Ken Norquist: building progressive patient experiences for women

Even before the pandemic pushed the reset button on how people seek care, we had the power of the smartphones -- devices that are enabling unprecedented connectivity between patients & health care organizations, and the insurance companies that thread between both of us. This connectivity is enabled by technology to leverage a healthier patient experience; one that reaches patients where they are, addresses the concerns they have, and does it from a platform of accessibility and access for all. That ensures that patients know we are listening and they see the improvements they crave start to be realized in the care. The explosion and evolution of technology has enabled hyper-personalized healthcare.

I’m proud to be part of a team that considers patient experience to be a pillar of replicable and evolving success for patients as we grow. Too often I’ve been part of organizations where initiatives are driven on self-serving metrics like revenue or about ROI, and it's not about people and patients. It’s so refreshing and heartening to be part of a team in an organization where patient experience is the north star for service, examination, and growth. What patients share truly matters to everybody -- from the front desk to the clinical teams and all the way up to the management level.

Birdeye has been a big part of making sure that our management level has the same visibility as the front desk staff, which never existed before. I am so incredibly proud of our small and agile team. We came from a near cold start and in a matter of just a few months, which were fraught with the challenges of a global pandemic, we exponentially increased our ability to measure and clearly define patient experience. Our actions are supported and informed by immediate post-care engagement. It's not just lip service; it's implemented and deployed. I’m really proud to be a part of a team that cares so much about patient experience, and I'm really proud to attach my name to the CX initiative -- the notion that what patients need and want should be the foundation of what we're trying to offer.

Putting patients first is the daily foundation for every Axia employee. There are no doubts about this, because I saw our team members spring into action over Covid. We had leadership who stopped taking a salary. There were people who every day kissed their family members goodbye and went to work, putting their own health and that of their families at risk. Everyone stepped up to put the patients first during this time. It’s the most caring and inspiring organization; from the C-suite to the exam room, we are all making sure that our patient experience is number one. Every person plays in a key role in making this happen.

My favorite engagements are actually those where you get a backhanded criticism disguised as a compliment. I was raised in the northeast, in Philadelphia, and when you’re raised in that area of the country, sarcasm is a genetically inherited trait. I have to smile when I see feedback from the way an outreach is worded -- where they did enjoy the experience and care they received, yet they're trying to find a way to be both rewarding and critical with the language at the same time. There's a very Seinfeldian moment there, and I appreciate the evidence of this very internal human struggle. I think of the times where I thought I didn’t want to bother anyone with minor feedback, but maybe that feedback could have helped the next person in line. These criticisms and their experiences offer a balanced view and provide extra context in a very thoughtful way. I read every bit of feedback, and I respond to every patient comment.