WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   The new Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is lauding staff for their resilience and dedication to serving the nation’s heroes, especially during challenging times.
Brigid Herrick made the comments during a recent interview with the Office of Command Communications.
“As Chief Experience Officer, my role is to ensure that everyone is listened to and heard. It’s not ‘a-behind-the-desk job.’ It’s an opportunity to learn from people’s experiences and to carry their concerns up to hospital leadership. Every member of the team has valuable input, from nurses, physicians, auxiliary and support personnel, to administrators and office staff -- whether [they are] civilians, active duty, or contractors. Each person’s contribution at WRNMMC has the potential to make a critical difference in the lives of our patients, their families, and the entire military health community,” she said.
Herrick, a mother of five who hails from Upstate New York, became interested in the patient experience aspect of health- care at an early age. “I had a good friend who had a serious and life-changing diagnosis that required multiple surgeries. I was allowed to visit her during her recovery in the hospital and at home. I felt fulfilled by the opportunity to help a friend and her family navigate a difficult health care journey. To this day, I believe it is a true privilege to enter the halls of medicine where team members serve people when they are most in need.”
Herrick acquired a Master of Public Health at George Washington University and a Master of Science in Health Care Ethics at Creighton University. She was part of the first cohort to receive the Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) designation. She also co-authored a book for anxious parents to help them plan for a satisfying birth experience.
After working in the private sector where she designed and implemented highly successful improvement initiatives at a major health care system in the National Capital Region, she joined WRNMMC to incorporate best practices that will help the hospital achieve top scores in patient experience and high reliability measures.
“My passion for working at WRNMMC is born out of the desire to serve our nation’s heroes and their families. This is the flagship of military medicine, where health care, education, and research combine to benefit our patients and families. This creates both an obligation and opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of patients.”
Herrick noticed immediately that hospital team members are poised and ready to serve despite the complex issues facing them. “Our patients and families tell us how we are doing every day. My job now is to create an interface between patients, staff, and hospital leadership. There is a direct relationship between health- care teams feeling valued and supported and their ability to deliver an extraordinary patient experience,” she said.
The new hospital CXO encourages staff to reach out to her to share suggestions. She is also eager to visit departments and clinic areas to learn how she can best support the organization.