HXF and NRC Health Launch New Strategic Partnership to Deepen Support for Improving Experience, Safety, and Workforce Engagement

Partnership broadens access to additional expertise and proven programs that help organizations strengthen culture, improve operations, and sustain progress.

June 9, 2026

Today, the Healthcare Experience Foundation (HXF) launches a new strategic partnership with NRC Health to help healthcare leaders working to improve patient experience, strengthen workforce engagement, maximize and sustain quality and safety, and translate insight into measurable action.

For more than 45 years, NRC Health has helped healthcare organizations advance Human Understanding through its Best in KLAS experience platform and trusted partner advisory team.

Through the HXF partnership, organizations gain expanded access to healthcare executives, clinicians, and operators who have led improvement efforts inside hospitals and health systems. Building on NRC Health's proven track record of driving measurable improvement, HXF brings programs that have delivered double-digit gains in key healthcare experience domains, including communication and overall ratings.

Healthcare organizations face distinct challenges at different points in their work. Some are building strategy. Others are strengthening operations, engaging clinicians, or improving safety. NRC Health and HXF support organizations at every stage of improvement, helping leaders put priorities into practice and sustain progress.

“At NRC Health, we believe Human Understanding is the foundation for better healthcare,” said Trent Green, CEO of NRC Health. “We help healthcare organizations act on that understanding and deliver more consistent experiences. This partnership with HXF strengthens how that work happens in daily operations.”

The partnership brings together a suite of proven programs focused on key drivers of organizational performance, including enterprise alignment, care transitions, leadership rounding, safety culture, and clinician engagement.

Data from NRC Health demonstrates that effective leadership rounding is associated with a 15-20-point increase in patient loyalty, while structured care transition programs have driven improvements of more than 30 percent in readmission outcomes.

By combining NRC Health’s advanced experience platform and analytics with HXF’s established leadership programs, healthcare organizations are equipped to elevate the patient and consumer experience, strengthen workforce engagement, and achieve measurable, sustainable results.

“Data without direction for healthcare organizations is just noise,” said Katie Owens, Founder and CEO of the Healthcare Experience Foundation. “Leaders need clarity on where gaps exist, alignment on how to close them, and a clear path to act. This partnership brings data together with proven leadership practices so organizations can achieve lasting results across patient experience, workforce engagement, and safety.”

In addition to this partnership, our HXF practice leaders, Katie Owens, Win Howard, Elisa Grace, and Valerie Gale-Moffitt, join NRC's Health Advisory Team. 

Learn more at: https://nrchealth.com/strategic-advisors-team/

About NRC Health
For more than 45 years, NRC Health (NASDAQ: NRC) has led the charge to humanize healthcare and support organizations in their understanding of each unique individual. Ranked #1 Best in KLAS for Healthcare Experience Management in three of the last four years, NRC Health holds a commitment to Human Understanding that helps leading healthcare systems get to know each person they serve not as point-in-time insights, but in the context of an ongoing relationship. Guided by its uniquely empathic heritage, patient-focused approach, unmatched market research, and emphasis on consumer preferences, NRC Health is transforming the healthcare experience and creating strong outcomes for patients and entire healthcare systems. For more information, email info@nrchealth.com or visit www.nrchealth.com.

About Healthcare Experience Foundation

Founded in 2017, the Healthcare Experience Foundation (HXF) is a nationally recognized consulting and training organization trusted by 700+ healthcare organizations and more than 10,000 professionals across the United States, with focus on helping hospitals and health systems improve their quality of care and healthcare delivery by transforming the experience of those who receive and deliver care. HXF brings together senior healthcare leaders, clinicians, and change agents to equip clients with the expertise, tools, and strategies needed to build stronger teams, elevate patient experience, and drive impactful organizational transformation spanning across four core practice areas: Leaders & Staff, Medical Staff & Clinicians, Quality & Safety, and Patient Experience & Loyalty. HXF is committed to helping healthcare organizations accelerate patient experience improvement, employee and physician engagement, cultural transformation, and leadership development through coaching, consulting, speaking, and educational programs. Learn more at https://healthcareexperience.com/