Reviews

In this gem of a book you will find the road map for creating the best possible workplace for your people. It is based not only on great research but on great personal experiences. Britt and Paul have nailed it! Buy this book!

I worked for Britt Berrett and these things really did and do happen.

As a 30 year employee of Texas Health Dallas where Dr. Berrett was the President, I can tell you that these things are working. As the manager of the NICU at THD, I have applied many of these principles to my 100+ employees. Our units’s last nursing satisfaction survey results scored us in over the 90th percentile for every single area. And as a member of the leadership team I have never been happier in my position.

Healthcare leaders read this book.

A must add to your leadership library.

What a provocative title for a super book. The book is fun and easy-to-read but with a message that is so powerful today as we face recruitment, retention and succession planning challenges. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry – after all, this is healthcare!!

Through numerous examples and hard data, the authors make a solid case for their hypothesis: the best way to deliver positive results for patients (or customers in any industry) is to invest heavily in your employees. This book is packed with real-life examples of how these two leaders have achieved sterling patient satisfaction results by empowering and developing good employees, and getting rid of the “whiners, losers, and jerks.” A quick read, this book turns conventional wisdom on its head and provides a blueprint for achieving sustained success and fulfilling your organization’s mission.

Patients Come Second very effectively makes the case that employee engagement is a prerequisite to patient-centered care, and that a culture that encourages a high level of engagement is essential to assuring the highest levels of patient care quality, safety, productivity, and patient satisfaction. One of the strengths of the book is the many real world examples, and comments by hospital and healthcare system CEOs. I think the authors themselves make the best case for why every healthcare leader should read this book when they say “Building a culture of engagement within your organization is your way as a leader to leave an incredibly powerful legacy – one that will positively influence the lives of everyone you work with, now and into the future.”

I have personally shared this book with CEOs of many of the hospitals that Values Coach works with and will be sending out more in the future. It is that good.

At first glance, this book title is provocative and evokes quite a response. Patients come second…how can we say that in health care? I urge you to take a second look and read this book. It will give you and your teams some necessary tools that allow you to focus on the patients and provide them improved care by improving the team caring for them. I particularly liked the Circle of Growth^SM analogy. Investing in employee loyalty brings customer loyalty which drives profits which can be reinvested into employees. In a nutshell, that’s it! Getting there is possible if you utilize tools found in this book. The book is an easy comfortable read. It brings points home with real stories which are memorable and make an impression. Read the book, recognize, reward and engage, and see your teams light up!

The authors propose a hierarchy of employees first, patients second and finance third. This notion runs counter to the current hierarchy in most healthcare delivery systems which is finance first, second and third.

If the healthcare industry adopted the principles in this text, the current poor and rapidly decreasing morale of physicians, nurses and ancillaries could be reversed.

This book should be mandatory reading for all supervisors, managers, executives and trustees in healthcare.

I read it cover to cover in one sitting and I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to see reinforcement of an employee-focused workplace culture in health care. In fact, your words were so powerful that I will be purchasing copies of your book for our physician leaders, as well as our directors and managers.