Erlanger Health System, based in Chattanooga, Tenn., has struck a contract with luxury hotel chain Ritz-Carlton to reinforce customer service excellence at its public hospital, according to a Times Free Press report.
Along with hotel management, Washington, D.C.-based Ritz-Carlton has a corporate university that focuses on employee improvement in various industries. A Ritz-Carlton representative will host multiple four-hour sessions for hospital employees in October.
Erlanger CEO Jim Brexler said this is part of a culture change. The hospital’s publicly appointed board of trustees approved the Ritz-Carlton contract last year as part of Erlanger’s strategic plan and focus on service excellence. The current contract with Ritz-Carlton costs $388,000, and the board has allocated an optional $112,000 for future sessions if the first round is successful for Erlanger’s 4,500 employees.
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