USNH Naples Celebrates National Customer Service Week

GRICIGNANO D'AVERSA, ITALY

10.10.2019

Story by Christina Clarke 

Naval Hospital - Naples

U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples is recognizing individual staff members and highlighting entire directorates as part of National Customer Service Week. The first full week of October honors customer service professionals across a wide range of business, government, and industry.

“A lot of times, people hear the word ‘customer’ and automatically think about a traditional, retail customer,” says Jacoby Flemming, the USNH Naples Customer Relations Officer. “But for healthcare, our customer is the patient. It’s the service member, their family, retirees, sometimes even ourselves.”

Within USNH Naples, there are over 500 full and part time staff members who provide world-class care to over 9,800 beneficiaries across Italy and the Southern European region. While all staff members strive to provide the best possible customer service, a select few serve as Customer Relations Representatives for their departments.

“Being a Customer Relations Representative is such a rewarding position. Each time a patient walks out the door with a smile and looking forward to their next visit, I know we provided care beyond their expectation,” says Hospitalman Adrianne Foggetti, a Corpsman in Behavioral Health. “I genuinely appreciate honest feedback; it provides us the opportunity to make a patient’s time more worthwhile. I see all the hard work put in throughout the command to enhance the patient experience and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.”

National Customer Service Week was established by the International Customer Service Association (ICSA) in 1984 and proclaimed a national event by the U.S. Congress in 1992. The week is meant to recognize the job that customer service professionals do year-round as well as convey the importance that customer service brings to all aspects of business and government.

“Creating satisfied and happy patients requires the efforts of the entire team. Everyone must have the highest degree of professionalism and a constant mindset of creating a positive patient experience,” says Captain Richard Knittig, USNH Naples Commanding Officer. “I’m extremely proud of our staff and their commitment to patient satisfaction. Over the past 12 months, our patient satisfaction rate has been 96%. We continue to look for unique ways to provide the utmost care and service for all our beneficiaries.”

One initiative from the Customer Relations office is the Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC). The PFAC is comprised of healthcare professionals, tenant command members, retirees, and community members. The group meets quarterly to discuss healthcare topics and foster an environment of cooperation between patients, families, clinicians, and staff.

“We receive a lot of feedback from the Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) system, but the PFAC allows us to convene with the community on a regular basis to improve relationships and effectively communicate to help improve safety and quality of care,” says Flemming. “I am honored to serve as the Customer Relations Officer for our community but it’s a team effort. All the doctors, nurses, Corpsmen, administrators – we all play a vital role in customer service.”

If you have been a patient at USNH Naples and wish to leave feedback, please visit ice.disa.mil and search for U.S. Naval Hospital Naples.

USNH Naples, the largest naval hospital in Europe, serves a diverse population of over 9,800 beneficiaries. Over 500 staff members at the main hospital, branch health clinic, and Navy Liaison Detachment in Landstuhl, Germany work tirelessly to keep warfighters in the fight and provide care for their families.

• Date Taken: 10.10.2019
• Date Posted: 10.10.2019 05:58
• Story ID: 347032
• Location: GRICIGNANO D'AVERSA, IT