Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Healthcare is a topic that rarely has a consensus of opinions. Many healthcare consumers in the United States view the system as complicated, expensive, uncaring and stacked against them. In his recent book, organizational consultant, Dr. Joseph Michelli, focuses on a crown jewel of the customer/patient experience: The UCLA Health System.
"We are in the business of taking care of people It doesn't matter if you are a doctor, a nurse, or a janitor or if you carry a leadership title, we all must champion and execute on the common goal of coming in every day to make sure we take care of our next patient." Dr. David Feinberg, CEO UCLA Hospital System
Interesting Format
There are 11 chapters, three appendices, a detailed notes section, and separate sources and index areas. I liked that the author included an excerpt from UCLA's Patient Confidentiality Policy, along with their actual Confidentiality Agreement, as separate appendices. None of the chapters are over 30 pages in length which makes the book an engaging read that holds your attention. Dr. Michelli's writing style is friendly, informative and educational. The chapters are divided into five sections, or "Principles," to reinforce the learning aspect. Each chapter begins with a compelling quote from a historical figure. My favorite was "A life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives" by American baseball legend and civil rights activist, Jackie Robinson.
Innovative Learning Features
Two salient features contained in each chapter were "Your Diagnostic Checkup" and "Prescriptive Summary." The first feature asks questions within the chapter to highlight the subject matter and encourage the reader to self-test their understanding. The latter item provides a concise and useful summary of key points.
Courtesy and Respect Theme
From knocking on hospital room doors before entering, to treating each patient as a valued customer, Dr. Michelli presents many examples how and why UCLA promotes the old-fashioned notion of courtesy and respect. This theme is presented by a significant amount of testimonials from actual UCLA caregivers and patients. For example, from Clara Heurta, a sign language interpreter: "I ran through the parking lot screaming and racing to the family to let them know that the patient would receive a heart that night." Or from a patient, Tom C., "We've been floating out in the middle of the ocean on a raft cobbled together out of driftwood and old tires. Suddenly, we've been rescued by the QEII."
Lack of Alternative Health Therapies
For me, the only negative feature of this book was a lack of an alternative health discussion. The author discussed many therapeutic innovations at UCLA such as dog, music and pastoral programs; however, there was no mention of Chinese healing arts such as acupuncture and Tai Chi. I found the omission strange for a diverse UCLA community that promotes a high level of patient-centric focus.
Notable Quotes
"Talent selection and retention is the single most pressing issue for business success over the foreseeable future."
"A moral error would be a physician who gets paged five times to go visit Ms. Jones but it too busy watching the Super Bowl and doesn't get to her until after she dies."
"There is a fine line between cult and culture."
"A full 68% will sever a customer relationship because they were treated poorly by a staff member."
"Your next customer will be your most important one!"
Model for the Future
None of us enjoys contemplating health care decisions; however, if we are going to become ill, UCLA is definitely a prescription for excellence.
Please Note:
I was contacted by a McGraw-Hill representative and requested to provide a review. This is an objective review and I am not obliged to provide a positive one.
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