A regional hospital network had launched a Concierge Program in its Emergency Departments (EDs) to improve the patient and family experience. The program aimed to provide proactive wayfinding, emotional support, and a human touch in high-stress environments. However, as pressures on hospital budgets increased, leadership needed to determine whether the program’s perceived value warranted continued investment.

Ryelle Strategy Group was engaged to conduct a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and program feasibility study. The goal: assess the real-world impact and sustainability of the Concierge Program across all three emergency locations. Our approach included:

• Facilitating focus groups and key informant interviews with clinical staff, Concierge Program team members, and volunteers

• Comparing the client’s program with similar concierge models across other hospital systems to surface promising practices

• Gathering qualitative data on the program’s effectiveness, visibility, and contribution to the overall ED experience

• Analyzing the alignment between program costs and its perceived benefits by frontline staff and patients

• Confirmed the program’s role in enhancing patient communication, wayfinding, and emotional reassurance

• Identified a need for clearer role definition and expectations among staff and volunteers delivering concierge services

• Highlighted a lack of performance metrics, prompting recommendations for measurable indicators of success

• Proposed a blended model of service delivery, balancing staff resources with operational sustainability

• Shifted the lens of success to include not only patients – but also clinical staff, security teams, and volunteers as “clients” of the program

In high-pressure environments like the emergency department, small moments of human connection make a big difference. Ryelle’s work helped this hospital network make an informed, balanced decision about the future of its Concierge Program, grounded in evidence, staff experience, and system sustainability.