About Dan
Dr. Dan Smith has practiced medicine since 1998 in the emergency departments of Baptist Health System in San Antonio, TX. He became involved with patient experience in 2007 when hospital administration asked him to initiate and oversee a patient satisfaction improvement program for emergency physicians in the Baptist Health System. Dr. Smith developed a simple system of review, accountability, measurement and training. This work, in conjunction with his hospital and Studer Group coaches, “cracked the code” to positive change and performance. His emergency medicine group quadrupled its overall satisfaction rank to the 80th percentile from 2007-2012 and maintained for six years its personal overall physician satisfaction rank of 98th percentile.
Dr. Smith joined Studer Group in 2009. He enjoys coaching and speaking on numerous topics such as patient and physician engagement, performance excellence in the age of change, physician communication and physician performance feedback.
Dr. Smith enjoys work in complex health systems, academic medical centers and group practices. He has coached, mentored and lectured at over 200 organizations in the United States, Canada and Australia. He has tactically trained over 8000 physicians/APPs worldwide on communication best practices.
Dr. Smith contributes to healthcare-related thought leadership and has co-authored and authored white papers, peer-reviewed articles and Insights publications. He is co-author of “Advance your Emergency Department: Leading in a New Era.” He has created numerous communication validation tools used by health systems to assess and objectively document the competency of providers and trainees in the provider-patient construct. He also has recorded numerous healthcare webinars and videos.
Dr. Smith serves as a senior coach, speaker and executive medical director for Studer Group, working in a variety of areas including medical practices, inpatient and emergency departments. Studer Group recognizes Dr. Smith’s contributions to healthcare having awarded him six Pillars of Excellence and its most coveted crystal Flame award.
Awards & Recognition
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Huron Medical Group, Value of Pursuit of Excellence Award
Studer Group, Six-time Pillar of Excellence and Flame of Excellence Awards
Diplomate, American Board of Emergency Medicine, 1999-present
American College of Emergency Physicians, Fellow
Published Work
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“Is a Medical Scribe Right for your Practice?”, Studer Insights, August 2017
“How To Improve Flow for a High-Performing Emergency Department”, Studer Group Insights, July 2017
“Comfort and Pain: Perspectives in the Era of the Opioid Epidemic”, Studer Group Insights, August 2016
“The Hidden Costs of Declining Physician Engagement”, Hardwired Results, Issue 14, Winter 2014
“Driving Efficient Flow-Three Best Practice Models”, Journal of Emergency Nursing. Volume 39, September 2013
“Patient Experience-Does this really matter?", Academic Partners Newsletter for Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedter, July 2013
"Provider Dress Code and Its Impact on Patient Experience”, Studer Group Insights, October 2013
“Doctor Communication: “How to Thrive in the Changing Environment”, Studer Group Insights, February 2013
“ED-Hospitalist Care: The High Impact Handover...And How to Do It Right”, Studer Group Insights, April 2012
“Advance Your Emergency Department: Leading in a New Era”, Firestarter Publishing, co-authored with Stephanie Baker, RN and Regina Shupe, RN, October 2012
Expertise
- Healthcare
Patient and Caregiver Engagement / Cultural Transformation / Quality Outcomes / Leadership
Industries
- Healthcare
Education
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Residency in Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Health System
MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
MS, Biophysics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
BS, Biology, Indiana University