The University of Toledo Medical Center was presented with the Press Ganey's 2012 National Success Story Award recognizing the quality of its outstanding patient experience. The architect of this institutional accomplishment is Ioan Duca, Chief Experience Officer at the University of Toledo.

1. PATIENT SATISFACTION
University of Toledo Medical Center
Toledo, Ohio
The mission of The University of Toledo Medical To this end, in November 2010, we launched our Priority Indexes by service line. We then trained
Center is to improve the human condition by iCARE University, which stands for all of our physicians, residents, fellows and staff
providing patient-centered, university-quality communication, access, respect and excellence. in Value-Based Purchasing and HCAHPS. These
care. The first of its kind, iCARE University offers sessions, coupled with our initial patient
hands-on patient satisfaction training in a experience trainings, enabled our entire UTMC
The UTMC is a 319-licensed bed Academic beautiful, state of the art dedicated facility. Within caregiver population to have a common
Medical Center located in an economically weeks, more than 2,200 staff members understanding of our customer’s healing
challenged neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio. In participated in live, rigorous patient experience experience expectations, as well as a better
October 2010, we learned that the Ohio Hospital and behavioral training classes facilitated by understanding of the national healthcare climate
Association’s Annual Facts Report ranked UTMC’s CEO and Service Excellence Officer. in which hospitals operate.
UTMC’s patient experience 143 out of 147 The sessions clearly conveyed our caregiver-to-
medical facilities in northern Ohio. We were patient and caregiver-to-caregiver behavioral In February 2011, we launched a Patient
delivering excellent medical care, but our patients expectations and concluded by asking each Experience Steering Body and seven Patient
were extremely unhappy. We were not engaging participant to sign the UTMC Behavioral Experience Actions Teams to obtain and sustain
them holistically. We responded to this Standards Pledge to signal their personal buy-in from leadership and staff throughout the
disheartening news not by wringing our hands, commitment to improved patient satisfaction. organization. Each team is composed of
but by making an improved patient experience champions, physicians and executive leaders
our top strategic priority. During the patient satisfaction sessions, we found selected for their ability to make a difference at
that our staff clearly needed to better understand the point of service. The Steering Body and
We immediately conducted an in depth cultural the criteria by which they were being measured Action Teams meet individually on a bi-weekly
audit. We found that we were “us centered,” not and what matters most to our patient population; basis to address key aspects of the hospital’s
“patient centered”. Furthermore, the audit therefore, during the first two quarters of 2011 daily operations. They also routinely review any
revealed that staff expectations about patient we expanded our iCARE curriculum to include patient concerns listed on our Press Ganey
satisfaction were vague, and accountability for Press Ganey survey methodology and HCAHPS Improvement Portal and explore ways to prevent
implementation lacked substance and training classes. We enlisted Press Ganey or mitigate similar issues in the future.
consistency. We concluded that in order to subject matter experts to come to campus and
radically improve the patient experience at train our key stakeholders on the utilization of the In March 2011, we started hosting Patient
UTMC, we needed a sustained, organization- Press Ganey Improvement PortalSM (patent Experience Line Up meetings for leaders and
wide cultural transformation. pending), Press Ganey Online, info EDGE and
® departmental representatives in an effort to
reinforce our cultural transformation journey
© 2012 Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

2. PATIENT SATISFACTION
University of Toledo Medical Center
Toledo, Ohio
and promote stakeholder engagement. During progress. Our “Rate Hospital 0-10” domain patient experience. The tangible results reflected
these lively weekly meetings, we display patient improved from 47% in November 2010 to 65% in the significant gains posted in the most recent
comments and analyze Press Ganey info EDGE in June 2011 (Press Ganey, December 2011). survey provide strong evidence that with the right
and PaGER reports. We also depict service tools and deep commitment, an organization can
failures and desired patient interactions through Overall, we improved our individual cumulative realize deep and sustainable transformation. In
live role-plays involving real physicians, nurses performance in nine HCAHPS survey domains the case of UTMC, that cultural transformation is
and support staff. Additionally, we acknowledge in 2011: helping us to realize our mission of improving
individuals and areas that have demonstrated the human condition, one patient experience at
To ensure continued progress, ownership, and
success or have been recognized for service a time.
accountability in 2012, we continue to lead
excellence in the customer comments section on
iCARE patient experience trainings, host Steering
the Press Ganey surveys.
Body and Action Team meetings, create and
During the later part of 2011, we rolled out implement ninety day departmental action plans,
several initiatives to support our cultural lead Patient Experience Line Up meetings, and
transformation. We assigned clear ownership promote Universal Scripting. In addition, in April
accountability and created targeted improvement 2012, we initiated Quarterly Hospital Patient
goals for every question listed on the HCAHPS Experience Performance Reviews whereby
and Press Ganey surveys. Each department department and unit specific leaders are praised,
created ninety day patient experience challenged, coached and re-energized following
improvement action plans based on the Press an in-depth review of their area’s performance. In
Ganey Priority indexes. We introduced scripting April 2012, we launched the phrase “All Hands on
guidelines for interacting with patients. We also Deck! Are Your Hands on Deck?” to remind staff
developed and launched our own Universal of their critical role in our cultural transformation.
Scripts for answering the phone, leaving
The University of Toledo Medical Center
voicemail messages, and providing directions to
embarked on a cultural transformation journey
ensure the highest level of professionalism
in November 2010. During 2011, the focus of
across the organization.
iCARE University was the enculturation and
Eight months after our iCARE University launch, equipping of 2,460 caregivers with key, high-
our HCAHPS scores registered significant impact tools aimed at improving the overall
© 2012 Press Ganey Associates, Inc.