Patient Experience Week will be held April 23-27 at all Moffitt locations. We sat down with Cristina Perez, Director of Patient Experience, to learn more about the importance of the week and the activities planned. 

1. As the Director of Patient Experience, can you share a little about what you do and your background? 

I have been with Moffitt for more than 20 years but in this position for about a year and a half. Our role is to ensure that our patients feel welcome, that their needs are met, and we take their voice into consideration in everything that we do. We are focused on offering patient- and family-centered care. 

My role oversees different areas such as patient relations, patient satisfaction, and our Patient and Family Advisory Council. Patient relations are focused on partnering with our patients to be their advocate through their treatment. Advocates work with the patient and the medical teams to address any concerns the patient might have. Patient satisfaction is a confidential survey that goes out every 60 days to outpatients. The survey covers their general experiences at Moffitt and then we share those comments with our leadership to really highlight the positives of our programs, as well as improve on any issues that might arise. We receive over 300 comments a week and we really use this information to make improvements. Lastly, our Patient and Family Advisory Council is a group of patients who meet with different levels of leadership to hear presentations and give feedback on initiatives Moffitt is considering in terms of treatment or technology. Our goal is to eventually have a patient on every committee. Our patient advisors meet once a week and they are a group of volunteers who welcome patients, as well as set up social events. Our volunteers work also closely with social workers to better understand the needs of our patients and the best ways to support them throughout their treatment. Everything we do is to enhance the patient experience at Moffitt.

2. What is patient experience and why is it important?

Patient experience is the voice of the patients. How do we make them feel when they walk in the doors? We want to make sure we are caring and empathetic. Cancer is tough; it’s a painful experience, so we try to release some of that pain and make them feel warm and comforted. We provide a great quality of care but it’s equally important to provide compassionate care.

3. What are some of the services Moffitt provides to improve a patient’s experience? 

We have a lot of resources that are available to patients. Each patient is provided with a social worker who helps ensure that any financial or emotional needs are met. We also have chaplain services, dietitians and nutritionists who are available to our patients. Our goal is to treat the whole person rather than the cancer.

4. What is the goal of Patient Experience Week? 

The goal is to thank our patients for choosing us; there are a lot of different places that they could go for care. It’s really a token of appreciation for choosing Moffitt. It’s also to thank our team members for all their hard work throughout the year. There are a lot of people who really make a difference in a patient’s life. It’s important to highlight that we all work together to create a great patient experience and everyone is a part of that.

5. What are some of the events planned that patients can participate in during the week?

Our activities are fun and social. For our staff, we will have events such as an ice cream social that will be hosted by leadership members. One event that I like to call “surprise and delight” will be highlighting those areas that our patient surveys recognized. For our patients, we will be delivering flowers throughout the week. We are also giving out gifts to both team members and patients during the week. We will be visiting all Moffitt locations throughout the week. We look forward to seeing everyone!

Tuesday, April 24: Free gift for inpatients, delivering from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Magnolia campus

Thursday, April 26: Free dessert for patients, 1 to 3 p.m., Moffitt McKinley Outpatient Center

Friday, April 27: Free dessert for patients, 1 to 3 p.m., Magnolia campus Gold Valet lobby and Moffitt at International Plaza