Book excerpt: In the typical healthcare setting, the operational logistics of service delivery are left-brain oriented--calculated, analytical, purposeful, and often orchestrated by policies, procedures, and processes that ensure predictable outcomes in quality and safety.Patients, however, assess the care they receive from a right-brain perspective--intuitive, emotional, and impulsive. Even though they recognize that technical and diagnostic skills are vital, the lasting impressions formed by patients and families revolve around not just the treatment itself, but in how they are treated. That becomes the standard by which they judge the overall healthcare experience.Service Delivery vs. Service Excellence explores the opposing forces at work during the patient healthcare journey and the measures that can be taken to create caring cultures that result in highly satisfied patients. You too can create outstanding patient experiences.