From the July 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

HealthCare Business News spoke with Bruce Slawitsky to learn more about one of the largest independent specialty hospitals operating in the New York metropolitan area. Slawitsky offered insight into the facility’s history, which dates back to 1863.

HCB News: How long have you been with the organization?
Bruce Slawitsky: It will be 11 years in September.


HCB News: So it has been a welcoming place for you. How about for other staff? What attracts them to the facility?
BS: We recently conducted focus groups with members of the HSS team to ask that question and others. They identified four key themes that impact their experience at HSS: passion and pride for the work we do; feeling that we provide a platform for their success; a positive work environment with the opportunity to work with colleagues who care; and finally, a commitment to being the best in the world at what we do.

HCB News: Can you tell us a little more about providing a platform for success?
BS: The platform for success refers to the fact that there are a lot of opportunities for people to develop their skills. We have an amazing collection of talent here at HSS and everyone is dedicated to being the best at what they do. So people who come here get to work with the best and brightest, and then we provide members of the HSS team with the tools and resources they need, including continuing education opportunities, to advance their learning and ultimately their careers.

HCB News: And why do patients seek you out?
BS: There’s no doubt it is based on the great outcomes our surgeons and physicians are able to achieve for our patients and the great care our Magnet nurses and entire clinical and support teams provide. Word of mouth helps build a reputation. We know that’s true just by looking at our patient satisfaction surveys. For 31 consecutive quarters, we have scored in the 99th percentile on the “likelihood to recommend” question, benchmarked against the Press Ganey magnet hospital database. Since we are the longest established orthopedic hospital in the country, given that we do more orthopedic procedures than anyone else, and that people don’t have to come here, we believe our purpose should be nothing less than to be the best in the world at getting people back to doing what they need and love to do.

HCB News: Are those patients typically referred, or is Hospital for Special Surgery their first stop?
BS:M For many patients we are the first stop, but some patients also come to us in hopes of achieving a better outcome than they had somewhere else.

July 2016 Magazine

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