Clinica Family Health
Clinica Family Health is a federally qualified health center located just outside of Denver, CO, whose mission is to provide exceptional, affordable medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services for people of all ages. In 2018, Clinica cared for more than 57,000 patients at its six outpatient clinics.
Clinica is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a patient-centered medical home since 2010. The ideas and voices of patients have been instrumental in helping Clinica achieve both designations. Patient feedback is solicited in a variety of ways.
Patient Experience Cards are available in high-traffic areas in each clinic. These allow patients to provide “in the moment” feedback at the point of service. Most patient concerns are handled in 72 hours or less.
Quarterly patient satisfaction surveys allow Clinica to obtain patient perspectives over a longer period of time. All patients are encouraged to complete surveys until 30 are completed for each department. Surveys are completed using iPads during check-in.
Social media feedback is continuously collected from multiple platforms utilizing tracking software. Reviews and comments are forwarded to appropriate site leaders who follow up directly with patients. Clinica is also rolling out a texting system to proactively solicit patient feedback immediately after visits.
Clinica launched its first Patient Voice Committee in 2012 to more formally and consistently add patient and family perspectives to decision-making and planning processes at all levels of the organization. Meetings are held monthly in English and Spanish at two clinics. Staff ask Patient Voice members for feedback on educational materials, marketing campaigns, the phone tree, referral processes, even the design of care space. Any staff member can nominate a patient to the committee.
Consumers constitute at least 51% of Clinica’s Board of Directors. These voting board members provide feedback directly to the CEO and have an actual say in the operations and growth of the organization.
Feedback from all five mechanisms is trended quarterly, and a summary with opportunities for improvement is shared with board members, the executive team and department leaders.
“Being patient-centered means more than just listening to our patients,” says Simon Smith, Clinica’s president and CEO. “It means actively engaging them and soliciting their wisdom in tackling the most complicated problems that we face.
We repeatedly find that, when we ask, patients are an astounding fountain of knowledge and experience.”
Clinica offers quarterly workshops called the Clinica Institute that teach the fundamentals of its model of care.
Contact pleitner@clinica.org for more information or visit www.clinica.org.