Why UHS is dedicated to improving the patient experience in healthcare

This year, National Patient Experience Week is observed from April 28 through May 2. This annual event celebrates and recognizes the dedication of healthcare professionals who enhance the patient experience. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of patient-centered care and encourage patients and families to share their feedback, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and ensuring care remains receptive to the needs and concerns of those it serves.

While this week marks Patient Experience Week, UHS remains dedicated to improving our patient experience throughout the year. Each day, UHS strives to provide a quality patient experience for all our patients built on compassion and respect. Through various initiatives, we aim to make healthcare services more accessible, comfortable and user-friendly for our patients.

“At UHS, we are committed to prioritizing our patients every day of the year. We're constantly working to improve how we deliver care, ensuring every experience is not only supportive but also as effortless as possible. We want to ensure every patient receives the highest level of care and support, fostering a positive experience for our patients through every step of their journey," said Michele Gordon, RN, LNHA, senior director of Patient Experience at UHS.  

Translators

UHS recognizes the importance of clear communication for all patients. In light of this priority, we provide translation services to ensure that non-English-speaking or hearing-impaired patients can receive the full scope of care and understand their treatment plans, helping to remove language barriers in healthcare. We collaborate with AMN Healthcare to enhance our interpreter services, ensuring that we can meet the diverse needs of our patient population. This partnership gives our patients instant access to comprehensive language services, offering real-time audio and video interpretation to bridge communication gaps. For hearing-impaired patients, the video interpretation platform offers American Sign Language (ASL) and is available for urgent/unexpected care. In addition, we work with the Southern Tier Independence Center (STIC) to arrange in-person ASL interpreters. Our commitment to bridging the language gap is critical in providing equitable healthcare. Language barriers can often prevent patients from receiving the best possible care, but our interpreter services ensure that all patients — regardless of their primary language — can feel confident in the treatment decisions they make.

Innovative technology

UHS enhances patient care through many innovative technologies, delivering the right care in the way that works best for each patient. A few of our innovative technologies include UHS Virtual Healthcare for remote consultations and UHS MyChart, a digital platform that helps our patients actively participate in their care. Our virtual healthcare platform uses an advanced telecommunications system to connect patients with healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes. By expanding access to care, virtual healthcare eliminates barriers like geographical distance, mobility challenges, and time constraints, making quality healthcare more accessible. Additionally, UHS MyChart makes it easy for patients to book appointments, check in, and communicate with their direct care team, ultimately making it convenient and efficient for our patients. These digital tools strengthen our connection with patients, improving the overall patient experience.

Valet parking

UHS offers free valet parking to ease the logistical burden on patients and their families. This helps patients avoid the stress of having to finding parking and reduces the time and energy spent on arrival, particularly for those with mobility challenges, allowing patients to arrive with ease and focus entirely on their care. This service demonstrates UHS’s commitment to providing a convenient, patient-centered experience from the moment patients arrive.

Ambassador program

Navigating a new hospital to get to your appointment or loved one can be intimidating. That is why UHS created the Best-In-Class Ambassador Program. We have dedicated team members onsite at the main entrance of the UHS Wilson Main Tower to guide patients and visitors to their destinations within our campus, ensuring a seamless experience. Whether it's guiding them to specific departments, helping them find waiting areas or providing directions to parking, our UHS Ambassadors ensure that everyone has a smooth and stress-free journey. Our ambassadors are committed to creating a welcoming environment that minimizes any confusion or frustration for patients and visitors and making sure they feel supported and informed every step of the way.

Patient and family advisory forums

Patients and their families have the opportunity to share feedback and collaborate with healthcare providers to enhance the overall quality of care. Patient and family advisory forums empower patients and families to voice their concerns, suggestions, and ideas, creating a partnership between healthcare teams and our community. By encouraging open dialogue, these forums help healthcare providers understand the unique needs, preferences, and challenges of patients and families, improving patient satisfaction and fostering a more compassionate patient experience.

“It is important that we hear from the people who choose UHS for their healthcare needs. When we understand the patient or family members’ journey, we can focus on improvements, celebrate our success and recognize our staff or teams who provided great care. We listen with open minds and open hearts, striving to improve from every story we hear,” Ms. Gordon said.

If you would like to participate in one of our forums, please call our patient experience team at 607-763-6777.

UHS is the patient experience

At UHS, we are all the patient experience. Whether a receptionist greets a patient, a janitor maintains a clean environment or a nurse provides direct care, each action and attitude contributes to the patient experience. The UHS Patient Experience is a feeling of being safe, respected, listened to, and cared for that fosters confidence and trust in our organization. We strive to honor this by providing innovative technology that simplifies access to care, ensuring clear communication for all patients, making the hospital environment convenient and easy to navigate, and much more. These initiatives reflect our commitment to providing a patient-centered experience that sets a high standard for compassionate, accessible care and puts patients first every day of the year.

For more information about the UHS Patient Experience, visit nyuhs.org or click here.