How Houston Methodist is Putting People First for Patients and Employees

Patient and employee experiences are critical to focus on in healthcare settings because they are the foundation upon which quality care and services are built. In addition to providing excellent medical care, a successful healthcare organization must prioritize the experience of its patients and employees to ensure the highest levels of satisfaction and engagement.

For patients, a positive experience begins with accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. But equally important is the feeling of individualized care that patients receive when they interact with their healthcare providers.

Houston Methodist is striving to ensure all patients feel prioritized and all employees feel appreciated. Here, we'll explore how this organization puts people first. We'll also touch on what other healthcare organizations can learn from their example.

Houston Methodist’s Method of Putting People First

Leaders from Houston Methodist Hospital will be hosting a fireside chat at the next HR Healthcare event, where they will be discussing how their organization is putting people first "for a more comprehensive patient and employee experience.”

Based on their agenda for the event, the organization’s people-first strategy involves three approaches.

The first is identifying touchpoints in the patient and employee experience, then developing strategies to align them.

For example, they want to ensure their hospital’s physical environment is welcoming and accessible to both patients and employees. To accomplish this, they could redesign and renovate areas of the hospital to better accommodate the needs of both patients and employees. They could even redesign some of their processes, such as patient intake, to make them more people-centric.

Second, Houston Methodist is investing in employee training and development. They want to ensure every healthcare worker has the skills and knowledge to provide high-quality patient care. This is integral to the patient’s experience as it can enable employees to adapt more effectively to varying patient needs.

Finally, Houston Methodist will solicit feedback from both patients and employees about their experiences with the hospital. This strategy is critical to identifying points of friction and areas for improvement as well as the things the hospital is doing well from a people-centric perspective.

Using these methods, Houston Methodist can create world-class employee and patient experiences that lead to better health outcomes and higher rates of employee retention.

Learning from Houston Methodist’s Approach

Other healthcare organizations can learn a lot from Houston Methodist's people-first strategy, especially by focusing on both employee experiences and those of the patients.

In healthcare settings, the employee experience is often overlooked. However, a positive employee experience leads to satisfied employees who are more motivated and productive in their roles. This directly translates into better patient care and more positive patient experiences.

By focusing on areas like touchpoints, training and development, and feedback, healthcare organizations can ensure their patients receive the best care while creating an environment where employees feel supported.

Houston Methodist's people-first approach is a model that any healthcare organization can learn from and implement to create a more comprehensive patient and employee experience. When these two are properly balanced, it creates an environment of mutual respect and satisfaction, leading to improved health outcomes for everyone involved.

Learn How to Put People First at the Next HR Healthcare Event

There are plenty of other ways healthcare organizations can create more people-centric experiences for employees and patients. For example, they can prioritize patient safety and well-being, invest in employee engagement activities, or provide more flexibility for employees.

At the next HR Healthcare event, attendees will have the chance to learn from Houston Methodist’s example and gain insight into how other healthcare organizations are putting people first. It’s happening from October 2^nd to October 3^rd at the Austin Marriot Downtown in Austin, Texas.

Download the agenda and register for the event today.