Education has long been a pillar of patient experience work at the Mount Sinai Health System. The changes in workflows and approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic led to innovations that enabled the Office of Patient Experience team to reach more staff and leadership than ever before. A few of these education efforts have returned focus to the staff voice, and elevated the voices of Mount Sinai patients, all to better the environment and practice of care.
In 2020, the Office of Patient Experience created Patient Experience Forums. These hour-long sessions feature patient stories and presentations by staff from all over the Health System and are hosted by Arthur A. Gianelli, FACHE, President of Mount Sinai Morningside and Chief Transformation Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and Erica Rubinstein, MS, LCSW, CPXP, Vice President, Service Excellence and Patient Experience. Giving the floor to front-line staff and patients, the forums have created safe spaces for open and honest discussion of all things patient experience. What sets these forums apart from other sessions held around the Health System is that they prioritize the staff voice and patient experiences through videos—giving the floor to the real experts in patient experience.
Staff are able to see their peers addressing key topics around the patient experience and share their own perceptions on what matters most to their patients. Giving the staff a chance to speak freely, leadership can learn how best to support them. Patient stories are prerecorded and illustrate the behaviors and best practices that the Office of Patient Experience teaches, bringing them to life. Through these videos, each forum not only teaches, but speaks to the empathy and compassion that each person brings to their work. The forums also incorporate a panel discussion with front-line staff to discuss behaviors or topics and share how they can best care for patients, despite the challenges they face.
In 2021, there were three Patient Experience Forums, two of these focusing on equity. The Forums have gained a strong following, reaching almost 700 participants.
“The Forums have given us a space to showcase what matters most to our patients and our staff. Elevating the staff and patients to the expert level so we can learn from them,” says Amanda Ognibene, Program Manager for the Office of Patient Experience.
“The forums have provided a space to learn, to grow, to empathize, and to connect back to our ‘why’.” Mount Sinai staff can view the 2021 forums here.
In 2022, the Patient Experience Forums will continue to create opportunities for patients and staff to share their experiences. Each forum will focus on a topic deemed a priority by our staff according to a recent system-wide employee engagement survey. The Office of Patient Experience will continue to prioritize patient storytelling and elevating the patient voice. Together, the staff and patients will continue to sit at the head of this program, teaching the Mount Sinai community as the experts in person-centered, equitable, and loving care.