CX Pulse Check - March 2025

Healthcare and customer experience have more in common than you might think. Brian Carlson, VP of Patient Experience at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joins Jeannie Walters for a CX Pulse Check to explore these fascinating parallels that are reshaping how we think about caring for patients.

In this episode, they discuss:

• A patient satisfaction scoring storyline that provoked strong reactions on HBO's new medical drama "The Pitt"
• Lush's bold decision to abandon social media platforms, discovering surprising connections to how healthcare has traditionally built communities
• Modern healthcare designs that must consider patients, families, staff, and operational functionality simultaneously

Despite the challenges facing healthcare, Brian's powerful reminder resonates throughout our conversation: "We do far more right than we do wrong." Healthcare professionals perform life-saving, transformative work every day, often in difficult circumstances. The evolution of patient experience isn't about criticizing what's wrong but enhancing the incredible care already happening.

Ready to bridge customer and patient experience in your organization? Connect with Brian on LinkedIn to follow his insights, and explore our resources at experienceinvestigators.com to support your experience journey.

About Brian Carlson:
Brian Carlson has over 20 years of experience in large academic health systems and private group practices. He is currently the Vice President of Patient Experience at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) (http://www.vanderbilthealth.org), where he has significantly improved patient experience and operational efficiency since 2007.

Brian has a proven track record of driving financial and operational success. At VUMC, he enhanced the patient experience percentile rank and developed programs to boost workforce culture and patient engagement. Previously, he served as CEO/COO of Olean Medical Group and Practice Manager for Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation.

He holds dual master's degrees in Health Services Administration and Business Administration from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wittenberg University.

Follow Brian on...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrcarlson-nashville

Articles Mentioned:
Press Ganey CMO on 'The Pitt': Doctor Report Cards Are Really About Systems (Newsweek) -- https://www.newsweek.com/press-ganey-cmo-pitt-doctor-report-cards-are-really-about-systems-2029009
What Lush learned from three years of being mostly offline (Marketing Brew) -- https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2025/02/24/lush-anti-social-media-strategy
AI-driven research uncovers how physician media choice shapes online patient experience (Nevada Today) -- https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2025/ai-physician-communication

Resources Mentioned:
Take the CXI Compass™ assessment -- http://cxicompass.com
Experience Investigat

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