February 9, 2007

Service Matters: Shaping the experience of care

At the MGH, each and every employee — whether on the front lines or behind the scenes — has a role in shaping the experience of care for patients. To underscore this fact, the MGH Service Improvement Department has launched a forum called the Service Learning Series designed for managers and leaders who will lead the charge to build and support a culture of service at the hospital.



More than 110 MGH managers and leaders attended the inaugural event that featured guest speakers Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH (above right); Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, MPH, director of the MGH Disparities Solutions Center (above left); and Nancy J. Gagliano, MD, vice president for Practice Improvement (above center). Attendees heard first from Slavin, who emphasized the six aims of quality and safety: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency and equity. He also reviewed why service is integral to the MGH and of paramount importance for all staff.

He was followed by Betancourt, who described the role service plays in eliminating health care disparities among minority patients at the hospital and across the United States. Betancourt explained that national studies indicate that minorities report lower quality of care than whites, even when they have the same level of income, education and health insurance. He stressed the importance of service in eliminating these disparities.

Gagliano concluded by describing how the members of the Service Improvement Department now are working to move the concept to reality by launching forums and promoting a new perspective on service based on "inspired performance." She also introduced a new program, which begins in May, called the Front and Center Initiative to support front-line staff in their interactions with patients.

The next Service Learning Series event will be held Feb. 21 at 9 am in the Thier Conference Room. Sandra St. Fleur, senior organizational development specialist, and Cindy Sprogis, senior project manager, both of the Service Improvement Department, will present "What is Welcoming? Hearing from Our Patients and Staff." They will share information collected from focus groups and interview responses from patients and staff from several MGH physician practices. They also will describe strategies to assess what it means to create a welcoming environment.

For more information about the series, contact Cindy Sprogis at csprogis@partners.org or (617) 726-1030.