SALINAS, CA – January 16, 2013 – Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California was selected to join the Always Events® Community and Recognition Program for its “Know Your Physician” initiative. Natividad Medical Center was selected by the Picker Institute, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the principles of patient-centered care. In cooperation with educational institutions and other committed entities and individuals, Picker Institute sponsors awards, research and education to promote patient-centered care and the patient-centered care movement.

“Know Your Physician” is a communication improvement program developed to ensure that every caregiver on the medical/surgical floor knows the roles and responsibilities of each attending physician and resident at all times as well as their patient assignments and call schedules. The new program includes well-defined physician roles and responsibilities, a master call schedule, and assignment tool. “With guidance from experience experts from ExperiaHealth, we successfully mapped our process, engaged a team of front line staff members, and used the voice of our patients to bridge the communication gaps and design an effective solution,” said Andrea Rosenberg, Assistant Administrator of Operations. “It was a true team effort with outstanding results.”

Since implementing “Know Your Physician,” Natividad Medical Center has improved patient satisfaction, which is proven by an increase in overall HCAHPS scores by nine percent and the survey’s communication domains for nurses and physicians.

“We are dedicated to continue our efforts of implementing initiatives to improve our patient and family experience. ‘Know Your Physician’ is only step one, additional Always Events based on the voice of staff and patients are in the works,” said Harry Weis, Chief Executive Officer.

Always Events are a national principle for improving the delivery of patient-and family-centered care. In contrast to the well known “Never Events” that refer to incidents that should never happen in the delivery of care, patient-focused Always Events are aspects of the patient and family experience that should always occur when patients interact with health care professionals and the delivery system.
The “Know Your Physician” Always Event at Natividad Medical Center was produced with the Support of the California Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Institute Patient Experience Transformation (PExT) Program, which delivers experience improvement techniques provided by ExperiaHealth, a healthcare experience consulting firm.

As a registered program of the Always Events® Community and Recognition Program, Natividad Medical Center has made the resources and tools from “Know Your Physician” publically available at no charge through the Always Events toolbox online. To access the tool box and obtain more information about the Always Event Community and Recognition Program, visit www.pickerinstitute.org/always-events-recognition-program.