER department of the hospital.  It is important to ensure that healthcare professionals are aware of expectations whether silent or spoken.  From the initial phone call, to the parking lot, to billing, to discharge a facility should endeavor to ensure the experience is a pleasant one.