New language helps identify an institution built on excellence, and new tools help shape processes in a move toward a superior client experience.
Chris Gray, director since January 2014 of the Veterinary Medical Center, joined MSU from Vets Now, the largest provider of veterinary emergency services in the United Kingdom. He was national head of clinical operations for the organization, and general manager of vets2.net, a new online division of Vets Now that provides business-to-business services to the veterinary profession in Great Britain. He earned his veterinary degree and masters in biological anthropology from Cambridge and his MBA at Durham University.
Renaming and reframing to reflect a focused purpose
Words not only identify objects and ideas—they help shape how we see and give meaning to the world around us.
In the 1960s, a building was constructed to house the College of Veterinary Medicine's small animal clinic, large animal clinic, and the clinical and diagnostic activities of the pathology and microbiology departments. Aptly, the building was called the Veterinary Clinical Center. When the college facilities expanded in the 1990s, the entire complex was renamed the Veterinary Medical Center and the clinical areas were named the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Now the structures and services that bring care to a range of species through more than two dozen services are being renamed the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center. Why the change from "teaching hospital" to "medical center"? Both can contain a range of offerings that include specialists, emergency treatment, primary care physicians, and surgeons. Patients can be hospitalized in either, and either can house research centers and laboratories. The crossover goes on.
Our change in name not only reflects the range of services we offer, but how we offer those services. We have found that the general public often thinks that as a teaching hospital, our students perform all or most of the clinical work. That understanding, and the fact that we are a service center of MSU, creates an impression that the cost of veterinary care at the hospital is subsidized by the college or university. Most of our readers understand that is not the case.
We changed the name to reflect the service structure and the complexity of services. You will still hear us refer to "the hospital," much in the way hospitals are included in the services and facilities of Mayo Clinic and Sparrow Health System.
We believe "Veterinary Medical Center" best reflects the range of inpatient and outpatient specialist veterinary medical care that we provide. In Michigan, we are unique in the depth and breadth of our specialist services.
Ask and listen
"When I joined the college as director of the hospital, one of the first priorities for me was to investigate the experiences, wants, and needs of the communities we serve," said Gray, director of the Veterinary Medical Center since January. "I met with practicing veterinarians in the area to explore these topics, and my intention is to continue to reach out and get to know our referral base and how we can best serve them and their patients."
Gray also held town hall meetings with faculty clinicians, as well as staff members across the hospital. Together, the internal and external meetings informed the process of identifying and prioritizing goals for the hospital.
"We have extraordinary depth in our specialist services," said Gray. "One priority moving forward is to really leverage the benefits of a multidisciplinary service both internally and externally."
A continuum of care - a gem in the crown of MSU and the state of Michigan
The continuity of care in services—all led by board-certified specialists—is key to the hospital's contributions. Connections and consistency across services are a logical focus for Gray.
A patient who is referred by a private practice to a primary discipline, for example orthopedic surgery, will interact not only with orthopedic specialists, but with a spectrum of specialists. A client will be seen by individuals in diagnostic imaging and anesthesia as it goes to surgery, and most likely by post-operative rehabilitation specialists following surgery.
"This wealth of expertise and the level of care, along with the advanced technology, can't be matched anywhere in the state," Gray said. "And so that's where I'm driving to go, to build on the understanding of and pride in what we do. Our individual experts are central to what we do, but the breadth of the teams is what makes us truly unique in Michigan."
The veterinary hospital is unique in the state and, in the context of MSU, holds a special place as an outward-facing service to the community
A systems-based approach to building a truly client-centered institution
The hospital has always sought feedback from clients, but in recent years, the response rate to our traditional survey cards has fallen. In order to build a better understanding of the client experience, in mid-2015 the hospital will launch a more robust and cost-effective mechanism of customer feedback.
"We're going to be implementing an optional short client experience survey through SMS text messaging," said Gray. "This is a system that provides a much higher response rate, and clients typically respond almost immediately."
Fast response times are not only more accurate, they make it possible to identify and address client issues quickly. The hospital leadership team sees this as one method to support a patients-first approach to delivering not only high-quality care, but also a high-quality care experience.
A vibrant veterinary medical center for a rich and broad-based learning experience
Students typically spend 15 months on the clinical floor. In addition to providing the finest in clinical training, the hospital commits to modeling values and teaching communication skills to the veterinary students.
"Our mission as a teaching hospital is always present in our decisions," said Gray. "We are in a great position to face the challenges of delivering high-quality education while providing excellent clinical care. Without a thriving medical center, we don't have the case load required to provide the kind of robust training that we commit to."
The teaching mission brings richness to the client experience, as well as a depth to the medical care. But there is no doubt, said Gray, that the consultations can take more time.
"And that may be frustrating at times," said Gray. "But, it's important to remember that most clients will have a student examine their animal, as well as a second exam and consult with an intern or a resident and often a consult with a board-certified specialist. It's our job to communicate those benefits."
Building on and communicating the hospital's strengths all comes together for Gray.
"Strengthening the ways in which our wealth of specialty services work together, and tightening our training systems so that students and patients experience the benefits of the model, connect as priorities. And those are primary strengths for us, as well as referring veterinarians and the animals we treat."