Meet the Patient Experience Expert: Mallory Magelli McKeown

Mallory is a healthcare professional dedicated to improving the patient experience. With a background in roles like chaplain and family advocate, Mallory’s mission is simplifying healthcare for patients and families. From advisory councils to patient advocacy, she amplifies the patient’s voice. At Feedtrail, she redefines the patient-provider relationship, asking vital questions to guide healthcare leaders toward patient-centered changes. Her goal: revolutionizing healthcare by putting patients’ needs first.

Share a fun fact about yourself.

I am a compulsive audiobook listener (and I listen at 1.5x speed). I read/listen to 60+ books a year! As a bonus fact, as a chaplain I got to officiate a wedding in the hospital for a patient’s parents and he was the “bouquet” she carried down the aisle- you can see the pictures here: https://people.com/human-interest/bride-carries-preemie-down-wedding-aisle-photos/.

What inspired you to work in the patient experience space?

Growing up, I had several friends and family members who experienced chronic illnesses that brought me to the bedside frequently and inspired my work as a hospital chaplain. During my time as a chaplain, I became passionate about patient experience as a whole and thinking more broadly about how patients and families engage with larger healthcare system.

What is your favorite part of partnering with clients on patient and employee experience?

I love to see how a client takes feedback and either 1) uses it to inspire and lift up their teams providing care or 2) make authentic changes in direct response to patient need. I also love unique use cases that allow for creativity and add some fun.

What do you find most rewarding about working closely with healthcare clients?

It is refreshing and inspiriting to see how our clients work to authentically make healthcare more accessible for all people and want to hear how they can better improve their processes. Their passion for making their organizations what their patients need gives me hope and propels my work.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, hearts everywhere are aflutter with expressions of love and appreciation. In the realm of healthcare, there’s a unique and transformative love story unfolding—one with patient feedback at its core. Join me in celebrating the romance that blossoms when healthcare providers fall head over heels for the valuable insights shared by their patients.

The First Glance: Acknowledging the Power of Patient Feedback

Just like a captivating first glance, the journey of falling in love with patient feedback begins with recognition. Healthcare providers are discovering the immense power embedded in the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of their patients. It’s a realization that patient feedback is not just data; it’s a narrative that, when heard, can shape the course of compassionate and patient-centric care.

The Courtship: Building Trust Through Open Communication

In any blossoming romance, open communication is key. Healthcare providers are courting patient feedback by fostering a culture of transparency and active listening. Patient surveys, feedback forms, and real-time engagement platforms become the channels through which this courtship thrives. Trust is cultivated as patients see their voices not just heard but valued in shaping the healthcare experience.

The Love Letters: Transforming Insights into Action

Patient feedback is akin to love letters, brimming with raw emotions and valuable insights. The magic happens when healthcare providers take these love letters to heart and transform them into actionable improvements. Whether it’s addressing concerns promptly or celebrating commendable moments, providers demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement fueled by the love they hold for their patients.

The Proposal: Committing to Patient-Centric Care

As the love story deepens, healthcare providers make a bold proposal: a commitment to patient-centric care. This involves integrating patient feedback into the very fabric of organizational culture. The proposal signifies a promise to prioritize the patient experience, ensuring that every aspect of healthcare delivery aligns with the desires and needs expressed by those under their care.

The Everlasting Commitment: Nurturing the Relationship

Falling in love with patient feedback isn’t just a fleeting romance—it’s an everlasting commitment. Healthcare providers vow to continuously nurture the relationship, recognizing that the journey toward excellence in patient care is ongoing. Through regular feedback loops, providers stay attuned to evolving patient needs, ensuring that their commitment remains steadfast.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s celebrate the love story between healthcare providers and patient feedback. In this union, we find the seeds of transformative change, a commitment to excellence, and a shared vision of a healthcare landscape that cherishes the voices of those it serves. Here’s to falling in love with the profound impact patient feedback can have on shaping a healthier, happier, and more patient-centric future.

About Ryan Phillips, Customer Success: Ryan Phillips is a member of the Feedtrail Customer Success team and based in Long Beach, California. Ryan’s background in management consulting allowed him to bring expertise in software deployment and professional services to Feedtrail as the company’s first employee. Since then, Ryan has played a pivotal role in implementing, supporting, and strategizing with customers both large and small. Ryan has also had in hand in facilitating the development of the Feedtrail XM Platform applications such as employee experience, flexible messaging, and rounding.

Meet the Patient Experience Expert: Nikki Angeli MHA, BSN, RN, CPHQ, CPXP

Nikki is a Patient Experience Strategist at Feedtrail. She is a seasoned ICU nurse turned dynamic healthcare consultant, with over a decade of diverse experience across various patient care settings, fostering a profound understanding of healthcare intricacies. Holding national certifications in Patient Experience and Healthcare Quality, their commitment remains steadfast in upholding the highest standards of care. As a dedicated lifelong learner, her passion for continuous improvement and innovative approaches aligns seamlessly with a focus on streamlining healthcare processes for optimal efficiency. Bridging the realms of expertise and innovation, her mission is to contribute significantly to the healthcare landscape, ensuring unparalleled patient care.

Share a fun fact about yourself:

I have traveled to Scotland for the sole purpose of whitewater kayaking.

What got you into the patient experience space: 

After years of striving to improve patient satisfaction scores and leading unsuccessful improvement projects, it became clear that depending on delayed patient feedback indicators was not an effective approach. My introduction to the world of Feedtrail was a revelation. Its real-time responses, capacity to ask targeted questions to specific groups, and the ability to display follow-up questions only when needed showcased a new and powerful way to gather insights. Witnessing the abundance of actionable information, I haven’t turned away from it since!

What is your favorite part of partnering with clients on patient and employee experience:

Getting to be a part of the “ah ha” moment when someone stumbles upon something in their data that they didn’t know existed before.

What is a key challenge healthcare organizations face in optimizing patient experiences:

Balancing multiple priorities can make it challenging to dedicate time to analyze data and pinpoint where to start to improve the patient experience. Allocating resources based solely on anecdotal evidence without comprehensive data analysis can result in wasted resources that may not significantly impact the overall patient experience.

Meet the Patient Experience Expert: Ryan Phillips

Ryan is a member of the Feedtrail Customer Success team and based in Long Beach, California. Ryan’s background in management consulting allowed him to bring expertise in software deployment and professional services to Feedtrail as the company’s first employee. Since then, Ryan has played a pivotal role in implementing, supporting, and strategizing with customers both large and small. Ryan has also had in hand in facilitating the development of the Feedtrail XM Platform applications such as employee experience, flexible messaging, and rounding.

Share a fun fact about yourself:

I’m the youngest of 5 siblings and there are 22 years between me and the oldest!

What’s a book that inspired you personally and professionally and how has it helped shaped your mindset?

The book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie changed my life as a high schooler. I have always been a people person, but that book made it clear to me how important it was to speak to people in a way that resonated with them as individuals and use everyone’s favorite word – their own name!

What is your favorite part of partnering with clients on improving the patient and employee experience?

The collaboration – I love being a part of both the Feedtrail team and the client’s team. Helping clients leverage our platform to identify how they can dig deeper into their existing data, working with our contacts to build out secondary and tertiary questions, and helping them share these results internally so the organization can take action makes it all worth it.

Share a moment in your career when you felt particularly inspired by the impact of positive patient experiences?

The Feedtrail platform has an awesome ability to allow patients to ‘request a response to a concern’ when filling out a survey. I see this in feedback all the time where a patient can get answers to questions regarding their medication, seeing a different provider going forward, or just getting another appointment scheduled. However, we had one instance where a patient used this feature to alert her care team of a domestic issues she was experiencing at home, and our client was able to alert the authorities, find the patient a safe space, and help the patient begin a new chapter in their life.

As we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is essential to reflect on the profound impact this visionary leader had on shaping the landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). As a Patient Experience Expert at Feedtrail, I find it particularly pertinent to explore how Martin Luther King’s principles have left an indelible mark on the DEI initiatives we witness in healthcare today.

Martin Luther King’s legacy is synonymous with the relentless pursuit of equality and justice for all. His advocacy for civil rights not only transformed the social fabric of America but also set in motion a broader cultural shift towards recognizing and addressing systemic inequalities. The echoes of King’s dream reverberate strongly in the efforts of healthcare organizations striving to create an inclusive and equitable environment for both patients and staff.

One of King’s key teachings that resonates in healthcare is the importance of understanding and embracing diversity. King envisioned a world where individuals would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. In healthcare, this translates to recognizing the unique needs of diverse patient populations, ensuring representation in the healthcare workforce, and dismantling barriers that may disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

Moreover, King’s emphasis on equity aligns with the healthcare sector’s commitment to providing access to quality care. DEI initiatives in healthcare aim to bridge gaps in healthcare disparities, acknowledging that every patient deserves fair treatment, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. The fight against health inequities is deeply intertwined with King’s vision of a just society.

The impact of Martin Luther King’s legacy is evident in the ongoing efforts of healthcare organizations to promote inclusivity. By prioritizing DEI, healthcare providers are working towards building trust among diverse patient populations. King’s teachings guide these initiatives, emphasizing empathy, understanding, and cultural competence in patient interactions.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is crucial to recognize that the work towards achieving his dream is ongoing. Healthcare organizations, inspired by King’s legacy, continue to evolve their DEI strategies, fostering environments where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. By integrating King’s principles into the fabric of healthcare, we honor his legacy and contribute to the realization of a more just and equitable society—one patient experience at a time.

About Ryan Phillips, Customer Success: Ryan Phillips is a member of the Feedtrail Customer Success team and based in Long Beach, California. Ryan’s background in management consulting allowed him to bring expertise in software deployment and professional services to Feedtrail as the company’s first employee. Since then, Ryan has played a pivotal role in implementing, supporting, and strategizing with customers both large and small. Ryan has also had in hand in facilitating the development of the Feedtrail XM Platform applications such as employee experience, flexible messaging, and rounding.

As we step into a new year, healthcare quality managers find themselves at the forefront of transforming patient experience. In the dynamic healthcare landscape, staying ahead requires a strategic approach. As a Patient Experience Expert at Feedtrail, I’m excited to present four essential resolutions for quality managers in 2024, focusing on reading and reacting to trends, managing external presence, prioritizing DEI, and embracing digital transformation.

1. Don’t Just Read, React to Your Trends:

In the era of dynamic patient expectations, resolution one emphasizes the need to move beyond mere data collection. Quality managers and patient experience managers must not just read, but actively react to emerging trends. See a question scoring below your goal? Have a service line that is underperforming? Identified a friction point being mentioned more often? Utilize advanced analytics and real-time feedback tools to stay ahead of patient sentiments by promptly addressing concerns and amplifying positive experiences. Acting on your data allows your organization to proactively shape patient perception and satisfaction.

2. Manage Your External Presence (Particularly on Google and Yelp):

A patient’s journey often starts online, making resolution two crucial for success. Managing your external presence, especially on platforms like Google and Yelp, is essential. Quality managers should ensure it’s easy for happy patients to leave reviews, oversee the organization’s reviews, respond to patient feedback, and actively engage in reputation management. A positive online presence not only attracts new patients, but also builds trust and credibility in the community. If your competitor has more reviews, and a higher star rating… who could blame a patient for choosing to go there for care.

3. S-T-A-Y with DEI:

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) isn’t a passing trend; it’s a fundamental aspect of delivering patient-centered care. Healthcare, like all business, requires a deep knowledge of their customers. Recognize the unique needs of diverse patient populations, work to understand and remove barriers to patient access, ensure representation in staff, and implement culturally competent practices. Incorporating identifiers into your experience data and surveying patients and employees on their perceptions is essential to provide equitable care. By embracing DEI principles, healthcare organizations can foster an inclusive environment that resonates with all patients.

4. Embrace Digital Transformation:

Resolution four underscores the pivotal role of digital transformation in enhancing patient experience. From virtual appointments to user-friendly mobile apps, quality managers must lead the charge in adopting and integrating digital tools seamlessly. Collaborate with IT teams to ensure the technology aligns with patient needs while prioritizing privacy and security. For organizations still using labor-intensive paper surveys or lagging post-discharge outreach, now is the time to explore the benefits of digital surveys with real-time actionable feedback. The era of digital transformation is here, and healthcare organizations must evolve to meet patient expectations.

In conclusion, 2024 holds immense potential for healthcare organizations to redefine patient experience. By actively reacting to trends, managing online presence, prioritizing DEI, and embracing digital transformation, quality managers can spearhead positive change. Let’s make 2024 the year healthcare not only adapts but excels in delivering patient-centric, inclusive, and technologically advanced care. Feedtrail’s experience management platform can help you reach your goals this year with customizable real-time surveys, easy to digest advanced analytics, reputation management tools, and more. Talk to one of our experience experts and get your year off to the right start!

About Ryan Phillips, Customer Success: Ryan Phillips is a member of the Feedtrail Customer Success team and based in Long Beach, California. Ryan’s background in management consulting allowed him to bring expertise in software deployment and professional services to Feedtrail as the company’s first employee. Since then, Ryan has played a pivotal role in implementing, supporting, and strategizing with customers both large and small. Ryan has also had in hand in facilitating the development of the Feedtrail XM Platform applications such as employee experience, flexible messaging, and rounding.

MGMA Conference 2023: Key Topics and Takeaways Impacting Physician Practices

Every day in the healthcare industry is a test for operational leaders. And while many know the biggest questions they’ll face, the nuances behind those questions, and the answers to them, are not always clear. That’s why the professional version of peer study groups – gatherings like the annual Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Leaders Conference – are critical forums to discuss the most pressing issues facing medical practices and healthcare organizations, and the perfect space to collaborate on how to address them. The MGMA conference serves as a platform for attendees to learn from experts, exchange ideas, and stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices in healthcare management.

We had the opportunity to meet with attendees at the MGMA Conference 2023 and share how they can use patient experience data and initiatives to impact the bottom line and support their goals. Between the educational sessions and our insightful conversations with attendees, we walked away with a snapshot of the key topics impacting physician practices and wanted to share them.

Warren Mullis, Jace Kienzle, and Amber Bailey representing Feedtrail at the MGMA Conference 2023.

5 Key Topics: A Glimpse of the Event

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest subjects of discussion at the conference were likely already familiar not just to healthcare experts, but to anyone who follows the industry. Timely topics included:

1. Patient-Centered Care: A foundational principle in modern healthcare, patient-centered care places patients at the forefront of healthcare delivery, emphasizing their unique needs, preferences, and values. It was a significant focus at the MGMA Conference 2023. Key takeaways regarding this approach include:

• It presents many opportunities to improve patient experience and satisfaction. By prioritizing patient needs, healthcare providers can significantly improve patient satisfaction. Sessions at the conference highlighted strategies to enhance the overall patient experience, such as emphasizing better communication, reducing wait times, and creating comfortable and welcoming environments.
• Organizations need helpful aids to boost patient engagement: Engaging patients in decision-making is a critical aspect of patient-centered care. The conference featured discussions on tools and technologies that enable patients to actively participate in their healthcare decisions and management, such as patient portals and personalized reminders.
• Cultural competence is a must. Recognizing and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of patients is essential to fostering strong patient retention and attaining more successful outcomes. Healthcare professionals were encouraged to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) data into their patient engagement efforts to ensure they’re sensitive to individual differences and provide equitable care.

2. Adaptive Leadership: Adaptive leadership is crucial in a constantly evolving healthcare industry. Healthcare leaders must be flexible, resilient, and ready to address emerging challenges. As Cassandra Worthy, Founder and CEO of Change Enthusiasm Global, said in her keynote session, “Change happens for you, not to you.” At the MGMA Conference 2023, adaptive leadership was a central theme, and attendees gained insights into:

• Change Management: Managing change effectively is a key component of adaptive leadership. The conference addressed strategies for leading teams through significant transitions, such as appointing change champions at different levels in the organization who others can turn to for support or questions and celebrating short-term wins.
• Innovation: Embracing innovation and encouraging a culture of innovation within healthcare organizations was emphasized. Adaptive leaders are open to new ideas and technologies that can enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
• Resilience: Healthcare leaders were encouraged to develop personal resilience, as well as foster resilience within their teams. One session focused on empowering the audience to self-assess their change emotions and redirect anxiety and fears into moments of opportunity.

3. Technological Advancements: The rapid advancement of technology in healthcare has transformed the industry, making it crucial for healthcare leaders to stay current with the latest innovations. The MGMA Conference 2023 addressed technological advancements such as:

• Telemedicine: The expansion of telemedicine was a significant topic. Healthcare leaders explored the benefits and challenges of telehealth services, which have become even more vital in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) study were shared, showing that 94% of healthcare practices anticipate investing in technologies or solutions that support connectivity and telehealth.
• Real-Time Patient Experience Solutions: Long gone are the days of waiting weeks or months to hear about a patient’s experience. Organizations are taking advantage of real-time patient experience surveys and messages to learn from patients in the moment, inform operations, and promote new offerings or marketing messages.
• Emerging Technologies: Attendees talked through ways to leverage emerging technologies such as using artificial intelligence (AI), robotic-assisted surgery, and wearable health devices, which have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

4. Financial Sustainability: The financial sustainability of medical practices and healthcare organizations is a critical consideration for leaders, particularly given that 2022 was seen as the most financially challenging year for hospitals and health systems since the start of the pandemic. At the conference, financial sustainability was addressed through discussions on:

• Value-Based Care Models: Value-based care emphasizes outcomes over volume of services rendered and is reliant on strong and meaningful patient engagement. It can support more predictable revenue streams in times of industry uncertainty.
• Cost Reduction Strategies: Healthcare leaders were encouraged to explore cost reduction strategies while maintaining high-quality care. This includes efficient resource allocation and a focus on retaining patients. By listening to the patient voice, using patient feedback to improve patient experiences, and performing real-time service recovery, organizations can retain more reoccurring revenue.
• Reputation Management: With patients turning to Google when they need a new provider, the role of review sites and social media in healthcare is only growing. Healthcare reputation management tools can help expand the online brand of your organization and physicians, encouraging happy patients to leave reviews.

5. Physician Well-Being: Healthcare organizations can’t expect to promote overall patient wellness or provide excellent care if their staff and clinicians, particularly physicians, are struggling with emotional and mental unrest. The conference highlighted the following aspects of physician well-being that leaders must focus on:

• Burnout Prevention: Physician burnout is a pressing issue in healthcare. Attendees learned about strategies to prevent and address burnout, including stress management, support systems, and the continual sharing of positive patient feedback.
• Mental Health Awareness: The importance of mental health awareness in the medical profession was top of mind for conference showrunners and attendees. The conference provided resources and guidance for addressing mental health concerns among healthcare professionals and shared tips for individuals such as setting aside time for hobbies and interests, not neglecting self-care, and taking breaks from social media.
• Workplace Culture: Fostering a positive workplace culture that promotes collaboration, respect, and recognition was discussed. Continually sharing patient and peer praise one-on-one and in group settings creates a culture of recognition where physicians and healthcare staff feel valued.

There’s no such thing as “standardized” tests for leaders who manage healthcare organizations. Every day, week, month, and year will present some kind of pop quiz that’s difficult – if not impossible – to prepare for. Fortunately, attendees at the MGMA Conference 2023 received a wealth of helpful information and insights on critical topics at the heart of modern healthcare management. The key takeaways from the conference underscore the importance of adaptability, a focus on patient and employee experiences, and using data, such as patient experience feedback and DEI identifiers, to make informed decisions. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation with conference attendees and discussing how Feedtrail can support these key initiatives.

See the Feedtrail patient experience platform in action at CHI & EXPO.

Meet with us NACHC’s CHI & Expo taking place October 27-29 in San Diego, CA and learn how we’re helping community health center clients tackle these hot topics:

• Flexible patient experience surveys: Send surveys via text, email, or QR code in multiple languages with the questions you want to ask
• Real-time patient feedback: Be alerted to issues immediately to perform service recovery and make necessary process changes
• Community Outreach: Support key initiatives, such as missed appointments, access to care, and improved provider communication
• FQHC Best Practices:Join the nation’s largest FQHC patient experience benchmark

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Join Feedtrail at The Beryl Institute ELEVATE PX 2023 global patient experience event taking place March 27 – 29, 2023, in Dallas, TX

Ready for a different experience platform?

Stop by our booth and learn more: Today’s challenges won’t be solved by yesterday’s experience solutions. Visit the Feedtrail booth at ELEVATE PX 2023 and learn how you can benefit from real-time surveying with immediate actionable insights.

• Build patient loyalty
• Understand the why behind scores
• Reduce clinician burnout and turnover
• Optimize your business

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Learn how CHOC leverages actionable insights to improve patient and family experiences.

Join our Lunch and Learn session Tuesday, March 28th at 12:15 pm: “Reinventing the Patient Experience to Drive Loyalty – Personalizing Patient & Family Engagement Throughout the Healthcare Journey”

As organizations work to truly optimize and reinvent patient experiences, integrating both the patient and family voice across the continuum of care is essential. In this session we’ll walk through how Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) identified gaps in their understanding of patient and family experiences and implemented programs to personalize outreach, improve engagement, and capture detailed stories, quickly validating improvements and changes with quantitative and qualitative data.

Kat Burton, Patient and Family Experience Manager at CHOC, will share how they started small in three service lines where they lacked visibility- the NICU, ED, and hospitalists- and were able to show value and engage physicians to drive adoption and gain buy-in for an enterprise implementation. She will talk through how personalized real-time outreach boosted response volumes, improved access to actionable data, and dramatically improved their Net Promoter Scores.

Learn more about the event and register here >

Join Feedtrail at the Planetree International Conference

Connect with Feedtrail at the Planetree International Conference taking place May 22 – 24 in Anaheim, CA.

Join our session around personalizing experiences:

Understanding Our Patients’ Experiences: The Journey to the Individual

Sunday, May 22nd, 3:40 PM-4:00 PM

Track: Rebuilding Trust & Engagement

Presenters:

• Alan Dubovsky, Vice President and Chief Patient Experience Officer, Hospital Administration, Cedars Sinai
• Paul Jaglowski, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Feedtrail

Leveraging concepts from marketing and customer experience, segmentation and personalization can greatly benefit the healthcare industry’s push towards a patient-centric model. At most organizations, every patient receives the same patient experience survey regardless of their unique backgrounds and the care they received. Additionally, leadership, physicians, and staff struggle with identifying the most impactful and meaningful opportunities for improvement based on such high-level, aggregated results. In this session we’ll discuss how you can leverage flexibles tools to personalize patient outreach. You’ll learn:

• How Cedars-Sinai is approaching the notion of diving deeper into understanding the patient experience 
• Best practices for building an outreach program that considers differing care settings, backgrounds, or touchpoints
• Easy steps to start driving actionable insights in a low-lift effort

Then stop by our booth to learn how we can support your experience management goals and hear the patient experience trends we’re seeing at Feedtrail. Let the team show you how our real-time platform can improve clinician morale with patient kudos, personalize patient experiences, and support your PX metrics including NPS. We can’t wait to see you there!

Click here for more information!