Quality and Outcomes Reports - Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Center

Patient and Family Experience

Why we measure it - For us to understand how we are doing, we ask our patients and families to tell us about their care experiences. Our goal is for everyone to have the best possible experience with us, so while "very good" is a great answer, we use only the response "excellent" to track our progress. We also know that patients and families who rate their care as "excellent" will most likely refer others to our care. 

What this means - This data reflects the percentage of patients and families who had a visit to the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Center and responded "excellent" or "very good" to the survey question, "Overall how would you rate the care you received at this visit?" The response options are: excellent, very good, good, fair and poor.

About the data - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin uses a third-party vendor to survey patients and families and obtain feedback about their overall experience. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin uses the feedback from this survey to make changes that will improve the patient and family experience.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

  • We encourage partnerships with open, ongoing communication between family members and health care providers. Our Family Advisory Committee is made up of parents and hospital staff to improve communication, quality of care and hospital amenities.
  • We regularly survey our patients and encourage them to share their opinions and suggestions. 
  • We review and implement changes based on patient satisfaction feedback.
  • The GI Center was selected as the 16th best pediatric gastroenterology programs in the nation by U.S.News & World Report in 2011. 
  • Many of the center's gastroenterologists are listed in the 2009-2010 Best Doctors in America database. The list represents the top 5 percent of the nation's practicing board-certified physicians.
  • We offer outreach clinics to reduce the number of trips many families need to make to our Milwaukee hospital location. Our specialists travel to or are located in Neenah, Green Bay, Kenosha and New Berlin Wis. to provide care closer to where our patients live.  

Patients and families:

  • You may receive a patient satisfaction survey. Please share your experience with us. Let us know what is important to you and any suggestions you have for improvement.
  • Contact Central Scheduling to start your child's visit arrangements. Have the name, address, and phone and fax numbers of your primary care and/or referring doctor available when you call.
  • Work with your child's referring physician and insurance company to determine if a referral or authorization is required for the visit.
  • Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather needed information from you before you see the doctor.
  • Come prepared with any questions or concerns you may have. We find this helps ensure the visit meets your needs.
  • Bring a full list of the medications your child is taking including over-the-counter medicines such as vitamins and supplements.
  • Bring a couple of your child's favorite toys or books to help make him or her more comfortable during the visit.
  • To meet the requirements of your insurance, co-payments are collected at the time of the visit.

Referring physicians:

  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day by calling our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.
  • As appointments are scheduled, the Gastroenterology Center will contact you to arrange transfer of any pertinent patient documentation, including test results and growth charts. 
  • Please contact Deb Wallner, Gastroenterology nurse manager or Pamela Fraser, Gastroenterology program director with any questions or concerns about the GI Service. They may be reached at (414) 266-2971.
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.