Excellence in Patient Engagement and Innovation Highlight the Skylight® Healthcare Client Conference
<0> Skylight Healthcare SystemsTara PlappertOffice: 858.523.3794 </0>
More than 200 professionals from healthcare organizations around the United States gathered at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, Calif. for the Sixth Annual Skylight Healthcare Client Conference held Nov. 14-16, 2012. Hosted by San Diego-based Skylight® Healthcare Systems, a pioneer in , the conference focused on patient and staff engagement, its impact on hospitals and the role interactive patient systems play in improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Keynote speaker Colleen Sweeney, founder of Sweeney Healthcare Enterprises, set the tone with her inspiring presentation “What Patients Fear and Why We Have to Know.” In her presentation, Sweeney effectively mobilized the room as she highlighted the greatest fears of patients and how compassionate care transforms the patient experience, outcomes, and health.
In addition to Sweeney’s presentation, attendees were able to learn effective strategies directly from peers on how to enhance patient experience, streamline nurse workflow, and . More than 27 clients presented on topics ranging from patient safety and fall prevention to clinical workflow and value-based purchasing. Each presentation demonstrated how the use of interactive patient care systems positively impacted their patient satisfaction scores.
“Our two hospitals started using Skylight in 2007. I have attended this amazing client conference for several years now,” said Trisha Musich, RN, MSN, director of professional practice at Centegra Health System. “I always learn something new, not only about the products and industry standards, but also about how the way we deliver care is changing. Skylight is at the forefront of these healthcare changes. Since we began working together with Skylight and its account management team, we have documented improvements in core measures, patient safety and fall prevention, as well as nurse communication.”
Attendees were also introduced to the first Skylight Achievement Awards, which were presented at the conference. The awards acknowledged 30 hospitals that have made extraordinary strides in delivering a more positive and measurable impact on the patient experience in 2012. Winners were recognized for achievements in the categories of Excellence in Patient Safety and Clinical Care, Innovations in Quality and Patient Experience, and Outstanding Achievement in Patient and Staff Engagement. The award categories aligned with the conference theme of . Winners included:
“In determining the award recipients, we looked at hospitals that launched a patient experience improvement initiative this year, documented the approach and benefits realized, and shared their experiences with the Skylight community,” said Jack Fitzpatrick, CFO and senior vice president of operations for Skylight Healthcare Systems. “The number of award recipients is a direct reflection of our clients’ ability, in conjunction with our account management and clinical teams, to enhance the patience experience both in the hospital and during the transition of care.”
Founded in 1999, and headquartered in San Diego, Skylight® Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer in the Interactive Patient System market. With patient communication, education, and connection as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight Interactive Patient System encourages patients and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. From pre-admission through post-discharge, Skylight addresses patients’ needs in education and health literacy, access to services, and critical information flow between themselves and their caregivers. Patients benefit from more control, faster healing, and a better grasp of health issues and hospitals see improved HCAHPS scores, reduced readmissions, and increased reimbursements. Hospitals implement Skylight to support their ongoing endeavors in improving HCAHPS scores, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, enhancing operational & service excellence, meeting evolving clinical demands, and delivering on commitments to making a positive difference in the lives of the people they serve. For more information about Skylight’s tools and impact on the patient experience, visit .