For nearly 30 years Concentra has been providing occupational health care solutions to some of the nation’s largest employers, helping the company to become a leading provider in occupational medicine. Throughout, Concentra has continually focused on doing what is best for the patient, as well as creating solutions for the employer and provider. Today, we are again focusing our efforts on improving the patient experience with a number of initiatives and enhancements throughout the organization.

Setting a New Standard for Service

A great patient experience begins with how we interact with our patients, customers, and insurance providers. It includes the language we use, the attention we show patients, and the environment in which we provide medical care. It also needs to include successful patient outcomes and health care solutions that are accessible, affordable, and available to all people.

With a greater emphasis on improving patient interaction, Concentra is redesigning its training curriculum, incentive programs, and other tools to improve the patient experience. We are teaching all colleagues to become a patient champion, and are urged to do “whatever it takes” to make each patient feel respected and appreciated.

Your comments have also told us about the need for improvements in our medical centers. It is our belief that a good patient experience includes the right mix of products and services, presented with in a clean and appealing atmosphere. To address the issues raised, Concentra is also improving its medical center environment.

Better Facilities, Better Outcomes

Helping to act on this challenge is Alan Ayers, Concentra’s Assistant Vice President of Product Development. For several months, Ayers visited multiple medical centers, evaluating all the aspects and areas that appeal to individuals’ sight, sound, touch, taste and smell sensations. From arriving in the parking lot to the discharge desk, Ayers developed this program by following each step a patient encounters to understand their observations and experiences.

“These are the days of health care-turned-retail and like conventional retailers, we must be responsive to the needs of our patients,” says Ayers. “That involves looking at everything through the eyes of patients to assure we’re not only offering superior medical treatment and quantifiable outcomes—but also a warm and caring patient experience.”

As part of the improved patient experience, Concentra is enhancing its medical centers, centered on and geared toward the patient. “Our patients deserve to be treated with respect, in a clean, modern facility easily accessible from work or home—with extended night and weekend hours.

Patients want registration to be fast and hassle-free, a comfortable waiting area with television and current magazines, and clinical areas that are clean and free of clutter. “We can do all of that, in a setting that is pleasing and appealing to people, with warmth and care,” said Ayers.

With greater attention being paid to the look and feel of the interior and exterior of each location, the improved patient experience is an advancement of our existing, successful model. At Concentra we prefer to create great patient experiences and outcomes with welcoming, respectful, and skillful care.

“Concentra is making a commitment to quality experience by evaluating every aspect from a patient perspective,” said Ted Bucknam, SVP of Medical Operations. “We want to rejuvenate the atmosphere surrounding our centers, including those who provide care.” We want to create a patient experience worth telling others about.”