Michael Winkleman publishes patient-experience book built from a decade of interviews

By AI, Created 2:11 PM UTC, June 02, 2026, /AGP/ – Michael Winkleman, CEO and founder of PatientX, has released CONNECT: The Patient’s Voice, a book drawn from more than a decade of patient and provider interviews. The book aims to show healthcare organizations how everyday interactions shape whether patients feel seen, heard and supported.

Why it matters: - CONNECT argues that patient experience is shaped as much by human interaction as by clinical care. - The book is aimed at healthcare organizations that want to improve trust, loyalty and long-term reputation. - Winkleman frames patient-centered care as a systemwide issue, not a job limited to clinicians.

What happened: - Michael Winkleman released CONNECT: The Patient’s Voice — Listening, Leading, and Transforming Care. - The book is based on more than a decade of firsthand interviews with patients and providers. - Winkleman is the CEO and founder of PatientX, a healthcare strategy and branding firm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. - The release highlights a patient quote that describes remembering a doctor’s empathy more than the prescription.

The details: - CONNECT follows the patient journey from the first phone call to the exam room, difficult conversations and the experience after leaving the facility. - The book includes 58 chapters. - Patients and family members describe themes including presence, dignity, fear, hope, partnership and moments of being seen or overlooked. - Winkleman says the book reflects what patients told him privately, including things they did not tell their providers. - The audience extends beyond physicians and nurses to front desk staff, medical assistants, billing teams, transporters, environmental services, schedulers, care coordinators and healthcare leaders. - One example in the book centers on a patient who nearly left from the parking lot but stayed after a front desk employee offered a welcoming comment. - CONNECT is the first book in a planned three-part series. - Book two, Execute, will focus on operationalizing patient-centered care. - Book three, Transform, will examine how connection and execution affect entire health systems.

Between the lines: - The book’s core message is that small, routine interactions can change how patients judge an entire care experience. - The emphasis on nonclinical roles suggests healthcare leaders may need to treat service culture as part of clinical performance. - The interview-driven format gives the project a qualitative, experience-based lens rather than a policy or academic one.

What’s next: - Winkleman plans two follow-up books in the series, beginning with Execute. - PatientX is expected to continue using patient voice, storytelling and experience design as part of its healthcare strategy work. - Winkleman also continues speaking nationally on patient experience, healthcare communication and leadership.

The bottom line: - CONNECT makes a simple case: patients remember how they were treated, not just what they were told.