About Stewart Gandolf, MBA

Stewart Gandolf, MBA, is both the Publisher of PatientExperience.com and the Co-Founder of Healthcare Success. Stewart has written for dozens of leading healthcare publications and spoken at hundreds of venues on a variety of topics including marketing, reputation management and patient experience. Additionally, he has personally consulted for over 1,500 hospitals and practices. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Stewart worked for leading advertising agencies including J. Walter Thompson.

Author Archive | Stewart Gandolf, MBA

Patient Manifesto: Understanding the Patient’s Perspective

There’s a fundamental gem of universally helpful business advice. That is, doctors should walk into their office—at least occasionally—through the front door. The idea is for the business owner to see and experience what their customer sees and experiences. In reality, there are many reasons that this doesn’t happen. But it remains solid advice that […]

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Improving Patient Experience with One Short Phrase

There’s a three-word phrase that successful doctors use often in interacting with others. Civic leaders, business executives and sales people all use it effortlessly—and effectively. It’s one simple, short phrase that easily fits in conversation, and works wonders in improving communications and patient experience. Here it is: “Tell me more.” For sales people, simply saying, […]

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Solving Parking Challenges: Convenience is the New Currency

“An ambulance ride is probably the best way to get into this hospital,” a patient observed to me recently. “It avoids all the parking lot aggravation here.” I don’t think it was meant as a joke. Parking at many medical office buildings and hospitals is genuinely an obstacle to obtaining care—and a patient experience black […]

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Nemours “True North”: Unconventional Hours and Other Care Commitments

[Video Podcast] Pediatric Rheumatologist Dr. Paul Rosen, Clinical Director of Service Experience for Nemours Children’s Health System, talks with Stewart Gandolf at Cleveland Clinic’s recent Patient Experience Summit. One of the significant take-away themes that came through the Patient Experience summit is putting the patient needs at the top of the priority list. Rather than […]

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Dennis Jolley

Transparency Fosters Physician Pride: It’s the Right Thing to Do

[Podcast] This installment in our continuing series of healthcare and hospital marketing interviews spotlights University of Utah Health Care, a leading academic medical center in Salt Lake City. Healthcare Success CEO Stewart Gandolf talks with Senior Director of Marketing Dennis Jolley at the recent Cleveland Clinic Patient Experience Summit.   You might imagine the not-so-warm reaction […]

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Right Brain Engineering and the Four Levels of Patient Experience

  [Video Podcast] Stewart Gandolf talks with William Johnson, System Director, Patient Experience, Memorial Health System, Springfield, IL at Cleveland Clinic’s Patient Experience Summit Understanding, monitoring and improving the patient experience is a like a long-distance marathon without a finish line. It’s a process that Memorial Health System uses for continuous improvement. Looking at the entire patient […]

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One Doctor’s Practical Tips and Techniques to Improve Patient Satisfaction

Serious discussions about patient experience often gravitate to how “satisfaction” enhances the overarching goal of delivering exceptional patient care. On one level, a patient “feels good” about the encounter when the hospital, facility and/or the practitioner has empathetically met their needs and their expectations.

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Johns Hopkins and Five Other Patient Experience Videos You’ll Want to Watch

Hospitals and health systems across the country are using specialized video messages to help shape a positive patient experience…even before the patient arrives at the facility. Label it “patient education” or perhaps “informed awareness,” video presentations reduce a patient’s fear of the unknown about having surgery, or simply showing what the place looks like. It […]

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The Psychology of Waiting vs. Patient Experience Enemy Number One

Twenty-two minutes can seem like long time for a patient to wait in the reception area. Various national surveys peg the average wait time to see a physician at the 20-minute mark…with patient satisfaction dropping lower every five minutes. What’s more, virtually all patients perceive their wait to be too long. Perhaps the most influential factor […]

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Don’t Let Your Technology Get in the Way of Patient Satisfaction

“I just hate it,” the elderly patient complained to us about her GP. “He comes in the [exam] room and goes straight to that computer without even looking at me.” (This is a true story, by the way.) “The doctor is friendly enough, I suppose, but it’s like I’m playing second fiddle to the computer […]

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