Fitzgibbon Hospital’s Focus on Service Excellence Wins Recognition

April 24, 2024

In 2023, during its 100^th year of operation, Fitzgibbon Hospital launched a multi-year training initiative aimed at improving service excellence for both patients and employees. Over the last year, 357 staff have attended 37 workshops lead by trained by 16 peers known as Service Excellence Advisors. These advisors helped 357 staff members understand their role in making the organization a desirable place to receive care as well as to work.

            In addition to these staff members, 40 leaders within the organization were trained as they attended 10 courses on everything from management processes to communication. These 40 leaders completed a total of 1040 hours of combined education.

            Three inter-disciplinary teams were formed within the organization, called OASIS Teams, to transform specific areas. OASIS stands for Organizationally Advanced Service Improvement System.

One team focused entirely on Service Standards, creating an employee-focused program called FitzHEART which seeks to set the bar high for each employee within the organization for how they handle both internal and external relationships. FitzHEART stands for

Friendliness  Helpful

Integrity          Empathetic

Team Work   Attentive

Zealousness Respectful

                        Timely

            A second OASIS Team was formed to address processes with the Emergency Department while a third was created to address Awards and Recognition for staff within the organization. All of these activities were overseen by another cross disciplinary team called the Service Excellence Council.

            Another significant advancement in the Fitzgibbon Organization earned recognition at the Custom Learning Systems awards provided at their 23^rd Annual Conference in Florida. Fitzgibbon Hospital won the Summit Award for their staffing fix program called Fitz Express which can be seen in the cafeteria. Fitz Express highlights new staff members as they begin their journey at Fitzgibbon Hospital. The progress toward the front of the train as they continue to receive training throughout their first 90 days of employment. It provides all employees a chance to see the names of new staff and provides them an opportunity to be encouraging to their new co-workers.

            Lastly, one area that has brought even more focus to service excellence within the Fitzgibbon organization is the communication of monthly patient satisfaction survey scores and verbatim comments. Each hospital is responsible for contracting with an approved company to conduct patient satisfaction surveys in a number of categories including Emergency Department, Inpatient, Outpatient, Outpatient Surgery as well as Home Health/Hospice and Clinics. These surveys, called HCAHPS, are partly tied to reimbursement by Medicare and Medicaid. Fitzgibbon Hospital provides this feedback to all of the staff within the organization so that it serves as a constant barometer for how they are doing in providing excellent care to the patients they serve.

            In April, Fitzgibbon Hospital launched year two of the three-year process. There will be new opportunities to recognize staff who have provided patients with excellent care, both from the patients directly as well as co-workers who witness such excellent care.