Providing Soldiers and their Families with a level of health care equal to the sacrifices they have made is a top priority for the Fort Drum U.S. Army Medical Department Activity.
Over the last couple of years, the MEDDAC has spent a great deal of time reviewing feedback from beneficiaries, tracking trends, and looking at strengths and weaknesses within the activity in order to provide the best patient experience possible, according to Tracie Duckett-Stephens, Fort Drum MEDDAC patient advocate.
That analysis has paid off, she said.
"We went from being in the bottom of our region in terms of patient experience, to one of the top -- and still climbing," Duckett-Stephens said.
This change, she said, could be attributed to listening to patient needs and implementing processes that support a positive patient experience.
For example, in response to patients' concern with long wait times at the pharmacy, the MEDDAC worked with a process improvement team to develop systematic changes that resulted in wait times of less than 15 minutes.
Additionally, the staff is held accountable for their Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, comments and their Army Provider Level Satisfaction Survey, or APLSS, scores. Section chiefs now take ownership over that data and present it to the command leadership each month.
But it isn't just unsatisfactory comments and scores being recognized, staff members are rewarded and recognized for positive feedback received.
"We started a tracker (that) recognizes staff and medical teams who meet the MEDCOM standard for patient satisfaction, which in a way has created some healthy competition," Duckett-Stephens said. "Our staff wants to give their best to each patient because it will benefit everyone."
The MEDDAC also has started a Medical Support Assistant University training program. This quarterly training focuses on the frontline staff members who are often the first to interact with patients.
The interactive training supports an environment where staff can speak up and talk about what is or isn't working to better facilitate a positive patient experience.
With all of these things combined, MEDDAC patient satisfaction scores, which are generated through APLSS responses, have increased nearly 200 percent, according to Duckett-Stephens.
What it boils down to, she said, is a change in the culture of the organization and the MEDDAC staff believing in the importance of the patient experience.
"We really changed the culture of the organization in terms of patient experience. Now you hear more people talk about APLSS and ICE than you would have a couple of years ago; it is a daily conversation," Duckett-Stephens said. "At any given time in the clinic you can see staff helping patients. If they see someone who looks lost, they will stop and help them, even it isn't in their area."
In the future, the MEDDAC plans to continue to invest in the staff and ensure they are empowered to speak up and make suggestions.
In addition, MEDDAC will continue reviewing feedback from the ICE and APLSS systems and listening to patient needs.
"We want (the staff) to be part of the solution -- because patient experience is everyone's responsibility," Duckett-Stephens said. "It is also important for us to listen and hear what our patients are saying, when we do we gain their trust. They trust us to be their first choice in health care."
She went on to say that one of the biggest rewards is being able to help a patient and have him or her leave with a smile.
"They just want to know how much you care," she said. "That's all the patient experience is -- caring about the people who come into our clinic. And if you show you care, it is always going to be a great patient experience."
The Fort Drum MEDDAC also has started a Patient Family Advisory Council, or PFAC. Duckett-Stephens said the goal of the PFAC is to take the feedback directly from patients and apply it to improving the patient experience.
The council is currently looking for additional members; if you are interested, call the Fort Drum MEDDAC Patient Advocate at 772-7368 / 4655.
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