Introducing Partner Success Managers: Where Technology Meets Behavioral Change
While U.S. hospitals made encouraging progress in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in 2023, these preventable complications remain one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges. Even as infection rates decline, maintaining and building upon these improvements requires constant vigilance—especially as healthcare facilities face evolving pathogens, high patient volumes, and complex care scenarios that can put infection prevention protocols to the test.
While advanced technology can help track and monitor hand hygiene compliance, technology alone isn’t enough to create lasting change. That’s where SwipeSense’s Partner Success Managers (PSMs) come in—they are the human element that transforms data into action and technology into lasting behavioral change.
What sets SwipeSense apart in healthcare technology is its fundamental understanding that meaningful change requires more than just installing sensors and creating dashboards. While our technology is cutting-edge, its true innovation lies in combining this technology with proven behavioral change strategies. At the heart of this approach are the Partner Success Managers—specialists who transform raw data into actionable insights and guide healthcare professionals through the journey of lasting change.
Who Are Partner Success Managers?
Partner Success Managers are the cornerstone of each hospital’s success with the platform, which is why this team makes up the largest department at SwipeSense. Every facility is assigned its own dedicated PSM who stays with them throughout their entire journey with SwipeSense—from initial implementation to ongoing optimization and beyond.
This dedicated specialist becomes an extension of the hospital’s team, working closely with staff to analyze data, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop tailored solutions that drive meaningful behavioral change in hand hygiene compliance. The PSM’s mission is simple, but crucial: ensure their partner hospitals achieve and maintain life-saving results for the long term.
Creating Customized Paths to Success
A facility’s partnership with a PSM starts during implementation but extends far beyond. PSMs are involved from the earliest steering project calls, working with IT, infection prevention teams, and nursing leadership to ensure smooth integration of the SwipeSense system.
Every hospital has its own unique challenges, culture, and workflows. Some facilities need intensive support with data interpretation, while others require strategies for maintaining staff engagement. Some teams thrive with weekly check-ins, while others prefer monthly deep dives into their data. PSMs understand these differences and adapt their approach accordingly, creating customized solutions that work for each facility’s specific needs.
This customization extends to every aspect of the partnership, from how often they meet to how they present data to different stakeholders. PSMs conduct regular monthly meetings with infection prevention program managers and quarterly sessions with executive stakeholder teams, but the format and focus of these meetings are tailored to each facility’s goals and challenges.
The Power of Continuous Partnership
Improving hand hygiene isn’t a one-time achievement—it’s an ongoing journey. “It’s a constant conversation,” explains Tanya van Monsjou, a Partner Success Manager at SwipeSense. “A high-performing team at 75-80% compliance needs just as much support to maintain that level as a team working to improve from 40%.”
With eight years of experience driving hand hygiene performance improvement in hospitals, Tanya exemplifies the dedicated professionals who form the backbone of SwipeSense’s behavioral change expertise. PSMs help healthcare facilities see their data in new ways, asking challenging questions about performance variations between units and helping facilities develop actionable insights.
“Data is the data, but ultimately having the data is just one piece. It’s how you use it that’s the really important piece,” explains Tanya. When she jumps on calls with leaders or infection preventionists, she helps them analyze specific workflows and identify exactly when staff are most likely to miss hand hygiene opportunities. Together, they develop targeted solutions that address these specific challenges.
A Personal Connection to Patient Safety
The individuals who become Partner Success Managers bring diverse backgrounds to the role, united by their passion for improving healthcare outcomes. Many come with hands-on healthcare experience—former nurses, paramedics, and healthcare administrators who understand the daily challenges of maintaining hand hygiene compliance in busy clinical settings. Others bring valuable experience from fields like project management, data analytics, or behavioral psychology, offering fresh perspectives on problem-solving and change management.
What truly sets PSMs apart, however, isn’t just their professional backgrounds—it’s their unique combination of skills and qualities. Successful PSMs are equal parts data analyst, teacher, coach, and strategic advisor. They excel at building relationships, can translate complex data into actionable insights, and possess the patience and persistence needed to drive long-term behavioral change.
For many PSMs, their commitment to improving hand hygiene compliance goes beyond professional dedication—it’s deeply personal. Some, like Tanya, have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of healthcare-acquired infections through family members’ experiences. This personal connection fuels their passion for driving meaningful change in healthcare settings.
Partners in Progress
The role of a Partner Success Manager represents SwipeSense’s understanding that true transformation in healthcare requires more than just innovative technology—dedicated human expertise is crucial to guide, support, and sustain improvement. Through their unique combination of healthcare knowledge, data analysis skills, and commitment to patient safety, PSMs help hospitals not just implement technology, but fundamentally transform their approach to hand hygiene compliance.
As hospitals face ever-evolving challenges in infection prevention, SwipeSense’s Partner Success Managers stand ready as trusted advisors, champions of change, and partners in the ongoing journey toward better patient outcomes. They embody our commitment to not just providing technology, but ensuring its success in creating lasting positive change in healthcare settings.