Episode #231 Culture Starts with You with Brian Carlson, VP of Patient Experience, Vanderbilt Health

“Healthcare, in my opinion, is the ultimate team sport.”

I love this quote from today’s guest. And it reminds me that patient experience is not just about the patient; it starts with every member of that patient’s care team. If they do not feel respected, trusted, and valued, it will absolutely impact the experience of their patients. Brian Carlson, VP of Patient Experience of Vanderbilt Health, knows that trickle down effect all too well. And, as a result, he’s been building the patient experience at that organization from the inside out. 

The outcome?

• Year-over-year improvement in patient experience scores.
• Over 80% participation in voluntary patient experience training. 
• Three times over having the organization vote “YES!” to continue this type of training. 

Experience matters, and Brian has the data to prove it. 

Brian Carlson leads enterprise strategy for patient experience, workforce culture, and digital engagement across the 40,000-person Vanderbilt Health system. Brian’s work focuses on the intersection of culture, operations, and technology, including AI-enabled approaches to experience management and patient engagement at scale. He has led major initiatives in patient access, digital health adoption, and workforce culture transformation.