Miranda Merriman

System Director, Ambulatory Patient Experience / Performance Advisory Inova Health System

Miranda's healthcare journey began with personal experiences that underscored the importance of communication and perception in patient care, igniting a passion that has fueled her 15+ years in patient experience. Since 2010, when she officially entered the field, Miranda has focused on integrating operations, quality, and safety to enhance patient care. Her career includes three System Director roles: one in a 5-hospital system in rural South Dakota, another in a 3-hospital, 90+ clinic system in the Baltimore/Washington DC area, and now in Northern Virginia, overseeing Patient Experience and Patient Relations efforts for ~300 ambulatory clinics. Miranda's experience in military medicine, while in Germany and at Walter Reed, has further deepened her understanding of patient care across the continuum. Her dedication earned her the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal in 2019 and the Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) designation in 2021. Miranda values her family, especially her daughter, born on Christmas Eve, whom she considers her greatest gift. Whether enjoying coffee, cheering for Oklahoma football, or savoring life’s simple pleasures with her husband, Miranda remains committed to serving her family, community & her role as the System Director of Ambulatory Patient Experience & Patient Relations at Inova.

Day 3: Shaping What’s Next: Designing the Future of Experience

12:20 PM CASE STUDY: Transforming Ambulatory Care Through Experience-Led Innovation

In an era of rapid healthcare transformation, our nearly 300 ambulatory clinics implemented a data-driven, people-centered strategy to elevate patient experience (PX) while ensuring operational efficiency and workforce engagement. By leveraging the data at our fingertips, we identified key trends in patient feedback, improved data integrity through real-time adjustments (e.g., shortening survey windows, pausing surveys during disruptions), and separated virtual and in-person visit data for targeted improvement. Our immersive training initiatives—including “Onsite Immersion Rounding,” “Caring Connections,” and de-escalation coaching—built emotional intelligence and empathy across frontline teams, while also enhancing safety through a new Escalation Management Process grounded in equity and inclusivity. Collaborative workgroups focused on aligning digital communication, optimizing EHR workflows, and amplifying team member voices helped unify our approach under a shared Care Mandate. As a result, we improved PX performance by 18 percentile points in under 3 years. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Leverage real-time data insights to identify and drive patient experience improvements in ambulatory care
Strengthen engagement at all levels through immersive, inclusive training that empowers frontline teams and leaders
Advance patient safety and equity by implementing a standardized process for managing behavioral escalations
Align strategic, operational, and communication practices to create a cohesive, system-wide approach to patient experience

This holistic framework offers a scalable, innovative model for transforming ambulatory care delivery across a large geographic footprint.

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

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