The Journey to Improve Experience is Just “Beginning”: Reflecting on 5477 Days

by Jason A. Wolf, Ph.D, CPXP

Today is my last day. Well at least the last day of my first 15 years in working to establish and grow The Beryl Institute. I stepped into this opportunity 15 years ago tomorrow – April 12, 2010 – with an idea, a belief, and a relentless commitment that if we could create a safe, neutral space for shared learning and collaboration we could help elevate and sustain a commitment to experience excellence for healthcare organizations around the world.

The power of a space like this, of our global community, isn’t found in a name, but rather it is created through the actions and commitments of so many, of each of you, to something greater. Our community, while sparked by an idea of what was possible, has been built on the choices of tens of thousands of you across the globe who chose to show up, to be vulnerable in our personal and organizational challenges, to share our lessons learned, to give with generosity, to lead with compassion. That may be the greatest accomplishment we have seen and built together in the last decade and a half.

And our shared success hasn’t simply been the power of this community we created together because so many people showed up and gave of themselves to one another. What we have also done is create a powerful shared statement that has elevated the voice of experience from patient to human experience, that has stressed and proven the strategic importance and real value of an experience focus for healthcare organizations across the continuum of care, and that has been able to sustain this commitment, even in the face of occasional individual set-backs, and through some of the most challenging times faced by our generation.

That is a true spirit of transformation. That while we each work to address the issues we face locally, we continue to contribute globally. And while we can share our ideas globally, we continue to acknowledge all actions must be local. This flow of give and take, try and learn, share and grow, has been the breath that has filled the lungs of our community and sustained our movement. But most importantly what has carried us forward is that you showed up and continue to do so every day.

This flow of give and take, try and learn, share and grow, has been the breath that has filled the lungs of our community and sustained our movement.

Over 15 years from the initial roots of the definition of patient experience, to the foundational guiding principles, the integrating lenses of the experience framework, to the declaration for human experience, we as a community have continued to evolve together. We have worked with an unwavering intention to transform the future of healthcare.