CareShare Update June 2024
By Kaley Johnson
The majority of Cook Children’s departments are on track to meet their CareShare goal, thanks to staff’s dedication to kindness and compassion for patients.
For the majority of the system, CareShare data is based on patient survey answers to the question of how likely they are to recommend Cook Children’s to a friend or family member. The Health Plan’s CareShare is based on their member experience survey, which is done toward the end of the fiscal year.
If the system meets the CareShare goal, all employees in good standing up through manager, excluding physicians, are eligible for a discretionary, end-of-year bonus.
This year, the patient care goal is for 85.7% of patients to say they are highly likely to recommend friends and family to Cook Children’s. As of June 2024, we are proud to say we are on track to exceed that goal with a cumulative system score of 86.4%.
Six out of eight service lines are on track to surpass their goal; Ambulatory Services had the highest score at 95.8%, followed by Outpatient Services at 90.1% and Home Health at 89%.
Of course, we are not surprised by the result; Cook Children’s staff go above and beyond for patients and families every single day. But why is the CareShare data so important?
Megan Chavez, Vice President of Cook Children’s Experience, explained that this simple question of “would you send someone you care about here?” gives enormous insight into a person’s experience at Cook Children’s. Research has shown this metric is a clear indicator of someone’s trust in their care provider.
“This question is a really strong indicator of trust,” Megan explained. “If you think about it, you might think ‘okay I like that doctor, and I feel confident about them. But at the end of the day, would I send my loved one to them?’ That right there is the proof in the pudding. That question is our true north.”
Comments by patient families on the survey also tell us what specifically creates a trusting relationship between patients and providers.
That data is one part of what our Patient Experience Champions look at to analyze what patients and families value in their health care setting. The Patient Experience Champions are made up of more than 170 staff members from Medical Centers, Ambulatory and Home Health. They meet monthly to look for opportunities to improve patient experience, and also draw on Cook Children’s success stories to note what is already working and how to implement it elsewhere.
One aspect of care that is clearly working is staff’s compassion for those in their care. In patient and family comments, the most common description of staff is “kind.” Patients described helpful front desk staff, attentive nurses and support wherever they went:
“The overnight nurse we had when we first arrived and were admitted upstairs was also so, so very kind!” one person said.
“The check in clerk on the 2nd floor is always very kind to (my child) so that she never fears going to her checks up here,” said another.
“The check in staff and nurse, the registrar, nurses, PA and NP all were so kind and helpful,” another comment said.
These comments are emblematic of Cook Children’s system-wide dedication to create magic moments for everyone that enters our doors. That effort includes every staff member, from the IT worker who makes sure computer systems are working to the environmental services staff who ensure families enter a clean room to the nurse who goes the extra mile in patient education.
While the CareShare bonuses are based on scores, the numbers are only a unit of measure that exemplifies a far deeper premise. To all of our staff: we thank you for your unwavering dedication to fulfill Cook Children’s promise of Everything for the Child, every day.