When you think of the word competition, what comes to mind? Does it keep you awake at night? Are you constantly reminded of it by other organization’s advertising when you take in a sporting event, drive down the road, open a newspaper or watch TV. If this is even remotely your approach, you could be focused on the wrong things. Let’s face it, when a patient is discharged from a hospital, doctor’s office, or surgery center, where do they usually go? They might go home, the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, or maybe a relative’s house to recuperate. Where they don’t go is to another hospital or surgery center. They don’t march down to the “competition” and tell them how good or bad their experience was. When it comes to patient care the biggest competitor you have is actually your own organization. Let’s take a typical patient. After they leave your facility, they have time to reflect on things. They think about how they were treated, how clean the place was, and if they feel good or bad about the whole experience. A friend or relative may prompt them. After a stay in a hospital, they will get questions like: “How was your stay? How was the food?” After a surgical procedure at an outpatient facility maybe they’re asked: “How did the nurses treat you? Did they make you wear one of those paper gowns?” And, when they find out they just came from an appointment, everybody will ask, “What’s your doctor like?” It may be a marketing campaign or referral that brings them to you, but it is up to you (not your competitors) to keep them happy and coming back. Can you put a dollar figure on patients who rave about your organization? What if they learn to appreciate your team so much they never want to go anywhere else? What if you were the recognized best at what you did? What if there was no real competition? How might you sleep then?