Cassandra Cisneros

Director, Patient Experience Penn Medicine

Cassandra A. Cisneros, MHA, CPXP, Director of Patient Experience at Penn Medicine – Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH), leads the Office of Patient Experience/Patient & Guest Relations, Volunteer Services, Language Services, the Spiritual Care Program, and the Welcome Experience. She joined Penn Medicine in March 2021. In her role, Ms. Cisneros serves as an internal consultant across inpatient and outpatient areas, analyzing patient satisfaction trends and sharing evidence-based best practices with multidisciplinary teams. Her passion lies at the intersection of patient experience, hospital quality, and patient safety, and she has made it her mission to ensure that experience improvement efforts are deeply aligned with broader quality and safety goals. At the health system level, Ms. Cisneros focuses on aligning the Penn Medicine Experience across the PAH campus to ensure consistency in the patient journey, regardless of location. Prior to joining PAH, she worked at Temple University Hospital from 2013 to 2021 in roles spanning Quality, Medical Staff Affairs, and Patient Experience. Ms. Cisneros holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (2012) and a Master of Health Administration (2014), both from the University of Scranton. She became a Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) in early 2019. She has presented at national and regional conferences including The Beryl Institute Patient Experience Conference, Press Ganey Human Experience Conferences, the Healthcare Improvement Foundation, and multiple Vizient Clinical Connections Summits. Outside of work, Cassandra enjoys traveling, cheering on Philadelphia sports teams, and is a self-proclaimed Bravo historian.

Day 1: Rooted in Purpose: Reconnecting with the Why Behind PX

4:45 PM Panel: The ROI of Ingenuity - Transforming PX Through Smarter Strategy, Not Bigger Spend

In today’s healthcare climate, patient experience leaders are being asked to do more with less—driving meaningful change without the luxury of unlimited resources. This panel brings together experienced PX leaders who have successfully exercised their creativity, collaboration, and smart prioritization to deliver measurable impact. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to stretch limited budgets, engage teams in innovative problem-solving, and sustain high standards of care even in lean environments.

Identify and implement high-impact, low-cost tactics to improve patient experience across the care continuum
Leverage internal resources and staff creativity to drive sustainable improvements without major investment
Build effective frameworks for prioritizing PX initiatives and allocating limited resources for maximum return

Day 2: From Insight to Impact: Operationalizing Patient Experience

4:30 PM Design Thinking Roundtable Workshops: Collaborative Problem-Solving with PX Leaders

Join fellow patient experience leaders for a hands-on, small-group session using design thinking to tackle real-world challenges in healthcare. Guided by experienced facilitators, each table will focus on a specific PX pain point—from care transitions to staff burnout—and work through a rapid-cycle innovation process to uncover creative, actionable solutions.

These intimate, interactive discussions are built for participation—not passive listening—so come ready to share, brainstorm, and leave with fresh ideas you can put into practice.

What to Expect:

Choose from several timely PX challenges curated by industry leaders
Collaborate with peers in a structured yet flexible design-thinking framework
Walk away with practical strategies and inspiration to take back to your team

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #1: The Disruption Mandala – Making Meaning from Chaos

Julie Kennedy Oehlert, Chief Experience and Brand Officer, ECU Health

How might we transform disruption into a catalyst for clarity, creativity, and meaningful change in patient experience?

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #2: From Reactive to Proactive: Rethinking Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare"

Stephanie Bayer, Senior Director, Patient Experience, Cleveland Clinic

How might we design safer environments and stronger support systems to protect staff from physical and verbal abuse while maintaining compassionate care?

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #3: Winning Over the Why: Engaging a Disconnected C-Suite in the Value of Patient Experience

Lisa Drumbore, Vice President, Chief Experience Officer, Saint Peter’s Healthcare System

How might we reframe patient experience as a strategic priority for executives who see it as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a business imperative?

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #4: Leading with Intention – Developing the Next Generation of PX Leaders

Alex Wimsatt, BSN, RN, PHN, Director, Care Experience, Providence

Michelle Eleby, MHA, MSG, Executive Director, Clinical Excellence, Providence

How might we design leadership development programs that not only build PX capabilities, but also foster confidence, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose?

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #5: Designing a Patient Advisory Board That Actually Drives Change

Cassandra Cisneros, Director, Patient Experience, Penn Medicine

How might we create a patient advisory board that goes beyond box-checking and becomes a meaningful engine for insight, inclusion, and impact?

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

Download The Latest Agenda