Personalized care helps facilities compete

Catholic health facilities may believe that they provide personalized care, since this value is a part of their mission statement. In the face of shrinking inpatient services and competition for patients, however, formal efforts to provide such care are essential. Personalized care can be a primary factor in differentiating Catholic health care facilities in the marketplace. St. Edward Mercy Medical Center implemented marketing surveys to determine patients' perceptions of personalized care. Using the results, the medical center instituted employee education programs and physical improvements in order to meet patients' needs and thus maintain and improve the facility's patient market share.