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EW SHOW DAILY 46 ASCRS Symposia by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Writer others directly about any concerns. This can lead to some short-term "pain" and discomfort—but ulti- mately, it makes for a better work place, Dr. Jorizzo said. He shared the example of a staff member who once complained, "Dr. Jorizzo hates me." Dr. Jorizzo and the staff member were brought together immediately to address the misconception, clear the air, and move on. In fact, the misperception was not true and was based on something Dr. Jorizzo said a long time ago and did not even remember. This approach to open com- munication leads to decreased stress, quicker decision making, and increased trust. It takes time, and it's not cheap, Mr. Casebolt said. "But you'll get the sense it's worth it," he added. EW Editors' note: The presenters have no financial interests related to their comments. that the appointment was on his wedding anniversary—but that his wife had died a couple of months before. The team member who spoke with him made a note of that and got the patient a cookie cake on the day of the appoint- ment. The experience brought the man to tears, Mr. Jensen said. • Inject humor. Share funny photos or compliments of other staff members when possible. Also during the session, Keith Casebolt and Paul Jorizzo, MD, Medical Eye Center, Medford, Oregon, discussed the practice's approach to open and accountable feedback among employees. This began after a culture of bickering emerged at the practice about 20 years ago, leading doctors to hide in their offices. Mr. Casebolt was determined to improve things. After trying different approaches, the practice now encourages staff members to take accountability for actions and words and speak with online so employees who were not there can watch it. The practice also holds regular retreats. • Set regular social events. Their office calls it "the 12 months of Christmas," with each month fea- turing different social and service events. • Find little ways to reward employ- ees. Give out roses on certain days, or bring in favorite coffee drinks, especially when someone needs a boost. • Encourage big and small gestures of care. At the practice, up to $100 can be spent on a patient or team member, no questions asked, if the experience will amaze that person. Although there was initial worry that such discretionary spending would be overused, it's never more than $600 a month, Mr. Jensen said. Most people use this perk for small but touching expenses. As another example, a patient scheduled a follow-up appoint- ment and mentioned in passing H ow valued and respected do your staff members feel? Are you doing all you can to create an outstand- ing culture for them? Presenters at Sunday's sympo- sium "Creating a Winning Culture" shared how they strive for better team culture at their practice. Vance Thompson, MD, and Matt Jensen, MBA, both of Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, shared their experience of creating a winning culture for its 120 employees—a culture so out- standing that it was ranked number 19 on the best medium-sized compa- nies list from Entrepreneur magazine last year, Mr. Jensen shared. One key is focusing first on employee happiness, Dr. Thompson said. By doing this, an outstanding patient experience will naturally follow. Another key is knowing what patients expect versus what they want from your practice, Dr. Thomp- son said. For example, his patients want great technology, talent, and experience when they visit. How- ever, they want excellent treatment from staff, call backs from surgeons, and thank you notes. When the practice staff members do these things, patients feel that they've had an outstanding experience, he explained. Mr. Jensen emphasized a cus- tomer service experience akin to that received by a family member at a resort in Hawaii. The staff at the resort noted that person removed crusts from a chicken sandwich. The next day, they served a crus- tless sandwich. That's the level of personalized care and service that should be involved with both staff and patients. Dr. Thompson and Mr. Jensen shared numerous examples of how they improve their practice culture, including the following: • Have a quick 10-minute meeting with staff at the beginning of each day to keep everyone in the loop. Their meeting is called the "daily huddle." Record it, and post it Monday, April 16, 2018 Want happy employees and patients? Here's what to do to get there Dr. Thompson discusses how to create a winning culture at your practice.

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