Service Fanatics: How to Build Superior Patient Experience the Cleveland Clinic Way

Chapter 3

Leading for Change

Cleveland Clinic has made significant improvements in the patient experience, not because there is a CXO or an Office of Patient Experience, but because our president and CEO owns the patient experience as a strategic initiative. Our success in transformation occurred because the top person in the organization led the way.

When I confer with senior hospital leaders having responsibility for managing the patient experience, I often find their CEOs have little hand in leading or messaging it. Others tell me the CEO occasionally says it’s important, but holds no one accountable for improvement. This is confirmed in a HealthLeaders Media survey finding that 48 percent of hospital leaders think the patient experience is ...