Quantum Leap Winner: Dr. M. Bridget Duffy
April 6, 2009
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For Bridget Duffy, M.D., the patient always comes first. By focusing on that deeply held value, Duffy has become an effective catalyst for change at Cleveland Clinic Health System, one of the nation’s top medical centers. As the nation’s first hospital chief experience officer, Duffy has developed innovative ways to support Cleveland Clinic patients and their families, while building long-term relationships.
“Consumers are looking for great clinical outcomes,” says Duffy, who was an internal medicine specialist and health care consultant before joining Cleveland Clinic in 2007. “At the same time, patients want to be treated like human beings. That means restoring empathy as a core value and recognizing how much we touch people’s lives.”
Through the Patient First Initiative, Duffy has become an evangelist for meeting the emotional and spiritual needs of the patient, as well as delivering excellent clinical care.
That means talking with physicians about their bedside manners and recognizing employees who deliver an improved patient experience.
New patient-friendly programs include soothing music, greeters for patients and families, a healthy foods snack cart, redesigned patient gowns that cover both back and front and Health Navigator, where a hospital staffer follows patients throughout their stay.
To monitor the impact of Cleveland Clinic’s regional hospitals in Ohio and affiliated campuses in Florida, Toronto and Abu Dhabi, Duffy developed an innovative patient satisfaction tracking system. Using a single dashboard, executives and caregivers can monitor trends, identify improvement opportunities and find examples of best practices.
Research shows that when hospitals practice patient and family-centered care, they reduce length of stay, decrease infection rates and increase patient satisfaction, Duffy says. And from a marketing standpoint, delivering empathetic support to the patient helps differentiate the Cleveland Clinic from other providers and strengthens its brand.
Regardless of profession, Duffy believes that women today have a clear opportunity to make a powerful difference in the world. “When your passion and values are aligned with your work,” she says, “you can do anything.”
For more Changing the Game Awards Winners:
Quantum Leap Winner: Nancy Smith
Quantum Leap Winner: Christine Owens
Quantum Leap Winner: Rosemarie Ryan
Brainwave Winner: Sue Bostrom
Paradigm Shift Winner: Esther "E.T" Franklin
No Apologies Winner: Dr. Jane McGonigal