Dos and don'ts for creating a patient-centric culture

It starts with you

To create a more vibrant, patient-friendly atmosphere in your practice, you need to become the chief culture officer (CCO). The CCO is the individual in a business who defines the culture for the organization and constantly works to ensure that everyone on the staff operates within that cultural framework. As the leader, you are the only person who can play that role in your office.

Ask this critical question. To create a patient-centric culture, filter every practice decision through one simple question:

How will this affect the patient?

This creates the foundation for providing "WOW" customer service. A practice with patient-centric culture creates an enjoyable environment, adds and improves services, and assists patients in nonclinical areas, such as dealing with insurance or making convenient appointments.

Don't expect your team to do it without your leadership. As the CCO, you must stand as a perfect example of what it means to be patient-centric. Modeling how to interact with patients, how to encourage other team members, and how negativity about patients will not be tolerated, you set the tone and show the way, every day.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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