Patient Experience Grant Program

In our commitment to expanding the global conversation on elevating the human experience in healthcare and the body of knowledge on this topic, The Beryl Institute established the Patient Experience Grant Program in 2010.

The mission of the program is to encourage and support research and inquiry on the following:

  • The value of focusing on patient experience at all touch points across the continuum of care
  • The impact a commitment to experience has on healthcare outcomes from clinical outcomes to financial results, consumer loyalty to community reputation

The goals of the program are to:

  • Broaden the dialogue on the value and impact of focusing on the patient experience
  • Increase the volume of data‐driven and evidence-based processes and practices in support of improving the patient and human experience in healthcare
  • Frame and expand the body of knowledge and support insights around the 8 strategic lenses of the experience framework that can inform and guide healthcare strategy and actions.

The Institute publishes a white paper or research report on the outcomes of each study. Recipients are also encouraged to present their findings at The Beryl Institute Patient Experience Conference.

2024 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
How can we translate the patient experience framework used to guide patient-centered healthcare to research to enhance the experience of research study participants/volunteers?

UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA
How can engaging frontline team members in patient experience initiatives improve the Net Promoter Score (NPS) related to patients' likelihood to recommend the health system?

University of Minnesota M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN
What is the impact of automating family inclusion in daily family-centered rounds on patient experience using the novel rounding software Q-rounds?

Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO
How can engaging providers in a quality improvement effort enhance the experience of pediatric patients and their families in Ambulatory clinics?

2023 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Luminis Health, Annapolis, MD
Can the implementation of dyad rounding (nurse/physician) positively influence the patient perception of nurse/physician communication and contribute to a reduction in length-of-stay?

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson, MD
How does the addition of a sensory-friendly, engaging and interdisciplinary space in the intensive care unit elevate the patient, colleague and community experience?

2022 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
Providing timely and accessible resources, information and amenities through the development of a Hospitality Center

Black Cancer Collaborative | BVOGUE (Black Voices on Gynecologic Center: Understanding Experiences)
How do Black gynecologic cancer patients diagnosed before age 40 describe their cancer care and experiences of racism and/or bias related to that care? 

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada
Evaluating a co-designed patient-facing digital hub for enhancing patient engagement in research

Children's Hospital Colorado
Ambulatory interventions to improve patient experience scores around post-discharge instructions

Alberta Health Services, Alberta Canada
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on PFCC practices, experiences of patients/families and care providers, and transition services 

Northwell Health
A qualitative study examining patient experience factors and drivers within the home care setting

Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Can adding a Net Promoter Score question be translated to add value to improving the patient experience in a public hospital setting?

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Can an innovative, immersive, reverse roleplay initiative change the perspectives of clinical staff and their practice improving the Patient and Family Experience?

2021 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY
A qualitative study examining descriptive characteristics of a patient experience leader within a hospital setting 

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson, MD
Improving the patient experience for hospitalized patients through a recreational art program 

Providence Institute for Human Caring, Dana Point, CA
Improving health equity, patient engagement and the care experience with storytelling 

Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Leveraging the Patient Experience to Enhance Resident Joy in Work 

Southwestern Health Resources, Mansfield, TX
What matters to patients? Assessing the quality of the patient journey through questionnaires or interview instruments that capture patients’ perceptions of satisfaction 

Centura Health, Parker, CO
Do patient comments gathered by digital two-way texting provide more relevant insights into patient satisfaction and experience than comments offered in HCAHPS and ED CAHPS surveys? 

GROW Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Exploring the impact of digital visit preparation on patient satisfaction with prenatal care at an obstetrics clinic  

Banner Health, Phoenix, AZ
Can a PX mini-grants program lead to greater engagement of employees in improving patient-reported outcome metrics in acute and ambulatory settings?  

Ascension Valley Residence, Chattanooga, TN
A study on how the Reading2Connect® Program impacts the social/emotional well-being of long-term care residents and the level of stress and of job satisfaction of staff 

2020 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC
Improving Family Engagement in Team Rounds through Admission Orientation and Expectation-Setting 

University of Utah School of Medicine, Dept. of Anesthesiology, Salt Lake City, UT
Improving Patient Satisfaction Scores by providing Patient Support Individuals during Preoperative Anesthesia Discussions 

Sutter Amador Hospital, Jackson, CA
Improving Patient Satisfaction by Changing the Environment in the ED Lobby and Patient Rooms 

Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Improving Transitions in Care Processes between Acute and Community Settings in a time of COVID-19 

NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, New York, NY
Improving the Human Experience in a Pediatric Emergency Department through Art 

Sutter Health, W. Sacramento, CA
Building Organizational Bench Strength to Consistently Provide an Excellent Patient Experience 

Cohen Children’s Medical Center, A Division of Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY
Reducing Perceived Stress Levels of Family Caregivers of Pediatric Patients through Relaxation  

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and the University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE
Preparedness for Transition to Adult-Centered Care in Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease 

Kaiser Permanente, Clackamas, OR
Impact of the Patient Advocate on Patients and Healthcare Organizations 

University of Tennessee, College of Nursing, Knoxville, TN
Patient-Defined Value of Recovery following Cardiac Surgery 

2019 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
Can the Canadian Patient Safety Framework be utilized as a formal approach to addressing quality of care concerns that are received through the Patient Relations office?  

OSU Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
How can we create a more personalized patient experience for non-English speaking patients?

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
How does the involvement of a patient partner as a co-learner within the didactic learning of the Practice-Based Research and Innovation Fellowship program impact the development of Fellows’ quality improvement projects and impact the experience of learners?

The Urgency Room, Woodbury, MN
Can training of guest service staff through simulation exercises improve staff comfort and effectiveness in dealing with challenging patient interactions?

Planned Parenthood, Overland Park, KS
What is the patient experience of transgender patients receiving transgender care services in a family planning clinic in the U.S. South?

Vidant Health, Greenville, NC 
Can the integration of a design-thinking framework refresh utilization of Communication Whiteboards to strengthen interprofessional partnerships, improve patient and family experiences, and increase team member engagement? 

Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA
Can patient and MD/RN communication be improved by providing On Demand education on high reliability error prevention tools to patients? 

Alberta Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Communication: What and how is information shared with patients/clients from staff and between staff/clinicians as it relates to care and care decisions?

Augusta Health, Augusta, GA
How well are we preparing patients, families, caregivers and staff for the dying process?  

Monadnock Community Hospital, Peterborough, NH
How can small rural hospitals support family caregivers to allow them to be true partners in care?

Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 
Does a family immersion experience provide an educational benefit to pediatric residents by increasing skills and knowledge in the four constructs of empathy?

VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA
Improving the patient experience of veterans with spinal cord injury through the “My Life, My Story” project.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 
A look at provider performance scores from the intersection of patient and provider demographics.

Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Evaluation of bedside communication and its impact on the patient’s daily goals, patient satisfaction, trainee satisfaction, and patient activation.

Hamilton Health, St. Peter’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON, Canada 
Patients and Families: How can we build capacity among staff to seek experience feedback, use the data to inform improvement opportunities, and collaborate to arrive at solutions?

2018 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Banner Health, Phoenix, AZ
Predicting healthcare consumer behavior: A cognitive-emotional-behavioral model

Christus Health, San Antonio, TX
What are the fears, worries and concerns that families experience in health care and how can we as health care providers best address and mitigate these fears?

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Impact of health information technologies (HIT) on patient-provider relationships

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest,  San Diego, CA 
Leveraging technology to provide meaningful input into systems, processes, and the patient experience 

WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta, GA
Does standardized Patient Experience training impact perceptions and clinical practice by medical and surgical residents?

UF Health, Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program, Gainesville, FL 
Comparing quality outcomes of patients who utilize the Patient Handbook and those who do not

Penn State Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Camp Hill, PA
Can you provide an improved patient experience and increase medical knowledge by creating a more interactive exam room?

University of Tennessee, College of Nursing, Knoxville, TN
Diabetes burnout: Lived experiences of individuals with type 1 diabetes

Sunnybrook Heath Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
What is the effectiveness of a practice-based research & innovation fellowship program in embedding the importance of patient and family engagement within quality improvement among health professionals?

Penn State Health, Middletown, PA
What is the relationship between bariatric patients’ reported perception of food insecurity, poor dietary quality & variety, and weight loss outcomes at 6 and 12 months post-surgery?

Royal Ambulance, San Leandro, CA
As a medical transport company, how can we collaborate with our partner hospitals to reach our common goals of improving patient care?

2017 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Training Patient/Family Advisors to Gather Real-Time In-Patient Experience Data: A Pilot Study within Alberta Health Services

Deakin University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Australia
Improving Older People’s Experience in Transitional Care: Evaluation of the TRANSITION Tool

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Improving the Patient Experience through Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) 

Memorial Regional Health, Craig, CO
Quietness of Environment

Narrows Institute for Biomedical Research & Educ., Inc. c/o VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, NY 
Eliciting Patient Perspectives on Telehealth Care

Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY
Impact of Communication Skills Training on Physician Burnout and Patient Centeredness

Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center, Mechanicsburg, PA
Will the Integration of the Non-pharmacological Intervention of Essential Oil Use in the Vascular Surgery Patient Population Result in Improved Pain Management, Decreased Anxiety, and Decreased Opioid Use, and Improve the Patient Experience?

Saint Thomas Health, Nashville, TN
ED Admission to Inpatient HCAHPS Tactics

Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA
Parent Attitudes and Preferences Regarding Cost Discussions during Pediatrics Bedside Rounds

Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA
Stanford Health Care's Resident Communication Assessment Program (ReCAP)

Unity Point Health, Des Moines, IA 
First Visit Patient Experience

University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Person Centered Care: Definitions and Perceptions of Various Stakeholders

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Speaking Wisely: Analyzing Patients’ Sentiments Towards Different Styles of Radiology Reports

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
What is the Patient's Experience of Interprofessional Team-based Care: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study of Patients' Experiences in Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers in East Tennessee

2016 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Chamberlain College of Nursing, Cleveland Campus, Kirtland, OH
Empathy Education in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program

Children’s National Health Network, Washington, DC
Best Practices Surrounding Medical Errors, Adverse Events and Conflict: Improving Physician Communication and Patient Experience

Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX
The Impact of Artwork in a Pediatric Clinical Environment on Staff, Patients and Families

Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA
Explaining the Relationship Between Length of Stay and Patient Satisfaction

Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, Wheaton, IL
Establishing Evidence-Based Benchmarks & Guidelines for the Field of Patient Advocacy

Madonna St. Jane de Chantal Long Term Care Services, Lincoln, NE
Increasing Social Connectivity of Nursing Home Residents with Their Care-giving Staff

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Integrating Patients and Families into the Clinical and Outcomes Research Process

Niagara Health, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Researching the Added Value of Behavior Based Qualitative Experiential Data to a Survey Based Questionnaire in Establishing a Patient Experience Charter at the Walker Family Cancer Centre

Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY
Effectiveness of the Northwell Health, Communication Model, C.O.N.N.E.C.T., on Employee Engagement and Patient Experience

OSUCCC - James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH
James Inpatient Nutrition Services: Improving Patient Satisfaction

Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, MO
Empathy Huddles

Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, CA
Needs Assessment to Improve Patient Experience with Limited English Proficiency

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
Thoracic Patient Mapping Initiative

University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI
Improving Patient Experience by Addressing Provider Compassion Fatigue

VHA Home Healthcare, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Exploring Parent's Perceptions and Experiences of Client and Family-centred Care (CFCC) in Homecare: A Photovoice Study

2015 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Columbia University, New York, NY
The Use and Effectiveness of Family Meetings in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ
Can Patient Satisfaction with Foodservice Impact the Patient’s Overall Satisfaction with their Hospital Experience?

Jewish Home Lifecare, New York, NY
Integrating Person Directed Care into the Client Experience

Kaiser Permanente, Irvine, CA
Increase Quality and Efficiency of Nurse Leader Patient Rounding Using a Peer Feedback Process Medical

College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Improving Patient Experience through QI Efforts Aimed at Improving Communication in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Michigan State University, Department of Family Medicine, East Lansing, MI
Patient Engagement in Primary Care Practice: Form, Function, and Outcome

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, Cleburne, TX
The Impact of Including Hospitalized Patients in Morning and Evening Nursing Bedside Report on Anxiety and Perceptions of Patient Experience During Hospitalization

Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
The Impact of Including Hospitalized Patients in Morning and Evening Nursing Bedside Report on Anxiety and Perceptions of Patient Experience During Hospitalization

University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Transition Interventions for Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions

2014 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

BMCC, City University of New York - New York, NY
The Influence of Patient Engagement Factors on Access, Health Communication and Quality of Care

Butler Hospital - Providence, RI 
Video Orientation to Enhance the Patient Experience

Carilion Clinic Hospice - Rocky Mount, VA
Post Hospice Committed Care Program

Emory University/Emory Healthcare - Atlanta, GA
Wait Times, Patient Perceptions and Their Impact on the Patient Experience in Radiology

Hospital for Sick Children - Toronto, ON
Piloting a Hospital-Based Tool for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Lehigh Valley Health Network - Allentown, PA
Using Scripted Communications During Periods of Transformational Change to Increase Patient Satisfaction

McLeod Regional Medical Center - Florence, SC
Group Interaction for Pain Diversion in the Renal Patient

The Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center - Charleston, SC
The Impact of Healthcare Partner Seating on Patient's Perception of Care

MIT Sloan School of Management - Cambridge, MA
Hospital Transport Services: Implications for Patient Satisfaction

Yale-New Haven Hospital-St. Raphael Campus - New Haven, CT
Patients' Perception on Bedside Rounds

2013 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Alegent Creighton Clinic - Omaha, NE
Scripting Evidenced Based Care to Increase Patient Satisfaction

Baptist Health South Florida - Miami, FL
Evaluation of an Innovative Multi-Strategy Approach to Kangaroo Care Promotion in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Fairfax Family Practice Centers/George Mason University - Fairfax, VA
Explore the Relationship of Care Coordination in a Patient Centered Medical Home in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Liberty Health/Jersey City Medical Center - Jersey City, NJ
The Magic of Recovery

Joan's Family Bill of Rights - Los Angeles, CA
Medical School Focus on the Patient Experience

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare - Memphis, TN
Improving Doctor Communication through Culture Training: A Case Study on the Effect of Physician Culture Training on Patient Perceptions of Doctor-to-Patient Communication

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital - Fort Worth, TX
The Impact of Safe Zone Implementation to Improve the Hospital Experience of Patients in Isolation Environments

The Children's Hospital at Montefiore - Bronx, NY
Increased Nurse Presence at the Bed Side Makes a Difference in a Favorable Patient Experience

UCLA Health System - Los Angeles, CA
Improving Patient Satisfaction through Physician Education, Feedback and Incentives

UCLA Health System - Los Angeles, CA
Readmissions in the Era of Patient Engagement

University of Washington/Seattle Children's Hospital - Seattle, WA
Patient Experience Cycle for Electrophysiology Procedures

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, TX
Identifying Patient Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers Regarding the Diagnostic Center Process

WellSpan Center for Mind-Body Health - Gettysburg, PA
Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Cardiac Outpatients

York Hospital Wellspan Health - York, PA
Implementation of an Incentive Walking Program to Reduce Post-operative Complications, Decrease Length of Hospital Stay and to Promote Wellness for the General Surgical Patient

2012 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Middlesex Hospital – Middletown, CT
Voice of the Patient

Nemours Children's Health System – Wilmington, DE
Teaching Students from Varied Health Professions about Working Together to Elevate the Patient Experience

Regions Hospital – St. Paul, MN
Improving Patient Experience and Employee Engagement in the Birth Center

Sharp Coronado Hospital – Coronado, CA
The Effect of Soothing Sound Machines and Meditation Using CD Players on Relaxation in Acute Care Orthopedic Patients

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center – Columbus, OH
What Kind of Doctors Do Our Patients Want? Medical Student Exploration of Effective Physician-Patient and Physician-Coworker Relationships

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI
The Interdisciplinary Model: An Effective Approach to Patient Family-Centered Healthcare at a Tertiary Care Specialty Brachial Plexus Program

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – Milwaukee, WI
Sharing Positive Impact Stories

2011 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Carson City Hospital – Carson City, MI
The Impact of Intentional and Consistent Discharge Information

Community Medical Center – Missoula, MT
Using Tablet Computers to Provide Patient Education

Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview, TX 
Enhancing the Great Expectations Program to Impact Overall Patient Experience

Lehigh Valley Physician Group – Allentown, PA
Engaging Patients With Enhanced Communication

North Shore University Hospital – Manhasset, NY
Perceived Patient Benefit from Eye Masks, Ear Plugs, Reflexology Techniques, and Comfort Positions after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Electrophysiology Procedures

The Johns Hopkins Hospital – Baltimore, MD
Impact of Structured Healthcare Provider-Family Communication on the Patient-Family Experience in a Neurocritical Care Unit

University of Arizona Medical Center – Tucson, AZ
Exploring Qualitative Patient Responses from Two Approaches to Refine Best Practices

York Hospital-WellSpan Health – York, PA
Use of Communication Boards to Engage Patients and Families in Their Plan of Care

2010 Patient Experience Grant Program Recipients

Exempla St. Joseph Hospital – Denver, CO
Effectiveness of the Patient Navigator Role with the Inpatient Cardiovascular Population

Massachusetts General Hospital – Boston, MA
Strengthening Communication between Patients, Families and Care Providers

Morristown Memorial Hospital – Morristown, NJ
Standardizing the Approach to Communication and Patient Family Care in Adult ICU

Roper Saint Francis Foundation – Charleston, SC
Restructuring New Hire Orientation Processes Impact Employee Engagement and Patient Experience: One Health Care System

Saint Thomas Hospital – Nashville, TN
Strategies to Improve Nurse to Family Member Communication about Critically Ill Patients

Salem Hospital Foundation – Salem, OR
Caring for Patients at End of Life "One Size” Doesn't Fit All

St. Joseph Hospital – Orange, CA
"Spotlighting": An Innovative Approach to Bring "Sacred Encounters" Alive in the Patient Experience

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation – Tallahassee, FL
Translation of Survey Forms to Measure Spanish Speaking Patient Experience and Satisfaction

The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano – Plano, TX
The Effects of Nursing Intervention to Reduce Noise in Critical Care to Improve Patient Satisfaction and Outcomes

Bridgeport Hospital – Bridgeport, CT
Impact of Post Discharge Phone Calls to Readmissions of Patients with Congestive Heart Failure