Executive Director Amie Starkey, RN, is particularly proud of UnaSource’s consistently high patient feedback. “The national average is around 93 percent and we have about 98 percent patient satisfaction,” says Ms. Starkey. She discusses three of the best practices that have led to the facility’s high satisfaction rating and helped earn the quality care distinction.
1. Excellent medical leadership. UnaSource is led by co-medical directors, anesthesiologists Bruce Evans, MD, and Chris Chaput, MD. The leadership these medical directors demonstrate sets the tone for the culture of the surgery center, says Ms. Starkey. “Their dedication not only makes our quality outcomes terrific, but also our staff and patient satisfaction,” she says. “They are always up on the latest state-of-the-art technology.” Ms. Starkey considers UnaSource a very progressive and advanced environment.
Ever aware of the danger of complacency, the UnaSource leadership team knows they can’t stop to rest. “Here in Southeast Michigan we have the added challenge of a devastating economy, but we have a great reputation in the community,” says Ms. Starkey. “We are doing all we can to keep going and be the choice provider for outpatient surgery.” The private patient care suites are comfortable and more relaxing than clinical, and even after six years in the business, the staff works diligently to keep the facility looking brand new.
2. Culture of taking ownership. The culture at UnaSource is all about ownership. Each member of the team buys into the idea of always trying to exceed the surgeons’ and patients’ expectations. “When we’re looking at a potential employee, we want them to fit into our culture of taking ownership. It’s just as much theirs as ours,” says Ms. Starkey. “We want them to have autonomy and make suggestions on all the little details. Surgeons feel confidence in the clinical competence of our staff.
“We’re always looking at how we can do things better and that often means thinking outside the box,” says Ms. Starkey. “We are a healthcare provider and we take that very seriously, but with the satisfaction of our surgeons and patients, we think of it like the Ritz-Carlton. It’s the little things that can make a huge difference.” Scheduling patient cases is made easy with an online, real-time system. UnaSource provides coffee, breakfast and lunch daily for surgeons, and also works closely with them to make sure their preferred supplies and products are available for use at the center.
3. Open communication. The surgery center listens to feedback from tools like the CTQ surveys, but also from less polished sources. “Whenever we are alerted of a less-than-satisfactory patient satisfaction score, we follow-up with the patient to see what contributed to their experience,” says Ms. Starkey. The feedback is used to identify UnaSource’s weaknesses and adjust processes in order to improve.
“Most recently we have strengthened the patient teaching and discharge information related to shoulder immobilizers in response to a less-than-desired trend we were noticing on our patient satisfaction surveys,” she says. Taking into account that the shoulder immobilizers are a complicated device and patients learn and retain information differently, UnaSource started providing discharge instructions on the shoulder immbolizer in three different formats:
1. An RN demonstrates the product pre-operatively
2. Provide written instructions on the item
3. Include pictures demonstrating the immobilizer
“We work tirelessly to maintain open communication, and as a result, our physicians, surgeons and patients feel comfortable bringing suggestions and thoughts forward,” says Ms. Starkey.
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