Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way You Lead

Americans enjoy the finest healthcare delivery system in the world, but most people will tell you that we still have a long way to go. Far too frequently, patients leave the doctor's office or hospital feeling confused, angry, or neglected. Healthcare leaders recognize this problem, but in their focus on patients (and sometimes financials), they often overlook the true key to lasting patient loyalty and satisfaction: their employees.

Patients Come Second shakes up the traditional healthcare model, arguing that in order to care for and retain patients, leaders must first create exceptional teams and find ways to engage nurses, administrative staff, physicians, supervisors, and even housekeeping staff and switchboard operators. By connecting employees' work with a higher purpose and equipping them with the tools to become leaders themselves, patient care can be dramatically transformed. And with continuing healthcare changes on the horizon and ever-rising pressure to acquire and keep patients, doing so now is more important than ever.

Britt Berrett, president of an 898-bed hospital, and Paul Spiegelman, founder and CEO of a successful patient-experience company, are the perfect guides to the changes needed in healthcare leadership. With a rich combined experience in their field, they have filled each chapter with an abundance of engaging, insightful stories and write with a humor and friendliness that balances and enhances the urgency of their message.

Paul Spiegelman is founder and CEO of The Beryl Companies, which includes--among others--BerylHealth, a technology-focused patient experience company, and The Circle, a training company that helps businesses enhance employee engagement. BerylHealth has won nine ''best place to work'' awards, and in 2010, Spiegelman was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He is a sought-after speaker and author on executive leadership, corporate culture, and employee engagement. His views have been published in Entrepreneur, the Dallas Morning News, Inc., and many other publications.

Britt Berrett, a passionate advocate for excellence in healthcare, serves as president of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where, he oversees strategic planning and operations, guiding the hospital in its mission to improve the health of the people in the community it serves. In 2007 U.S. News and World Report recognized Texas Health Dallas as a best hospital in the digestive disorders, orthopedics, and neurology and neurosurgery specialties. Texas Health Dallas also received the Magnet Recognition Program Award for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In addition to his role at the hospital, Berrett also serves as an executive vice president of Texas Health Resources.