Colleen Sweeney
CSP, RN, BS
FL, USColleen Sweeney is the founder of Sweeney Healthcare Enterprises, and she's on a mission to transform healthcare.
Colleen conceived and conducted the Patient Empathy ProjectSM, a three year research study. During this research, she discovered that 96% of all patients have serious fears about health care, coining the term Clinicaphobia SM to describe the phenomenon. Colleen put this finding to use, developing the Patient Experience PyramidSM as a tool for healthcare teams to uncover and respond to patient fears. She's identified the Top 11 Patient Fears and collected astonishing artwork from the Patient Empathy Postcard ProjectSM.
Colleen's most recent position was as Director of Ambassador and Customer Services at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, IN. During her tenure, Memorial consistently ranked in the top deciles of performance in both Press Ganey and HCAHPS measures of the patient experience. Her insights and initiatives were integral to the organization's success. Colleen also served as the Director of Innovation at Memorial's School of Innovation, which realized a 3:1 return on investment by utilizing the collective genius of its employees.
A member of the National Speakers Association and a Certified Facilitator with the Tom Peters Company, Colleen holds degrees in nursing and business, and a master's certificate in project management. Colleen attributes much of her success to an earlier career in improvisational comedy, which taught her to build enthusiasm, think differently about the work she does and help audiences realize the power of possibility which exists within them.
Colleen Sweeney is the founder of Sweeney Healthcare Enterprises, and she's on a mission to transform healthcare.
Colleen conceived and conducted the Patient Empathy ProjectSM, a three year research study. During this research, she discovered that 96% of all patients have serious fears about health care, coining the term Clinicaphobia SM to describe the phenomenon. Colleen put this finding to use, developing the Patient Experience PyramidSM as a tool for healthcare teams to uncover and respond to patient fears. She's identified the Top 11 Patient Fears and collected astonishing artwork from the Patient Empathy Postcard ProjectSM.
Colleen's most recent position was as Director of Ambassador and Customer Services at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, IN. During her tenure, Memorial consistently ranked in the top deciles of performance in both Press Ganey and HCAHPS measures of the patient experience. Her insights and initiatives were integral to the organization's success. Colleen also served as the Director of Innovation at Memorial's School of Innovation, which realized a 3:1 return on investment by utilizing the collective genius of its employees.
A member of the National Speakers Association and a Certified Facilitator with the Tom Peters Company, Colleen holds degrees in nursing and business, and a master's certificate in project management. Colleen attributes much of her success to an earlier career in improvisational comedy, which taught her to build enthusiasm, think differently about the work she does and help audiences realize the power of possibility which exists within them.
What Patients Fear and Why We Have to Know
(75 fast-paced minutes)
Hold on to your chair as Colleen takes you on a journey inside the head of the patient! She will share the results of her study, entitled The Patient Empathy Project. Part one of a two-part project is a postcard art study asking people to depict what they fear about healthcare, hospitals and doctors. In addition to insights being shared, Colleen will offer practical take-aways that can be introduced immediately to alleviate the never spoken...
Patient Pyramid Workshop
(120 department changing minutes)
Designed to follow the keynote presentation, this audience driven workshop teaches a tool using The Patient Empathy Roadmap. It helps healthcare leaders (clinical and non-clinical alike) to identify the greatest fears or concerns of their customers and patients and how to move from the delivery of ordinary to EXTRA -ordinary. Audiences will arrive at the answer to the one question that will insure raving and loyal fans... what...
Volunteer Offerings: Secret Agents for HCAHPS Improvement
(90 minutes of material that makes a difference)
One of the most visible departments in an organization is the volunteer force. They are everywhere! Understanding the crucial role that the volunteer plays in the patient experience is essential to understanding the power that each volunteer has within them. This program will explore the Patient Empathy Project and its findings. This study was conducted to identify patient's most prominent fears in healthcare in an effort to...
You Don't Say
(75 minutes of improvisational comedy that is too true to be funny but we'll laugh anyway!)
An overwhelming majority of healthcare professionals are not fans of scripting. They like to 'be themselves' and trust their own responses, leaving the patient encounter to chance. The truth is that we are ALL scripted and some of our scripts need some work. In this one of a kind keynote, Colleen draws on years of improvisational experience to teach helpful tips in...
Every Leader Needs to Know the Universal Fear
(75 soul searching minutes for leaders)
Colleen Sweeney knows about fear. She has spent the last five years studying what patients fear about hospitals, healthcare and doctors. The Patient Empathy Project identified the top 11 patient fears and how knowing those fears and exercising empathy can affect outcomes. But how do you get employees engaged enough to even want to be empathetic? In an industry that is aiming for 99 percentile scores- you need...
Certifications & Awards
