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CASE STUDY: HOW CLINICIAN COACHING MOVED A HOSPITAL FROM BELOW THE 5TH PERCENTILE TO THE 80TH PERCENTILE IN A KEY PATIENT EXPERIENCE DOMAIN 

OVERVIEW

At a 400-bed hospital – the only community hospital serving its town – trust was beginning to fray. Patients were voicing concerns about their care, while clinicians were struggling to connect with the people they served. With no alternative hospital down the street, changes needed to be made – and fast.

In collaboration with hospital leadership, Core Clinical Partners implemented targeted clinician coaching sessions as part of their Core CARES patient experience program. As a result, the hospital saw a more than 75-percentile-point increase in the HCAHPS Communication with Doctors domain.

THE CHALLENGE

Patient experience was just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, the hospital was also facing:

  • Growing patient concerns: A rising volume of complaints signaled recurring breakdowns in communication and care delivery, highlighting opportunities for systemic improvement.
  • Reduced openness to feedback: Mounting pressure around performance created an environment where teams were less willing to acknowledge issues openly, instead responding reactively to feedback.
  • Fragmented cross-functional collaboration: Communication across departments weakened, creating silos that made it more difficult to align around a consistent, high-quality patient experience.

Hospital leadership knew that the path forward involved more than just improving numbers – it required addressing the underlying factors influencing how patients experienced care.

THE SOLUTION

Core Clinical Partners’ Clinical Optimization Group (COG) partnered with hospital leadership and on-site Medical Directors to implement targeted clinician coaching through the Core CARES program.

This initiative focused on building consistent, patient-centered behaviors that strengthen trust and improve bedside interactions.

Through quarterly coaching campaigns, clinicians received education, observation, and feedback focused on three key behaviors:

  • Demonstrating courtesy and respect: Clinicians were coached on creating a welcoming environment and ensuring every patient interaction reflected compassion, professionalism, and respect.
  • Listening with intention: Clinicians learned strategies to engage patients more fully and demonstrate that their perspectives were heard and valued.
  • Explaining care plans in a way that ensures patient understanding: Clinicians developed techniques to communicate clearly and confirm patient comprehension.

Over the course of the initiative, COG provided more than 150 hours of coaching and observation across 50+ clinicians, equipping the care team with practical tools to create more meaningful patient interactions and deliver a more consistent patient experience.

THE RESULTS

The impact of clinician coaching was reflected in measurable improvements in the HCAHPS Communication with Doctors domain.

Following the launch of the initiative, the percentage of top-box responses increased from 69% to 80% after the first full month of implementation. As coaching continued and a dedicated patient experience module was introduced, scores improved further to 85% – representing a 16-point increase from the initial baseline.

This improvement translated into a significant shift in HCAHPS percentile performance, moving the hospital from below the 5th percentile to the 80th percentile.

Beyond the scores, the hospital also saw more accountability, increased trust, and improved relationships at the bedside.

THE TAKEAWAY

Lasting results in patient experience scores are not achieved through one-time initiatives, but through consistent coaching and reinforcement at the bedside.

By partnering with hospital leadership, Core Clinical Partners helped this Midwestern hospital transform clinician communication into measurable gains in patient experience – improving the HCAHPS Communication with Doctors domain from below the 5th percentile to the 80th percentile.

Interested in elevating your patient experience? Contact Us to learn how the Core CARES program can help your organization create lasting improvements in clinician communication and patient trust.