Positive Impressions boosts Patient Satisfaction Scores
Morrison Healthcare is uniquely geared to foster bold ideas and innovation in the food service management industry. Our culture fosters the ability of our associates to provide solutions that address your needs with speed, substance and a success rate that no one else in the industry can rival.
Twin Cities Community Hospital
Twin Cities Community Hospital, a 124-bed acute care facility in Templeton, CA, with four Circle of Excellence awards from the Joint Commission, partnered with Morrison when it needed a food service program to match its quality of care.
Morrison Healthcare leads the field of hospital nutrition, serving more than 40 million patients annually in more than 600 U.S. health care facilities. Morrison’s “Positive Impressions” Patient Experience platform increases patient satisfaction through healthy food choices and enhanced service options.
Positive impressions leads to increased patient satisfaction
Twin Cities’ first unified patient experience program is “Positive Impressions,” introduced by Morrison in March 2015. Satisfaction soared more than 50% to June 2015, and Twin Cities’ foodservice received patient satisfaction “top box” scores of 75% in January 2016, beginning the year with the #1 spot in California and #4 among all Tenet hospitals nationwide.
Meal preparation, meal service and tray retrieval were previously responsibilities of different departments, and patient satisfaction with foodservice required improvement. The management team trained two diet aides on the Positive Impressions approach prior to implementing Catering to You. Then 10 new Catering Associates come on board and they received more than six hours of Morrison’s required training on food quality and patient needs. Managers shadowed associates during the initial phases to ensure interaction scripting and excellent customer service.
Individual responsibility is key in “Positive Impressions.” Daily patient satisfaction scores are shared and logged to give credit to all members of the team, no matter their visibility, and study the process closer. Associates became more able to control patient interactions and allow for more positive scenarios, such as a visit from the chef. “During my visits, I hear ‘it’s so nice that the chef comes to visit’ many times,” said Shelby Maldonado, Patient Services Manager at Twin Cities Community Hospital. 50% increase increase in food services’ patient satisfaction score “When patients heard ‘satisfaction with food service,’ their responses focused on ‘food’ and not ‘service,” said Mary Shalhoub, Morrison Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Twin Cities Community Hospital. “’Food’ varies by patient so we focused on the best ‘service.’ Managers visit patients daily and, unique to this hospital, we visit patients who are being discharged to ask what we can do and leave a last impression.”
Engagement with clinical teams has improved care and work environments. The food and nutrition team recognizes other units that help improve patient satisfaction with food service. Nurses received a special trophy from the team in gratitude of their assistance as Positive Impressions was rolled out. The administration, from the Chief Executive Officer down, actively assisted in strategy and supported the new team.
