How Providence succeeds in patient experience

Jennifer Bayersdorfer says she’s always focused on finding ways to improve.

But Bayersdorfer, Providence’s chief quality officer, says it was time to take a moment to pause and celebrate some success.

The Providence health system recently received Press Ganey’s HX26 High Reliability Organization Foundation Award, recognizing the Catholic health system’s success in protecting patients and its focus on the patient experience.

Bayersdorfer says she and other members of the team relished the recognition.

“I'm always focused on how we can get better and better, and sometimes you forget to take that moment and recognize how far you've come,” Bayersdorfer says. “So I think there was a real excitement to the organization getting that recognition for work that we've done, and it's a bit of a chance for you to understand that you're doing something that distinguishes you from others. And so that was pretty exciting for the team.”

In a recent interview with Chief Healthcare Executive®, Bayersdorfer talks about Providence’s “Caring Reliably” strategy. She outlines some of the keys to success in improving patient care, the importance of leadership in setting the culture, and ensuring safety huddles are effective.

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Leadership and ‘grassroots momentum’

Providence operates 51 hospitals and 1,000 clinics in the western United States, serving markets ranging from Alaska to California.

With more than 120,000 caregivers, Bayersdorfer says it’s important to get everyone on the same page. But she says it’s also important to understand the local and varying needs in different markets.

“They're collaborating within that community, utilizing certain methods,” she says. “We try not to be too prescriptive, so that we don't get in the way of their local success, but still have that, I think, similar flavor across our entire enterprise.”

Bayersdorfer cites the importance of the system’s top leaders emphasizing patient safety and the patient experience and “shaping the culture.”

“I think it's really critical for your senior leaders to be leading the charge,” she says.

But she says all staff need to buy in.

“Without the grassroots momentum, I don't think we'd have the success,” Bayersdorfer says.

“While the stakes are highest for the frontline caregivers, Caring Reliably is really about how all of us show up, whether we're frontline caregivers, touching patients or not, part of that culture is really each of us owning our part in it,” she says.

Providence’s Caring Reliably strategy encompasses safety and the overall patient experience.

A decade ago, Providence developed toolboxes to highlight key principles to promote patient care, Bayersdorfer says. And she says there is ongoing training highlighting those tools.

“They're things promoting behaviors like communicating clearly and paying attention to detail and speaking up for safety, things that seem basic,” she says. “But when you think about the number of decisions and actions that are taken in any given day of the life of one of our nurses or physicians, or techs or even the folks that are working behind the scenes to support those that are providing care, there are so many points at which a mistake or failure could occur and have a downstream impact.”

The system also communicates regularly about different tools to improve patient care, including a different “tool of the month,” she says.

Bayersdorfer says one example is highlighting the system’s “peer check tool,” which involves having peers double-check work, including medication dosing, interpreting orders, or writing notes.

Providence’s leaders also try to start conversations about “catch stories” in rounds and safety huddles.

“It just keeps things fresh. It keeps them real,” Bayersdorfer says. “Because it's one thing to have training and to tell folks about these toolboxes. It's another for folks to be hearing about it, from their peers, and to have that lived experience.”

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Making safety huddles effective

Providence sees real value in regular huddles among clinicians focused on patient safety.

But she says health systems need to take steps to make sure that safety huddles are effective. And she says it’s critical for staff to feel comfortable that they can raise concerns without fear.

“Focus on those things that are going to build the situational awareness, and doing so in a way that really promotes the psychological safety that's going to bring everyone to the table without any worries about sharing the problems they feel need to be fixed,” Bayersdorfer says.

“I think an effective huddle is going to be hearing from every part of the hospital,” she says.

After concerns are raised in the huddle, leaders need to make sure that issues are resolved. She notes some issues may be handled quickly, but others could make more time.

If there’s a problem that is going to take more time to address, then it should be tracked in the huddle with updates.

“That follow through is really critical,” Bayersdorfer says.

Recruiting every caregiver

When asked about advice for other health systems, Bayersdorfer says it’s critical to connect with clinicians.

“The only way we succeed is by recruiting every caregiver to be a part of the work, and for that, you really need to be moving hearts and minds,” she says. “Folks need to be inspired to show up in those ways that are going to help you keep patients safe and deliver on that experience that you're aiming for.”

Bayersdorfer emphasizes using a “cultural lens” to highlight the organization’s values and the mission of serving patients.

“It connects with what brought them to this work in the first place,” she says. “I think that's the real key.”

Hospitals without big budgets can find success in improving patient safety. Bayersdorfer says some efforts can start small, such as making safety huddles more effective.

Leaders can also focus on promoting efforts to improve safety and creating more day-to-day predictability in care.

“You really have to kind of bake it into the way you're operating day in and day out,” she says. “And you can accomplish that. I mean, it's not easy, but you can accomplish that without a lot of additional resources. It just takes a lot of focus and dedication.”