Dr. James Lonquist

Physician Healthcare Experience Foundation

James L. Lonquist, MD is a physician coach with Healthcare Experience Foundation. Dr. Lonquist is a board-certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Lonquist has been practicing cardiothoracic surgery for 30 years and has performed over 5,000 open heart procedures. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Texas at Houston and two fellowships including cardiac transplantation/research and cardiothoracic surgery both at the prestigious Texas Heart Institute.

Dr. Lonquist has served in numerous leadership positions including President of the Medical Staff and Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He is passionate about patient care and has been a physician champion for multiple quality and safety initiatives. Dr. Lonquist has led client initiatives for patient centered communication, multidisciplinary rounds, physician engagement rounds, and physician leadership development. He is committed to training the next generation of medical leaders and is an experienced physician coach.

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 James.

Download The Latest Agenda