sister centers nationwide," she says. "So I have an idea of what the national
level is and where we fall above or below that."
It's invaluable, she says, because SMI is independent. "When we opened we
were corporately managed, so we had other centers we could compare our-
selves to and do some benchmarking," she says. "When we became physician-
owned, it was important to see how we were benchmarking against other cen-
ters."
She says it's nice to have nationwide data to show how her facility is perform-
ing and, as an administrator, the reports are hugely helpful in improving patient
care.
Of course, the feedback is only as good as the response. "We not only look at
the aggregate, we also look at a micro view by department," says Ms. Harless.
"Departments can drill down and create specific goals based on the surveys."
If, for example, patients say they didn't understand their post-op instructions,
Ms. Harless uses those as opportunities to look at the center's processes and see
what she can improve.
And if patients have a question or complaint, the survey lets them ask for a
phone call. "We'll get right back to them," says Ms. Harless, "and let them know
what we're doing to rectify the situation or to explain our process."
You have to be a concierge for every patient from the time they walk through
the doors to the moment they're discharged home, says Ms. Harless. She says,
"It's so important to be aware of that, and to treat patients and their families
accordingly."
OSM
2 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E January 2015
E-mail jburger@outpatientsurgery.net.
