“You can upload your own photo, you can identify where you would like that care postcard to go, so whether it’s a local hospital in your area or a friend of yours that’s a nurse where you want to share that gratitude,” said ALex Coren, the website founder.

“Wow. I hope everyone uses it. That’s fantastic. That’s huge. and that kind of stuff is absolutely appreciated,” said Dr. Tiffany McCalla.

The site is run by a company called Wambi, described as: “Wambi is the first and only real-time employee engagement and recognition system that engages both patients and team members. Partnering with large hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, Wambi’s approach to recognition connects direct patient feedback to team members to increase engagement. Wambi users report a 62% increase in feeling valued at their job, positively impacting retention and patient satisfaction over time. This meaningful, in-the-moment feedback loop fosters a clear organizational culture shift built on a foundation of transparency, trust and gratitude.”

Founder Alex Coren says she was inspired by personal experiences to make the website.

“Being the daughter of both parents that both suffered from chronic illnesses, I spent a lot of time in hospitals and that led me to really value the relationship between a patient and family member and someone who cares for them,” said Coren.

A local ER doctor says this kind of encouragement is especially needed during this pandemic.

“I think more than anything it’s been mentally exhausting,”said Dr. Tiffany McCalla, “People bringing in food, candy, the hospital bought all the nurses flowers,I mean, that kind of stuff lets you know you’re appreciated.”

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Wambi is the only real-time recognition and feedback system fueled by the voice of patients and families. Its gamified approach increases employee engagement, reduces clinician burnout, and enhances the patient experience. Partnering with hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, Wambi gives flight to the personal side of healthcare by surfacing the moments where a human connection makes all the difference, connecting patients and team members and improving the human experience for all.

Join Dr. Bonnie Clipper and Liz Paskas, Chief Patient Experience Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health, as they share in this inspiring micro-interview that innovation and creativity is alive in your team members. As leaders, we will not have all the answers, so ask your troops–they have tremendous insight.

There’s more to explore in Wambi world! Click here to subscribe and keep your pulse on what we’re doing in the healthcare engagement space with thought leaders and the inspiring realm of employee recognition and gratitude.

David Shulkin, M.D. FACP
Ninth Secretary, US Department of Veteran Affairs

It’s been gratifying to watch the world’s reaction to first responders and healthcare workers. Watching the outpouring of appreciation for these professionals as they travel to work and enter their workplaces has been heartwarming. These public celebrations have been one way the average person can give back to those who have stepped up in so many ways during this crisis. But once inside the hospital, most people don’t get to acknowledge the work of these professionals.

Indeed, much has changed within hospitals since COVID infections began. Most hospitals now restrict visitors, including family. Many patients are separated from those they feel most comfortable with and rely upon for support. Without this comfort, the hospital can be a lonely, and scary, place for many patients. In addition, most hospital staff now wear personal protective equipment, making personal interactions more difficult and potentially more impersonal. Anxiety levels during any health crisis almost certainly rise among healthcare workers and patients alike. The COVID crisis is no exception.

We’ve seen a lot of natural experiments in this pandemic. One of these is how patients have reacted to hospital staff in this new hospital environment: Did visitor restrictions, protective equipment, and increased anxiety increase patient criticism of staff?

To answer this question, we studied five hospitals that had a system in place for allowing patients to provide individual comments directly to frontline hospital staff. This system, called Wambi, is a patient-driven and peer-to-peer recognition tool focused on improving burnout and experience. Wambi provides patients with the opportunity to share recognition and feedback with those they’ve interacted with during their time of care. The Wambi system was in place in these hospitals both prior to the COVID19 outbreak and after the outbreak. In this analysis, we examined feedback from 373 patients in these hospitals after March 22, 2020 and compared these comments to the Pre-COVID (Pre-C) period.

Our first finding was that post-COVID (Post-C) there was a substantial increase in specific patient comments sent to hospital staff. Patients seemingly had more to say and wanted to be heard. Comparing Pre-C to Post-C, we found 24% more patients (35% vs. 59%) sent specific comments to staff.

Second, Post-C feedback was overwhelmingly positive and personal. Post-C feedback was intensely personal, with 98% of comments mentioning staff by name. The other 2% commented on the team-based nature of the care delivered. Third, Post-C feedback most frequently involved the staff’s attitude rather than a specific action or outcome of the care. 78% of the comments written by patients in the Post-C period were about a person’s attitude, while just 16% was about a specific action performed, and only 8% focused on the outcome of care.

Seeing this increase in comments to staff in the Post-C period reaffirms what we are seeing almost everywhere. Namely, the in-hospital experience of recognizing the value of healthcare professionals is similar to what we have seen in the broader community that has celebrated healthcare workers as heroes.

This is satisfying to see and addresses an important need in managing through a pandemic. Gratitude and staff recognition have always been important. Good executives have always recognized the association between employee satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and strong financial and clinical results. But in times of crisis, extra support and recognition for staff is absolutely essential. Staff are asked to work under sometimes extreme conditions, with greater patient workloads and more intense physical and emotional demands. Without recognition and feedback, this can lead to rapid burnout, and deteriorating employee morale and mental health.

Direct patient feedback and recognition of effort by name is one of the most powerful ways to accomplish this. Assuring that patients can give this feedback is an industry best practice and will become an essential part of maintaining a healthy workforce in the Post-C world.

It’s good to see that patients recognize that THIS is the medicine our healthcare workers need during these difficult times. Together, patients, administrators, and healthcare professionals, all working to support one another, is the secret weapon that will get us through this crisis.

The Honorable David Shulkin, M.D. is the Ninth Secretary of the US Department of Veteran Affairs and is working to support organizations during the COVID19 pandemic.