Community Engagement Survey Results
We heard you loud and clear.
We recently distributed a survey to gather the thoughts, feelings and perceptions Douglas County residents have about Umpqua Community Health Center (UCHC). Sure, there was some very positive feedback. For instance, most respondents shared they are satisfied and happy with the clinical services received at UCHC. But while it’s heartening to know we’re having such a positive impact on the lives of Douglas County families, the survey results also made it clear we have plenty of room to improve.
Provider Retention
A common theme in the survey responses was provider turnover. It’s true, throughout Douglas County healthcare facilities struggle to hold on to clinical providers. And UCHC is challenged with this as well, which makes it difficult for our patients to develop lasting relationships with and trust in their healthcare providers.
UCHC is addressing this issue, not just for ourselves, but for the entire Douglas County healthcare community. In collaboration with Mercy Medical Center, UCHC is establishing a rural family medicine residency program, where newly minted physicians will hone their clinical care skills by learning and providing care for Douglas County residents from faculty members who are experts in the delivery of high-quality, compassionate primary care.
This is a huge win for our rural area, because it’s been proven more than half of family physicians end up practicing at clinics within 100 miles of the location of their residency. When considering our residency will graduate eight family medicine physicians annually, chances are at least four of them will choose to stay and practice in or near Douglas County.
Thank You for Calling … Please Hold
Many of you also mentioned long hold times when calling to make or confirm an appointment. A few months ago, we redirected call center staff to fill other areas of need within the organization.
The reason we made this decision is because in October 2018 we launched a new electronic medical record (EMR), a powerful tool that allows our patients who sign up for the EMR’s patient portal to do many things – from requesting an appointment, to accessing their medical records, to paying their bills and so much more – without having to call and speak with someone at the clinic.
We have begun promoting patient portal sign ups and encourage you to register today if you haven’t already.
UCHC is also pleased to announce the introduction of Phreesia, an automated clinic check-in system that engages patients in their own care and allows front office staff to focus on other important activities, like answering phones. This new technology will go live in UCHC clinics in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for it.
As with any new process, integration of these new technologies will take time, but their additions will ease workflow and allow you to play a more active role in decisions about your healthcare. We’ll continue to monitor our progress and course correct if necessary.
Bigger and Better Facilities
You also told us the conditions and size of some of our outlying clinics leaves much to be desired. It’s true, we are outgrowing many of our locations, including our clinics in Glide, Myrtle Creek and right here in Roseburg. UCHC’s Leadership Team is actively working with community partners to explore a variety of solutions to address this problem, from leasing vacant Douglas County facilities to building new clinics. In the meantime, we’ve taken steps to give our existing sites much-needed facelifts, including updating flooring and undertaking a renovation of the Women’s Health Department – one of our busiest service lines – at our Roseburg location.
We’re preaching to the choir when we say this is a daunting task. Everyone in Douglas County is challenged by the area’s incredibly competitive housing market, and the commercial market is no different. But we continue to search for solutions and are confident we’ll soon be able to announce plans to resolve this issue.
At the same time, we’re also aware there are areas in the county where reliable primary care is far too difficult to access. One of those areas is in north Douglas County. Currently, our neighbors in Drain, Elkton and Yoncalla are burdened with long drives to Cottage Grove in the north or Sutherlin in the south to access healthcare. This is simply unacceptable. For that reason, Umpqua Community Health Center is opening a primary care clinic this summer in north Douglas County to provide these desperately needed services to families in the area.
Putting the Customer at the Center of Customer Service
Another area in which we can improve is customer experience. You – our patients – are at the center of everything we do, yet some of the survey results run counter to this philosophy. To a person, our staff is comprised of compassionate, caring individuals who come to work every single day to deliver on our mission of providing excellent healthcare to our Douglas County neighbors. But we can do better.
First, there’s no excuse for a poor experience. Secondly, this is on all of us. Each team member at UCHC must be focused on creating an environment that produces the best experience for our patients. That environment, or culture, must be rooted in a from the H.E.A.R.T. (Hospitality; Empathy and Enthusiasm; Attitude; Respect; and Timeliness) approach to customer service.
If we miss the mark, let us know. And we’re making it easier for you to do just that: Another benefit Phreesia will offer our patients is the ability to complete customer satisfaction surveys following their visits. These surveys are anonymous and voluntary. The information shared is available to clinic managers in real time, allowing us to take immediate action to address issues in the moment, giving our staff valuable and timely feedback about how they can improve your experience and the experience of others.
Our Promise to You
Thank you very much to all of those who took the time to share feedback. We strive for excellence in every facet of the care we provide and can only improve when we hear from you. Please hold us to the commitments we’ve shared in this blogpost and continue to share your thoughts with us. It will only make us better, and that’s exactly what you deserve.
In gratitude,
Umpqua Community Health Center
