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Dr. Pate’s Prescription for Change

St. Luke’s Health System’s Journey to Transform Health Care

St. Luke’s Patient Karen Kozlowski on Collaboration

By Dr. David C. Pate, News and Community
July 19, 2016

You are about to watch the first of a seven-part video series in which I interview one of our patients. This is no ordinary patient. She is also a nurse, and she has a terminal illness. She provides a unique view into our healthcare delivery system, at St. Luke’s and at other institutions where she has received care over most of her adult life.

At St. Luke’s, we are driving toward patient-centered care. Perhaps most of those reading this will say, “We (wherever you work) already provide patient-centered care.”

I don’t doubt that there are aspects of the care that are patient-centered, but I wonder whether after watching the seven video clips, you will say, “We provide patient-centered care, all the time, for everyone.”

Here is the model of patient-centeredness we have developed at St. Luke’s to help us understand all the aspects to patient-centered care:

Patient Centeredness

We developed this based on patient feedback, patient surveys, input from patient and family representatives on our quality and safety committees and based on our own experiences.

Patient-centeredness is multifaceted. It involves all of the experiences and interactions a patient has with our health system and the many different administrative and clinical personnel.

As you watch this video and those that follow, I’d invite you to consider the patient-centeredness diagram and see how many elements of patient-centeredness this patient brings up. It’s a conversation worth having.

About The Author

David C. Pate, M.D., J.D., previously served as president and CEO of St. Luke's Health System, based in Boise, Idaho. Dr. Pate joined the System in 2009 and retired in 2020. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.