VERONICA X. VELA
Advancing Population & Community Health
Through Innovative Problem Solving
ROADMAP TO PATIENT EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE
After completing initial research with to understand veteran care experiences, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) understood the need to improve the customer experience. Shortly thereafter, the VA Patient Experience (PX) initiative was born. The agency developed tools to enhance the care delivery process and began training frontline staff to put the Veteran at the center of their interactions.
However, leaders of the initiative realized something was missing. Facilities need a way to incorporate a new way of being into their strategies and operations. Leaders feared that staff would not embrace the initiative despite all evidence pointing to a need for change. To strengthen buy-in and execution, VA sought out to understand how to integrate, launch, and maintain the PX initiative.
This project explored:
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What can we learn from past initiatives that succeeded or failed?
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How might we design ensure the initiative is sustainable across VA's 1,200+ facilities?
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How can we create a bias towards action for improving the patient experience?
Photos: Han Wang, Aaron Steinstra, Veronica X. Vela
Many national initiatives put you in a position where it is very difficult to be successful.
System Redesign Expert
VA Medical Facility