Leadership coaching improves employee morale and engagement, and results in better patient experiences. From accountability to emotional intelligence and effective communication, Mount Sinai’s Office of Patient Experience Team has coached dozens of front-line leaders across the Mount Sinai Health System on the skills necessary to create a safe and inclusive culture where both employees and patients flourish.
In 2023, the Patient Experience Improvement coaching team made significant progress—reaching approximately 560 coaching sessions—representing a culmination of dedicated efforts over a year and a half. The team focused on expanding the program to coach leaders from the Emergency Department and Ambulatory and Ambulatory Surgery, alongside ongoing support for leaders in Obstetrics, Heart, and Medical-Surgical Nursing.
“I’m so proud of how the program has expanded to so many departments throughout Mount Sinai, whose leaders are now better equipped to engage and motivate teams in ways that help our patients thrive,” says Sabrina Segui, MA, CPXP, Patient Experience Coach for the Mount Sinai Health System.
Leaders were eager to receive coaching. Approximately 75 percent of coaching sessions occurred as scheduled and commenced on time, and 85 percent of those who participated expressed their willingness to recommend the program to their colleagues. “This reveals just how valuable leaders found the coaching experience despite their busy schedules. We find that leaders are enthusiastic to recruit their peers to the program, as well,” says Laryssa Tylawsky, MPH, CPXP, Patient Experience Manager, Mount Sinai-Downtown.
To help leaders understand how to improve, Patient Experience Improvement coaches utilized a number of tools and data sources, such as the 2023 Your Voice Counts (YVC) survey results, a confidential employee engagement survey. Performed in partnership with Press Ganey, the survey polled 23,600 Mount Sinai staff and faculty members on how to make Mount Sinai the best place to work and receive care. Survey results revealed a need for leaders to better understand how to show empathy and give feedback. A year-over-year analysis of YVC results revealed that leaders who had a Patient Experience Improvement coach exhibited twice the rate of improvement in key areas when compared to those who did not.
“The survey feedback helped our leaders see what areas they needed to improve on and empowered them to make transformations that had a positive impact on our patients,” says Mindy Morris, MS Ed, CPXP, Patient Experience Coach for the Mount Sinai Health System.
Sabrina Segui (right), MA, CPXP, Patient Experience Coach for the Mount Sinai Health System, reviews the daily management board with Margaret Grogan, MPA, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager.
Mindy Morris (left), MS Ed, CPXP, Patient Experience Coach for the Mount Sinai Health System, coaches Gesenia Carmona, BSN, RNC-OB, c-EFM, Nurse Manager.
The coaching team also developed coaching tools in 2023, including standardized coaching modules for key patient experience improvement areas, such as empathy, bedside shift reports, and nurse manager rounding. These modules provide a standard curriculum and tools, such as roleplays, scripting, and checklists that are used in coaching sessions and help drive insight and improvement. The team also created a Coaching Impact Dashboard that provides intuitive insights into progress and impact. Notably, the coaching team diligently makes use of current state assessments (CSAs) that measure whether critical behaviors are observed at the unit and leader level. These CSAs are completed at a regular cadence, and coaches are able to see progress over time and also help identify which areas still need to be addressed.
“The empathy module and coaching have impacted us as individuals and as a team,” says one nurse leader of her experience with coaching. “Incorporating empathy has strengthened the team’s ability to relate to their patients and one another. We have learned the power of listening to understand, and the value of patience. It allows the team and patients to feel seen and heard, and this contributes to a more empathetic and positive experience.”
Mount Sinai leaders who received coaching experienced notable improvements in their scores for the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)—data derived from patient responses to surveys measuring their experiences with the Mount Sinai Health System—including in the domains of teamwork, nurse communication, and responsiveness. Leaders who did not participate in coaching saw decreases in these measures.
“These results highlight how effective the coaching program is at enhancing both employee engagement and patient experience, and our coaching team's dedication to making Mount Sinai a better place to work and receive care,” says Ms. Segui.
In our employee’s own words
“My coach, Mindy Morris, is absolutely wonderful and has made a big difference for me as a leader. Because of my time with her, I have an excellent understanding of my PG data and am able to educate my team on it and set shared goals with them. I have thoughtfully incorporated narration of care into my daily practice and coach my team on it. Mindy also huddles with my team and educates them on narration of care and nurse communication. Mindy has become a member of our KP 2 unit family.”
− Coaching Program Participant