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Click here to learn more about the recently announced Service Excellence program.Click here to learn more about the BW/F vision.
Service ExcellenceWe’ve heard or experienced the stories. Patients, family members, friends who navigate a maze of pre-surgical challenges, including long patient waiting times at appointments and non-standardized systems and approaches to registration. They are unfortunately not unique to our hospitals yet BW/F is embarking on a project to innovate this process. These challenges, if met systematically and with a fresh perspective, can be addressed strategically with great impact on the organization.
“If you look at the way in which we handle the pre-surgical process, you can recognize this as an area that is ripe for improvement,” said John Fernandez, vice president, Surgical Services. Fernandez is the executive sponsor of a new service excellence project that hopes to improve patient satisfaction and improve the design of pre-surgical testing and services. “Working with an integrated BWH and Faulkner team, our goal is to fully integrate the process across BW/F and shift the perspective of patients so that they consider it an efficient and valuable part of their experience.”
The full team will be led by John Fernandez, vice president, Surgical Services; Susan Dempsey, director, Surgical Program Development; Michael Zinner, MD, chairman, Surgery; Peter Black, MD, chairman, Neurosurgery; Charles Vacanti, MD, chairman, Anesthesia; Thomas Thornhill, MD, chairman, Orthopedic Surgery; Pardon Kenney, MD, chief, Surgery, Faulkner Hospital; James Gessner, MD, chief, Anesthesia, Faulkner Hospital; and Robert Barbieri, chairman, Ob/Gyn.
As a means to address the complications associated with the existing process, a working group will focus on developing a uniform approach to pre-surgical functions throughout the BW/F family. The team will analyze existing opportunities and best practices to improve the efficiency of the process, maximizing staff resources and other support mechanisms for the benefit of the patient. The team will be supported by the BWH Center for Clinical Excellence.
“The pre-surgical process should not be unpleasant and time-consuming for our patients,” added Michael J. Zinner, MD, chairman, Surgery. “By organizing these services more effectively, we can transform this critically important function. This is a significant undertaking, but has the opportunity to have an enormous impact on patient satisfaction.”
The team will be working with individuals at BWH, Faulkner Hospital, the BWPO and the organization’s strategic partners to develop recommendations that are sustainable over time. The pre-surgical service initiative is one of four projects launched in 2003 under the BW/F Service Excellence program. The program seeks to create a culture of service excellence through the implementation of several projects annually over the next five years.