Compact with Texans
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is dedicated to educating health science professionals and scientific investigators, caring for patients, and solving biomedical puzzles through scientific inquiry. To guide its actions, UTMB has established six goals:
- Provide instruction that prepares students, residents, and fellows to meet the evolving health needs of all segments of our society.
- Provide innovative health care that is accessible, responsive, economical, efficient, and effective in meeting diverse health care needs.
- Provide public service by updating health care practitioner skills and knowledge to meet evolving needs.
- Conduct research, both within the institution and in collaboration with other entities, that meets the highest standards of scientific inquiry.
- Provide institutional support and ancillary operations that are efficient and effective.
- Maximize opportunities for historically underutilized businesses, particularly those operating within the state of Texas.
In fulfilling its mission, UTMB is guided by a fundamental set of core values that provide us with the foundation for our Customer Service Principles:
| Service: | We are committed to serve the health needs of all Texans, regardless of their ability to pay. |
|---|---|
| Diversity: | We are committed to employ and to educate a health care work force whose diversity mirrors the population we serve. |
| Innovation: | We are committed to think of new ways to do things better. |
| Community: | We are committed to make our community a better place to live and work. |
| Education: | We are committed to provide life-long learning for our students, staff, faculty, and community. |
A top priority at UTMB is ensuring our students, patients, and both external and internal customers are satisfied with the services we provide. We recognize that our customers have a choice when selecting UTMB and therefore we must ensure that their experience satisfies their need. Thus, we have a number of processes in place that are indicative of our strong commitment to customer service:
- We regularly monitor patient and student satisfaction with a broad range of service-related factors. We use customer feedback to plan and continually improve the way we deliver service.
- We provide each unique customer group with effective and efficient procedures specifically designed to accept and respond to their complaints in a prompt manner.
A number of service principles have been developed, implemented, and are monitored on a regular basis to ensure patients receive timely service. Specifically, our goals are:
- to answer 95% of the telephone calls from patients within 4 rings;
- to provide new patients with an appointment within 14 days;
- to provide follow-up visit appointments within 5 days; and,
- to allow patients to check in, be seen by their doctor, and be discharged within 60 minutes
In the event that patients wish to express concerns or lodge a complaint, the Patient Services department provides a centralized and effective mechanism for the initiation, review, and, when possible, resolution of patient complaints. Patients are notified of the services of this department either through television announcements, patient brochures, or by referrals from staff members. This mechanism was established to encourage patients and their families to express concerns or complaints and identify opportunities to enhance patient care and service. Similarly, students are also provided with a mechanism to express concerns and complaints through the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is a neutral third party designated to listen to and discuss student concerns, explain university policy, provide information, investigate university-related grievances brought forth by students, and help expedite solutions. Not only does UTMB embrace customer service, but we are accountable to external groups who require that we show evidence of that commitment as well. Both the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) routinely assess and evaluate our efficiency and effectiveness with regard to customer assessment, complaint handling, access, and service delivery as part of their accreditation process. Additional information regarding UTMB, our mission, services, policies, and procedures can be located on our website at www.utmb.edu. Questions and concerns regarding UTMB's Compact With Texans may be addressed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness or 409-747-9080. All inquiries will be promptly acknowledged.
The University of Texas Medical Branch is located at 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, 77555.