Reputation

Welcome to Planetree

Planetree, Inc. is a mission based not-for-profit organization that partners with healthcare organizations around the world and across the care continuum to transform how care is delivered. Powered by over 50,000 focus groups with patients, families, and staff, and over 35 years of experience working with healthcare organizations, Planetree is uniquely positioned to represent the patient voice and advance how professional caregivers engage with patients and families. Guided by a foundation in 10 components of patient centered care, Planetree informs policy at a national level, aligns strategies at a system level, guides implementation of care delivery practices at an organizational level, and facilitates compassionate human interactions at a deeply personal level. Our philosophical conviction that patient centered care is the “right thing to do” is supported by a structured process that enables sustainable change.

The Impact

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Singularity of Purpose that Drives Industry-Leading Quality Results

Background

Like all healthcare organizations today, the team at Northern Westchester Hospital must balance a multitude of demands to consistently deliver exemplary medical treatment that combines leading edge technology with compassionate human interactions. A Planetree member for more than a decade, the Planetree philosophy has been a powerful lens through which to plan, prioritize and evaluate what it means to provide high quality patient- and family-centered care.

Approach

Drawing on the principles of staff engagement, patient activation and patient-centered process redesign, the hospital has re-designed care processes, caregiver roles and the environment of care to ensure that "putting patients first" is not merely a catchy expression, but a true depiction of the NWH experience.

For instance, as part of the hospital's comprehensive Inpatient Process Redesign, all key stakeholders worked together to develop a single plan of care, i.e. an interdisciplinary record where all disciplines document their plan of care. This effort has improved communication, coordination and patient confidence that all their caregivers are on the same page with regard to their needs and preferences. In addition, a patient-designed discharge checklist and bedside tablet where patients can access real-time aspects of their medical record further engage patients and family members as integral members of the care team. A Patient-to-Nurse Call System underscores that meeting patients' needs is NWH's top priority and has enhanced responsiveness. And the hospital's Food is Care initiative emphasizes the connection between the hospital dining experience, quality and outcomes. By working in partnership with nursing staff and patients, food personnel is better able to understand and accommodate patients' individual food preferences while supporting dietary changes and providing education to advance individual health aims.

These individual initiatives have been successful because the hospital's culture is fertile breeding ground for this type of innovation and end-to-end process re-design. A Shared Governance Model and a robust Patient and Family Advisory Council has provided numerous opportunities for all staff and patients to be directly involved in the design of systems and processes. A staff coaching model and patient inquiry process support staff during periods of change, analyze the impact of the changes and obtain real-time patient feedback. Together, these approaches have provided essential tools for hardwiring patient-centered processes and building accountability among the NWH team.

Results

Today, Northern Westchester Hospital is one of 63 healthcare organizations worldwide to have earned recognition for patient-centered excellence through the Planetree Designation Program.  It continually surpasses national standards for quality and patient experience.  The hospital has been recognized as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2013-2014, one of the “Most Connected Hospitals,” and it has received Magnet Recognition of excellence in nursing services and overall quality of care.

That’s what “the industry” says about Northern Westchester Hospital.  Here is one patient had to say about their experience at NWH: “I don’t know what my destiny will be when I leave here, but what I do know is that I’ve been cared for here.”

“Planetree provides the roadmap to creating an experience for patients and families that is centered on the right thing – the needs and expectations of patients and families” –Joel Seligman, CEO, Northern Westchester Hospital

What it Takes to be an Employer of Choice - Benefits Outweigh the Costs

Background

Located in Quebec, Centre de réadaptation Estrie provides rehabilitation for individuals with motor, hearing, visual, language or speech impairments, largely in an outpatient setting. In 2004, the center was struggling. Budgetary restrictions and staff shortages demanded that the CRE team find ways to do more with less. By joining forces with Planetree, a new path unfolded for CRE to take on this complex mandate. A goal was established that within five years, CRE would be among the top employers in Quebec and the center would become a leader in patient-centered care

Approach

To achieve this goal, the CRE team started by identifying a series of attributes and behaviors aligned with this vision of humanizing care. This exercise informed the development of patient-centered quality improvement tools, notably client and personnel satisfaction surveys , focus groups and key competency profiles that helped to define what it means to deliver person-centered care. In addition, the hiring and onboarding processes for new employees were redesigned to emphasize each employee’s role in fulfilling the organization’s mission. Relationship-building took precedence over skill building during the employee’s orientation. Focused efforts to create more transparency in communication between management and staff were implemented, and structures were created to actively solicit the ideas and insights of all stakeholders to advance the organization’s strategic priorities.

Results

The CRE story demonstrates the power of comprehensive culture change. Discrete interventions were all implemented within the framework of a much broader vision for change centered on both improving the client experience and nurturing and developing staff.

A 2013 study of CRE concluded that investing in this comprehensive approach has paid off richly. Since implementing Planetree, the number of complaints and the number of staff vacancies have decreased (this, despite a healthcare worker shortage in Canada), while the employee retention rate has improved: from 94% in 2005 to 98.7% in 2010. Employee satisfaction at CRE consistently exceeds that of comparable establishments. Four years after setting the goal to become an employer of choice, CRE was awarded first prize for the Quebec-based "Best Employer's Challenge" in its size category.

This positive employee experience is also reflected in client satisfaction. Steady increases in client satisfaction have been noted that correlate with Planetree implementation.

Most impressively, these gains have been achieved while concurrently managing to reduce costs. Improvements in employee retention have yielded a savings of 82.51% in costs associated with recruitment and employee onboarding. Finally, a better working atmosphere has also contributed to a reduction in occupational health and safety costs.

Building a Reputation as a Hospital of Choice

Background

Part of the 42-hospital Carolinas Healthcare System in North and South Carolina, Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy is a 180-bed, adult acute care hospital located in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2007, a leadership change and facility renovations prompted the hospital to seek out a partner to provide a framework for a rebuilding effort that would extend beyond the physical environment to transform the culture as well. The Planetree Designation criteria became that framework, offering up a structure for improving the patient experience while driving quality, positioning the hospital as a destination for treatment.

Approach

Over a three-year period, a multidisciplinary steering team to lead the effort was created, co-led by an administrative director and a physician, and comprised of a mix of senior leadership and front-line staff. A community advisory council of past patients and their loved ones became a sounding board and platform for idea generation grounded in the patient experience. Naming a Medical Director of Patient-Centered Care proved to be a solid strategy for engaging the medical staff in the change effort. A patient-centered curricula was developed for new physician orientation and Planetree updates at the Medical Executive Committee meetings became standard. A Planetree hallmark, patient-centered retreats, were instituted, and within two years, 94% of staff had attended these days focused on supporting individual staff members to reflect on how they can embody the values of patient-centered care in their interactions with patients, family members and colleagues. Phase Two retreats followed to ensure that the enthusiasm and momentum of early efforts not diminish over time. A departmental certification program was created to engage all departments in improving their practices and processes to be more patient-centered. These infrastructures positioned the organization to accelerate implementation of high impact patient-centered programs, such as Care Partners, bedside shift report, and the shared medical record. Within three years, the hospital had earned recognition as a Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital.

Results

In that three year period, performance on a range of quality, safety, patient satisfaction and employee engagement measures improved.  The hospital’s performance on the “likelihood to recommend” question on its patient experience survey increased from 61% to 80.8%.  At the same time, 90% of employees participated in the employee engagement survey and the workforce commitment indicator score rose to the 89th percentile.

These improvements have been achieved as the hospital has experienced a 20% increase in elective surgeries.  Its Planetree affiliation, and its reputation for patient-centered excellence, has become a differentiator for the hospital. Beyond adding services and expanding the facility to support growth, the hospital’s comprehensive efforts to engage patients and family members and deliver a truly patient-centered care experience continues to propel CMC-Mercy’s reputation as a hospital of choice.

 “We believe that dialogue and the exchange of information with the care team empowers patients. It allows patients to become active participants in making healthcare decisions. We recognize they are experts on their experience of health and illness; therefore, rather than directing all of the care, our position as healthcare providers is one of partnering with patients towards maximizing their healing and wellness.” -- Dael Waxman, MD, Medical Director, Patient-Centered Programming at CMC-Mercy

Team

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History

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