Become a Leader in the Patient Experience Movement

By Stacy Palmer

I recently received a note from a new member who is early in her career and looking for ways to maximize her membership to get “plugged in” to the Institute and gain credibility within the patient experience community. We get questions like this often. While passionate about getting involved in the patient experience movement, many of our members aren’t quite sure how to get started.

To help, I want to share the suggestions I gave her. I believe they are applicable for patient experience leaders at any stage. First, leadership is not about years of experience. It’s about influence (and willingness to contribute). While healthcare has been around for centuries, a focused patient experience movement is still taking shape at all levels of healthcare organizations. To “plug in” and be a leader, you need to do one thing – share.

The power of sharing is what The Beryl Institute community is built upon and in doing so people reap even greater benefits themselves. Leadership in our movement is grounded in a generosity of spirit and contribution, collaboration and openness.

 The Beryl Institute offers many ways for you to share and be active participants in the patient experience movement.

• Get engaged in the conversation. That’s the best way to share what you’re doing and learn from others. We have Patient Experience Leaders and Patient Advocacy listservs that are very active. Be sure to sign up for those and respond to questions and/or pose your own. And when you find something that’s successful in your organization – share it through a case study.
• Attend a live event. We have a very engaged, energetic community and they love meeting and brainstorming with new people. It’s also a great chance to find a mentor. We have two Regional Roundtables coming up in October – one in Boston and one in Seattle. And Patient Experience Conference 2015 will be April 8-10, 2015 in Dallas. If travel is a concern, you can talk to other members via phone on our monthly topic calls.
• Immerse yourself in the PX Body of Knowledge (BOK). It’s a community-driven framework highlighting the 15 domains critical for an effective PX leader. We currently have courses available for 8 of the 15 domains with the other 7 coming soon. You can gain lots of information from other resources available through your membership, but I always recommend the BOK courses to people looking to establish a solid foundation.

One of our members recently commented that he views his involvement with The Beryl Institute as much more than a membership. He believes his engagement is a bigger statement supporting the patient experience movement. His outlook exemplifies the passion we see everyday from the community.

In fact, I am constantly amazed by the eagerness of our members to contribute, get involved and truly become leaders in the movement. With over 60 members on our boards and councils, subgroups like the Patient Advocacy and Physician communities, and regular contributors to our guest blog, case studies and On the Road program, those desiring to be thought leaders in this critical movement have a place. You just need to choose to engage.

And for the many of you already involved in The Beryl Institute who want to do even more to support the movement, my advice to you is the same: share. One of the greatest ways to be a leader in the patient experience movement is to pass along a story, case study, research report or other resource that might inspire those around you to look at their roles differently, to see the impact they can have on creating the best possible experience for patients, families and caregivers. Simply, share. 

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”  – Robert Louis Stevenson

Stacy Palmer
Vice President, Strategy and Member Experience
The Beryl Institute