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Team Tampa Takes Pride in Patient Care

Hercules the Therapy Dog, and dad Veterans Experience Officer Robert Lynch are important and unforgettable members of the Team Tampa family.
A well-known good boy at JAHVH has a birthday party of Herculean proportions on July 10, 2023. Hercules the Therapy Dog, and dad Veterans Experience Officer Robert Lynch are important and unforgettable members of the Team Tampa family.

The Veterans Experience Committee is a multidisciplinary group comprised of James A. Haley VA leadership, frontline clinical staff, and non-clinical employees that meet monthly to work on initiatives focused on patient-centered care.

The committee monitors JAHVH’s patient experience scores and creates strategic plans on how to increase patient satisfaction each year. 

In fiscal year 2024, the VEC started a subgroup committee called the Patient Experience Change Agents to improve Veteran satisfaction through education and consistent communication on the importance of patient experience to all layers of our organization. No matter our role or what time of day, we all have a part in making our Veterans feel welcome, safe, and respected the moment they arrive on our campus. 

Over the last eight months, VEC members developed a signature training process for PX Change Agents. The agents play a crucial role in driving and sustaining “Own the Moment” training, facilitating cultural change in Team Tampa’s community, providing education and training on managing up/service recovery. Enhancing customer service relies on frontline employees who feel empowered to implement solutions confidently. 

The group launched on April 23rd with representatives from several services that provide direct or indirect inpatient care. Next year, we will implement this initiative in outpatient areas, extending our commitment to enhancing the patient experience across our entire organization. Because Team Tampa takes pride in providing excellent patient care to our Veterans, the addition of PX Change Agents will take patient satisfaction to new heights.

 

Op-Ed by Michelle Schlesinger, Occupational Therapist and Szilvia Kovacs, Chief of Nutrition and Food Services