Workplace culture, data insights, and emotional connection all play a critical role in how patients and staff experience care. At Mayo Clinic, understanding and improving these elements is essential to advancing quality.

On this episode of the Key In To Quality podcast, Sunanda Kane, M.D. Chief Patient Experience Officer at Mayo Clinic, returns to share how her team is tackling the complex interplay between patient satisfaction, staff well-being, and data-informed decision-making.

Learn how Mayo Clinic has trained over 21,000 staff members in experience-centered care, established a conduct work unit to address rising incidents of workplace violence, and partnered with Qualtrics to analyze patient feedback through advanced AI and real-time dashboards. Dr. Kane also highlights how gathering emotional, story-driven insights from patients can lead to actionable improvements across the system.

This episode offers practical strategies for anyone working to create a more human, safe, and responsive healthcare environment. It’s especially valuable for patient experience leaders, quality improvement professionals, hospital administrators, and anyone passionate about building trust through care.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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What truly defines a great patient experience? From appointment scheduling and facility navigation to virtual visits and provider communication, every step plays a role in how patients feel, trust, and heal.

In this episode of Key In To Quality, Mayo Clinic’s Chief Patient Experience Officer, Sunanda Kane, M.D. joins co-hosts Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. and Sheri Nemec to discuss how Mayo Clinic is transforming patient experience across physical and digital spaces.

With decades of experience in clinical care, quality improvement, and leadership, Dr. Kane breaks down the difference between satisfaction and experience, the role of warmth and competence in building trust, and how AI and telehealth are changing care delivery.

Listeners will walk away with practical ideas to elevate patient care and experience—starting with a simple smile or a well-placed sign. This episode is valuable for patient experience leaders, clinicians, hospital administrators, digital health innovators, quality improvement professionals, and anyone invested in creating human-centered healthcare.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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Design thinking involves asking big questions and thoroughly examining problems. It's a different approach compared to traditional medical training, where doctors are trained to quickly assess situations and come up with solutions.

On this episode of the Key In To Quality podcast, our guest Allison Matthews walks us through how human-centered design principles can be applied to the patient experience in a hospital setting, which is her primary focus as the lead of Experience Design and Hospital Operations for Mayo Clinic.

Learn how the Car-T cell therapy service line at Mayo Clinic used design thinking to help patients and caregivers communicate better throughout the treatment process, and how Allison and her team overcame challenges associated with implementing design thinking, with key takeaways you can apply directly to your practice.

This podcast provides valuable insights for anyone interested in enhancing patient care and quality. It is ideal for quality improvement leaders and staff, and hospital leaders and staff.

Guest: Allison Matthews | https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-matthews-5058b437/

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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Industrial hygiene in healthcare is essential due to the unique and often surprising varieties of hazards present—from chemical exposures and airborne pathogens to ergonomic challenges and noise levels.

In this episode of Key into Quality podcast, entitled “Hazards in Healthcare: Exploring Industrial Hygiene with an Expert” our guest Jeff Nesbitt, supervisor, Industrial Hygiene, Mayo Clinic, discusses the role of industrial hygiene in maintaining safe healthcare environments. He shares Mayo Clinic’s approach to managing workplace hazards, regulatory frameworks, and innovative safety practices in clinical, laboratory, and industrial settings.

This podcast provides valuable insights for anyone interested in enhancing safety and quality in healthcare. It is ideal for healthcare and hospital leaders, staff safety leaders, environment of care leaders/staff, and facilities leaders and staff.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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Dizziness is a common reason for physician visits, especially in people over 70, and can lead to falls and hospitalizations. In response, Mayo Clinic established a dedicated vestibular therapy team to provide specialized physical and occupational therapy for hospitalized patients.

In this episode of Key In To Quality podcast, our guests Allison Grunst, P.T., D.P.T., Leanne Pataky, P.T., D.P.T., and Anna Whitham, M.S., O.T. from Mayo Clinic in Rochester discuss how they completed a structured quality improvement project within Mayo Clinic's Quality Academy to achieve their goals of improving care, reducing falls, and ensuring safer discharges for patients experiencing dizziness.

As a result, they received a gold certification from Mayo Clinic's Quality Academy and their department made significant improvements in patient care, staff awareness, and collaboration.

This podcast provides valuable insights for anyone interested in enhancing patient care and quality. It is ideal for quality improvement leaders/staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, patient safety staff or leaders, and hospital leaders and staff.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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Hospitals commonly use huddles to create staff alignment on a wide range of operational, clinical, and other topics and functions. However, not all huddles are delivering the desired effect of lasting impact and full staff engagement. Experts agree that one fundamental requirement of creating a safety culture is having a preoccupation with safety built into every workday.

In the latest Key In To Quality podcast, entitled “Improving Safety Culture and Solving Problems Through Daily Huddles,” Jennifer Cowart, M.D., patient safety officer and hospitalist, Mayo Clinic Florida, shares her experience with building culture of safety through deliberate, strategic, and persistent hard work. Dr. Cowart has dedicated much of her career to improving safety culture at Mayo Clinic and other institutions. She provides useful insights on and practical recommendations for implementing daily huddles that foster trusting relationships, build leadership skills, and engage team members in creating safety culture.

The session is ideal for health care leaders, patient safety and quality leaders and staff, clinical practice leaders, and nursing leaders and staff.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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In 1989, American author Stephen Covey published the popular business book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In it, he presents the second habit: begin with the end in mind. Those working in healthcare today know that concept applies to patient care. There are a myriad of opportunities to examine historical practices and data with future quality and safety improvements in mind. Mortality reviews is one of those.

This episode of Key into Quality podcast, entitled “Systematic Mortality Reviews: Looking Back to Improve the Future” discusses insights into how mortality reviews can guide healthcare providers in delivering safer, more effective care.

Brian Beam, M.D., assistant professor, Anesthesiology and chair, Mayo Clinic Rochester Mortality Review Subcommittee, and John McMahon, manager, Quality Operations, Mayo Clinic share Mayo Clinic’s mortality review process, its structure, and the collaborative efforts involved. They also talk about how leveraging data and fostering collaboration have led to significant improvements in patient care as well as how Mayo Clinic is working towards using artificial intelligence to proactively address potential issues.

This podcast is ideal for healthcare and hospital leaders, quality and patient safety leaders and staff, providers, and care givers.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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Are you passionate about the future of healthcare and eager to learn how proactive strategies, real-world success stories, and cutting-edge innovation are revolutionizing nursing? Here’s a chance to hear inspiring ideas to use at your hospital or clinical practice.

This recent episode of Key into Quality podcast, entitled “The Future of Safety in Nursing: Voices from the Frontline,” hosted guests Jen Cruise and Nina Hawthorne, both nurse administrators at Mayo Clinic, who shared invaluable insights from their extensive nursing experience. Together, they illustrate the essence of Safety 2.0 by demonstrating how proactive strategies and staff empowerment lead to exceptional patient outcomes.

Jen and Nina also delved into their visionary approaches, such as Jen's focus on integrating evidence-based practice into daily nursing activities and Nina's championing of innovation to drive safety. Their dialogue showcased the dedication of nursing leaders at Mayo Clinic in advancing healthcare quality and ensuring that patient needs remain the central focus.

This podcast is ideal for healthcare and hospital leaders, nursing leaders, nurses, quality and safety leaders and staff.

Host: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/

Host: Sheri Nemec| https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/

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