Lisa Drumbore

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

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?

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

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?

ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP #6: Bridging the Discharge Gap: Redesigning the Patient Transition from Hospital to Home

Lynn Charbonneau, Former Director, Patient Experience and Guest Services, Tampa General

How might we improve communication, clarity, and follow-through during discharge to reduce confusion, readmissions, and dissatisfaction?