Legacy Community Health

Meghan Margaret Lahey

Culture Engagement Champion

The Connection Between Employees and Patients

Employee engagement has a direct impact on the patient experience. I've found that when employees feel valued, supported and connected to the organization's mission, they bring a different level of energy and commitment to their work. They are more engaged, more invested in helping others and more focused on creating positive experiences for every patient they serve.

Patients can feel the difference. Engaged employees are more attentive, communicate more effectively and show greater empathy in their interactions.

The bottom line is that engaged employees are often willing to go beyond what is expected. Whether it's spending extra time explaining a treatment plan or simply providing comfort during a difficult moment, these actions create meaningful experiences that patients remember.

Building a Culture of Engagement and Care

One thing I've learned is that it's much easier to improve both employee and patient outcomes when they're built on the same foundation: Alignment, Engagement, Culture and Climate. Rather than treating employee experience and patient experience as separate efforts, I think it's important to view them as closely connected. When both are guided by the same values and expectations, they naturally support and strengthen each other.

Once that foundation is in place, organizations can focus on other important drivers like trust, communication and recognition. Trust helps employees feel supported and creates confidence among patients. Communication ensures people feel informed, heard and connected. Recognition reinforces the behaviors and actions that contribute to a positive experience for both employees and patients.

“At the end of the day, great patient experiences begin with great employee experiences.”

In my experience, when employees feel valued, engaged and supported, they're more likely to create the type of experience we want our patients to have. That's why I don't see employee experience and patient experience as two separate priorities. They're really two sides of the same coin and when you invest in one, you strengthen the other.

Making Employee Experience Part of Patient Care

One of the most important things leaders can do is create a culture where employee experience and patient experience are not separate. When employees feel respected, supported, informed and appreciated, they will provide the same level of care and compassion to patients.

You need to reinforce values like compassion, communication, accountability and service excellence. Solicit feedback from your employees, round in your clinics or hospitals, take the time out of your day to connect with your employees. Small gestures like this can have a significant impact on your culture.

Also, recognition plays a key role. When leaders acknowledge employees for going above and beyond, it reinforces the behaviors that lead to exceptional patient care.

At the end of the day, great patient experiences begin with great employee experiences. When employees feel valued and supported, they are more engaged, more committed and better equipped to deliver outstanding care.

Addressing the Challenges Behind Engagement

One challenge is the number of competing priorities healthcare leaders face every day. Organizations are balancing financial pressures, quality measures and access to care. With so many demands, it can be difficult to devote the time and resources needed to focus on employee engagement and culture, even though leaders understand their importance.

Burnout and staffing shortages are another challenge. Even the most dedicated employees can find it difficult to stay fully engaged when they are consistently stretched thin. When employees are exhausted or overwhelmed, it can impact morale, communication and ultimately the patient experience.

I've also found that the challenge isn't convincing leaders that employee engagement matters. The challenge is creating the capacity, support and resources necessary to help employees stay engaged while also meeting the day-to-day demands of healthcare.

Turning Employee Feedback into Meaningful Change

In many organizations, employee experience and patient experience are managed separately. At Legacy, we've intentionally brought them together under one role and that has made a significant difference. By connecting these efforts, we're able to better understand how the employee experience influences the patient experience and create strategies that support both.

It's also helped build trust with employees. Because surveys are administered outside of Human Resources by a team with expertise in survey design, data analysis and feedback collection, employees often feel more comfortable sharing honest and candid feedback. That insight gives leaders a clearer understanding of what's working well and where opportunities for improvement exist.

It's also important to remember that culture change doesn't happen overnight. Creating a stronger culture is a journey that requires consistency, patience and commitment. One of the most important things leaders can do is be transparent along the way. Employees want to know their voices are being heard and that action is being taken. When employees see that their feedback leads to meaningful action, trust grows, participation increases and momentum for positive change follows. Over time, that stronger culture benefits both employees and patients alike.