Earlier this month, The Leapfrog Group published a report titled, What Patients Think About Their Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers: An Analysis of Patient Experience Surveys.

The report’s most striking highlights point to significant ongoing deficits in the patient experience, despite decades of focus by the healthcare industry.

As Director of Woman and Newborn Services at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana, I’m keenly aware that we face strong competition for the business of expectant moms and their families. Ours is one of four hospitals in the metro-New Orleans area offering obstetric care, which means there is a lot of competition for new patients.

But we have a competitive advantage. We’ve developed a way to boost our patient relationships early and establish invaluable access, starting in the beginning of pregnancy and continuing through their children’s early years.