Dr. Carol Lewis MD MPH FACS CPXP

Professor and Chief Patient Experience Officer, ad interim MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Carol Lewis is a Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Early in her career, her research focused on quality improvement of head and neck cancer care, but over the years, her interests shifted to patient education, patient experience, and provider communication. She started in patient experience by serving as her department’s Patient Experience Officer, using quality improvement approaches to improve patient experience. After serving as Associate Chief Patient Experience Officer for 6 years, she was recently made ad interim Chief Patient Experience Officer, a role which enables her to contribute across the breadth of patient experience. Dr. Carol Lewis attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Asian Studies and Biology with High Honors, and was a junior inductee into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She then attended Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, where she obtained both her MD with Distinction in Research and her Masters of Public Health. During medical school, she spent one year as an Albert Schweitzer fellow, educating socially-marginalized populations about access to resources, as well as two years doing basic immunology research at the National Institutes of Health. She was also inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. She completed her residency in the Harvard Medical School Otolaryngology Residency Program and her fellowship in head and neck cancer surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Day 2: From Insight to Impact: Operationalizing Patient Experience

2:30 PM Track C: Panel: Partners in PX: Strengthening Collaboration Between Physicians and PX Leadership

Achieving exceptional patient experience requires a collaborative partnership between physicians and patient experience teams. Panelists will share real-world examples of successful collaborations, address common challenges, and provide actionable insights on how to align physician practices with patient experience goals to drive improved outcomes and satisfaction.

Identify effective communication strategies to bridge the gap between physicians and PX teams, fostering open dialogue and mutual respect
Discover methods for aligning physician practices with patient experience goals, promoting shared ownership and accountability for PX outcomes
Explore practical approaches to overcome common challenges in physician-PX team collaboration, such as time constraints, differing priorities, and cultural differences

3:00 PM Track C: Panel Remix (Audience Breakout): Strengthening Collaboration Between Physicians and PX Leadership

Following the main panel, this quick-turn breakout invites attendees to dive deeper into the realities of building strong, trust-based partnerships between physicians and patient experience teams. In small groups, participants will reflect on the insights shared, discuss their own collaboration challenges, and trade practical approaches for creating better alignment, communication, and shared ownership of PX outcomes. This interactive session helps translate big ideas into actionable strategies grounded in day-to-day experience.

Small-Group Discussion Prompts:

• Where do collaboration and communication between physicians and PX teams most often break down in your organization, and what practices help bridge those gaps?

• How are you building shared ownership of PX goals across clinical and non-clinical teams, and what incentives, workflows, or accountability models have been most effective?

• What structures or cultural shifts would help strengthen mutual understanding, respect, and partnership between physicians and PX leadership?

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Carol.

Download The Latest Agenda