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About Me

Sonia Rhodes
CEO/CXO Sonia Rhodes Experience Design - Guiding leaders and businesses through experience design and organizational transformation Vice President, Customer Strategy, The Sharp Experience and The Sharp University, Sharp HealthCare;
2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipient

Prior to starting her own experience design consulting practice, Sonia Rhodes led Sharp HealthCare and the health care industry in transforming the health care experience. Sonia conceptualized and led The Sharp Experience – an organizational performance improvement initiative designed to transform the health care experience for staff, physicians and customers and her passion to make the health care experience the best that it can be is evidenced in all that she does. As a result of this focused organizational improvement effort, President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez awarded Sharp HealthCare as one of five organizations to receive the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence.

In addition to The Sharp Experience, Rhodes also conceptualized, launched and directed The Sharp University, a corporate university focused on the education and development of over 1,500 Sharp leaders and nearly 15,000 Sharp associates. Rhodes provided oversight and leadership for Sharp’s overarching customer strategy, marketing technologies and research endeavors, including web strategy and design, customer contact centers, 24-hour nurse advice service and consumer researc. Rhodes is the co-author of The Complete* Guide to Transforming the Patient Experience (HCPro, 2009) and an acclaimed national speaker on creating better health care experiences. In 2005 she was one of the first in the nation to be recognized for her individual achievement in the emerging Experience Economy, receiving the Experience Management Achievement (EMA) award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California and Santa Barbara in sociology.


Location:
United States, San Diego, CA
Current organization:
Sonia Rhodes Experience Design
Past organizations:
Sharp HealthCare, Author, Complete Guide to Transforming the Patient Experience, TEDxYouth@SanDiego - Curator
Current role:
Chief Executive & Experience Officer
Gender:
Female
Areas of expertise:
Experience Design, healthcare, Employee Engagement, Experiential Marketing, Cultural Transformation Strategies, Corporate Vision & Branding, Corporate Social Responsibilty (CSR), Storytelling, Health Care Transformation, Large Scale Event Development & Production
I am:
Activist, Brainstormer, Business leader, Change Agent, Consultant, Idea generator, Marketer, Parent, Producer, Public servant
Associations:
TEDxYouth@SanDiego, Outside the Lens- Board Member
My website links:
TEDxYouth@SanDiego
Universities:
UC Santa Barbara
TED conferences attended:
TEDActive 2014, TEDActive 2013, TEDActive 2012, TEDActive 2011, TED2010
Member Picture

TEDCRED 500+ TED AttendeeAssociateTEDx Organizer

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Transforming the health care experience for patients, physicians & health care team members! The critical importance of leadership development. Experience design for all aspects of work and business

An idea worth spreading

Making the health care experience better by remaining every aspect of the patient and caregiver experience. Designing experiences that are personal, thoughtful and positively memorable. As humans, we carry our health care experiences with us for life - and too often the memories we have are of a scary, impersonal, confusing time. It doesn't have to be this way!

Talk to me about

Making health care better. Experience Economy. Rendering Authenticity. Engaging people from a place of passion and purpose. Radiating joy. TEDxYouth@San Diego

People don't know that I'm good at

Documentary Storytelling. Authentic advertising. Connecting people to purpose. Executive Leadership Transformation. Living Gluten Free

My TED Story

I've followed the TED community for years and finally had the opportunity to apply and attend TEDActive 2010. The first person I met at TEDActive 2010 was Jack Abbott - another San DIegan. Jack and I stayed connected after TEDActive - with the intention of keeping the spirit of TED alive throughout the year (with book clubs, discussions etc). Jack became the curator of TEDx San Diego and I had the pleasure of partnering with him to share the experience design expertise of Sharp HealthCare. We created a truly memorable TEDx event and I've found a friend for life! I am now the curator and executive producer for TEDxYouth@SanDIego and find my greatest joy in sharing the power of ideas with the youth of this world.

Comments

  • TEDCred score: +1435.30 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

  • +3

    A comment on Talk: Amanda Palmer: The art of asking

    Mar 5 2013: Amanda provides a meaningful reminder that all too often we walk through the world without really seeing other people - when in reality all that most of us want/need is to be seen..noticed..valued. Thank you for reminding us to stop and really see the people we encounter in our moments and days.
  • +1

    A comment on Talk: Rebecca Onie: What if our healthcare system kept us healthy?

    Jun 14 2012: Hooray! Rebecca Onie helps the world understand what's at stake and what's possible! KUDOS!
  • +2

    A comment on Talk: Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice

    Mar 5 2012: Bryan Stephenson's talk was a highlight of TED last week. He connected to the core of who we are as human beings and called on each one of us to take notice. A brilliant talk with the power to move people to action.
  • +2

    A comment on Talk: Charity Tillemann-Dick: Singing after a double lung transplant

    Jan 24 2011: Charity is a gift to us all. I had the pleasure of seeing this performance live at TEDMED - and her story captivated me. She helps those of us in health care reconnect to the purpose of the work and the difference we make. She has a gift and is a gift.

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