- The Head - Service Excellence will be a pivotal leader responsible for developing, implementing, and sustaining a culture of service excellence across all the business units of Sterling Hospitals in Gujarat.

- This role will champion patient-centricity, drive continuous improvement in patient care services, Standard Operating procedures (SOPs), Technology transformation, Continuous process improvements and ensure a consistently positive and high-quality experience for all patients and their families.

- The Head - Service Excellence will work collaboratively with clinical and non-clinical leadership to embed service standards, monitor performance, and foster a patient-first mindset throughout the organization.

- Strategic Leadership & Vision (Strategy Development and Implementation)

- Define and Execute Strategy: Develop, champion, and execute a unified, high-impact Service Excellence and Patient Experience strategy across all six Sterling Hospitals units, ensuring direct alignment with the hospital group's overall mission, vision, and commercial objectives.

- Set Global Standards: Establish, standardize, and institutionalize clear service protocols, best practices, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all patient-facing and critical support functions, ensuring adherence to national/international quality standards (e.g., NABH, JCI).

- Optimize the Patient Journey: Systematically map and prioritize key patient experience touchpoints (e.g., admission, discharge, clinical communication) and lead cross-functional initiatives to design, innovate, and optimize the end-to-end patient journey for maximum convenience, transparency, and comfort.

2. Digital Transformation & Innovation

- Lead Digital Patient Experience: Drive the digital transformation of the patient experience in collaboration with the Technology Department. This includes the strategic deployment and continuous evolution of a unified digital patient platform (e.g., mobile app/portal) for features like online scheduling, virtual check-in, secure records access, and patient-to-care-team communication.

- Leverage Advanced Analytics: Implement and utilize Artificial Intelligence and advanced analytics for real-time patient feedback analysis, predicting potential service issues, personalizing patient communication, and triggering immediate operational improvements.

- Expand Service Reach: Oversee the implementation and expansion of telehealth services and remote monitoring tools to extend the hospital's reach and ensure continuity of high-quality care, making technology a seamless enabler for a superior patient experience.

3. Driving a Patient-Centric Culture & Capability

- Champion Cultural Change: Act as the principal champion for a patient-centric culture, ensuring that patient needs and empathetic care are the fundamental drivers for all operational and strategic decisions across the organization.

- Design & Deliver Training: Design, implement, and oversee comprehensive, continuous service excellence training programs focused on enhancing employee empathy, effective communication, soft skills, and patient interaction techniques for all clinical, nursing, and non-clinical staff.

- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Promote a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to patient care, working closely with clinical and non-clinical department heads to ensure seamless coordination and joint ownership of service quality.

- Recognize and Reward: Establish and manage a visible, impactful recognition and rewards program to acknowledge and reinforce exceptional service behaviors and outcomes demonstrated by individuals and teams.

Performance Monitoring, Feedback & Resolution

- Define and Track KPIs: Establish and rigorously monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and benchmark service excellence and patient satisfaction across all units. Key metrics include:

- Patient Experience NPS and detailed Satisfaction Scores (e.g., communication, responsiveness, facility standards).

- Complaint Resolution Rate and Turnaround Time (TAT).

- Quality and Outcome Indicators (e.g., ALOS, Readmission Rates).

- Cleanliness and Hygiene Index adherence to the service standards.

- Manage Feedback & Root Cause Analysis: Lead the implementation and active management of all patient feedback mechanisms (e.g., real-time surveys, focus groups). Drive Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for service failures and complaints, translating insights directly into actionable improvement plans.

- Grievance Redressal Oversight: Oversee the robust, timely, and empathetic resolution of all patient and family complaints and grievances, ensuring proactive communication and maintaining a high-level tracking and escalation mechanism.

Stakeholder Engagement & Team Leadership:

- C-Suite & Operational Alignment: Serve as the Voice of the Patient within the executive leadership team, collaborating closely with C-suite and department heads across all six units to embed service excellence principles into daily operations and resource allocation.

- Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing central Patient Experience/Service Excellence team (including Patient Relations, Front Office, and Concierge staff), setting clear performance targets and fostering continuous professional development.

- External Relations: Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, regulatory bodies, and industry peers to benchmark performance and influence best practices.

- Policy & Compliance: Develop and review patient-related policies and procedures to ensure they are patient-friendly, ethical, and fully compliant with all relevant local and international regulatory requirements.

Desired Profile:

- Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, Business Administration, or a related field. A master's degree is preferred.

- Minimum of 12-18 years of progressive experience in healthcare, with a significant focus on service excellence and patient experience improvement.

- Proven track record of successfully developing and implementing service excellence strategies across multiple locations or large healthcare systems.

- Strong understanding of patient satisfaction measurement methodologies, data analysis, and performance improvement techniques.

- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.

- Demonstrated leadership abilities, including the ability to motivate and inspire teams.

- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

- Familiarity with relevant healthcare regulations and quality standards.

- Experience in process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) is an advantage