The role of advocacy in healthcare and credit unions

In a recent interview with Callahan & Associates, Wright-Patt Federal Credit Union President, Doug Fecher, discussed the importance to both the board and himself of a planned new position at the credit union. That position, director of service excellence and member advocate, will be involved in creating a specific standard for service at Wright-Patt. Additionally, the director will assist in training the defined standard, it’s components, and how it will be executed. Finally, this individual will bear the responsibility of measuring the results of the credit union’s efforts in both member service and advocacy.

Interestingly, when the interviewer asked Mr. Fecher about who he would be considering to fill this critical new role he indicated he thought someone from the healthcare industry might best be suited for the position. I remembered when reading this of a Career Track course on customer service I took over 20 years ago and hearing the instructor point out hospitals as the worst examples of customer service ever! Yet, here was a highly respected and accomplished leader of a top performing credit union stating he would go to that industry to find someone to help his credit union provide WOW factor service to his member/owners. What had changed?, I wondered.

The answer was both simple and complicated at the same time. The simple: governmental pressure. The complicated:  a new public rating system for all hospitals on customer service based upon a universal set of questions to be placed before all patients discharged from all of America’s hospitals. Not only would the results be available, but if specifically defined minimum results were not achieved Medicare payments would be withheld! Talk about culture shockwaves pulsating through an industry! From “worst ever” they now had to become among the best…and fast, or face dire consequences. The motivation to change was upon the healthcare industry and it reacted.

Consultants were hired. Plans were written. Training programs were put in motion. Employee town halls were conducted to announce the imminent changes institutions and individuals would be required, not asked, to make. Hospitals combed through their employee files searching for people who displayed passion for doing the right things all the time. People who were unafraid to stand up for patient needs and comfort. People adaptive to change. People capable of leading change. Those people once found were designated the title Patient Advocate. Most, not surprisingly, came out of nursing disciplines. All were faced with resistance within the organization on almost all levels. No one could afford to fail in championing change.

Hospitals gave these new champions of change broad avenues of influence, responsibility, and authority. Patient Advocates helped construct new training, coaching, and role playing procedures and models. The became involved with complaint and grievance resolution. They became expert at reading data and peeling back levels of data to uncover trends of improvement and areas of concern. Virtually no area within the institution was immune from the scrutiny of the Patient Advocate. Even questions in the hiring interview were added to reflect the personality types needed to achieve the levels of customer satisfaction now required. And, slowly, step by step, progress was made when the Patient Advocate had the full support of the C suite within the organization. Current employees were trained, coached, given individual attention and graded. Some were moved to positions where their inability to project the helpful attitude now required would be easily hidden from view. Still others were let go. There could be no failure to adapt and change allowed. Survival was at stake!

At the time this was happening I was V.P. Member Service at Healthcare Systems Federal Credit Union in Virginia. I was actively involved with the human resources departments at the hospitals we served. I read all I could about the changes in the industry we served and their effects upon the people we served. The more I read and heard from people the more convinced I became that advocacy was more powerful a concept than service and that we, the credit union, needed to change with our hospitals. After all, when their employees learned what WOW service was they would expect it from those serving them, wouldn’t they? So I requested my C.E.O. change my title to V.P. Member Advocacy.

Hornets’s nest!!! Our H.R. consultant had no idea what I was talking about. Other members of the executive team looked at me as if I had lost my mind. But my C.E.O. stood by me and the change was made. The effect on people in C suites and H.R. departments in the institutions we served was immediate and impactful. They appreciated the fact that I had paid attention to the changes in their industry and had acted to show respect and enthusiasm for

their efforts to become more client focused. So, Mr. Fech, I understand your goals for member advocacy and salute your initiatives. Good luck as you begin your journey toward advocacy!