FAQ

Dr. Anthony Orsini is a practicing ICU physician, nationally recognized speaker, and the founder of The Orsini Way — a proven methodology for healthcare communication training. With over 15 years of experience and thousands of healthcare professionals trained, Dr. Orsini has helped hospitals, residency programs, and health systems across North America improve patient experience scores, reduce malpractice risk, and build cultures of empathetic, authentic communication. His work was inspired by a moment during his own fellowship when he witnessed the near-total absence of communication training in medicine — and decided to do something about it.

The Orsini Way is an evidence-based approach to clinical communication that goes beyond scripting and checklists. It teaches healthcare professionals — and entire organizations — how to connect authentically with patients, families, and colleagues in every conversation, including the most difficult ones. The methodology combines the neuroscience of patient trust with experiential learning through professional improvisational actors, immediate expert feedback, and real-world clinical context. The goal isn’t to teach what to say. It’s to build a core philosophy so deeply internalized that authentic communication becomes natural. 

Most programs rely on scripted role-play, group lectures, or standardized patient scenarios with predictable responses. The Orsini Way uses professionally trained improvisational actors who respond and react to the physician in real time — no scripts, no predictable outcomes. Every case is written specifically for the participant and their organization’s real challenges. A layperson is present in every session to provide the patient and family perspective that clinical instructors alone cannot offer. And because participants internalize a philosophy rather than memorize a script, the change is sustainable without ongoing reinforcement.

The Orsini Way trains healthcare professionals across the United States and Canada, working with hospital systems, residency programs, medical schools, and specialty practices of all sizes. Many programs are also available virtually, making training accessible to remote teams and geographically distributed organizations.

 The Orsini Way offers five core training programs: Breaking Bad News® (proprietary P.R.O.G.R.A.M® roadmap with professional actor role-play, designed for resident and senior clinicians); It’s All in the Delivery® (whole-organization communication program proven to improve HCAHPS and Press Ganey scores); Mastering Medical Error Disclosures (CMS-compliant disclosure training for clinicians, risk managers, and administrators); Difficult Dialogues (internal communication and conflict resolution training for interdisciplinary teams); and the Physician Communication Remediation Program (private, individualized, nonpunitive coaching for physicians facing communication-related complaints or disciplinary proceedings).

Workshops are audience-specific applications of the core programs, tailored to the unique needs of particular groups: Hospitals & Health Systems (organizational training to improve trust, safety culture, and HCAHPS scores); Physicians & Nurses (frontline clinical communication skills including difficult conversations and trust-building); Hospital Leadership & Risk Management (training for administrators, risk managers, and legal teams on disclosure, compliance, and communication culture); and Residency Programs (integrating empathy and communication training into medical education from day one).

Most programs can be delivered as 2–3 hour interactive sessions, half-day workshops, or full-day experiences. The Breaking Bad News® program can be completed in as little as one hour per physician in individual format. The It’s All in the Delivery® program is typically delivered over a week with multiple session times to ensure all staff — across all shifts — can participate. Every format and schedule is customized in consultation with your organization.

Yes. All Orsini Way programs — including the Breaking Bad News® role-play sessions and the Physician Remediation Program — are available virtually, designed to maintain the same experiential quality as in-person training.

Customization is foundational to how The Orsini Way works. Every Breaking Bad News® and Remediation case is written specifically for the participant, their specialty, and the real challenges their organization faces. For larger programs like It’s All in the Delivery®, a formal assessment of your organization’s patient journey is conducted before program delivery begins. We work with your leadership to understand your environment and build curriculum that fits your team — on your timeline.

HCAHPS and Press Ganey scores are directly tied to how patients experience communication at every stage of their care — with physicians, nurses, and every member of the care team. The Orsini Way improves those scores by giving your entire organization a shared communication language and the practical skills to make empathetic, authentic communication standard at every touchpoint. One hospital system experienced a 60% improvement in HCAHPS scores following the It’s All in the Delivery® program.

Research consistently shows that poor communication is one of the leading causes of malpractice claims — not clinical errors alone. Patients and families are far less likely to pursue legal action when they feel heard, respected, and honestly informed. The Orsini Way’s programs directly address the communication behaviors that build trust — and those that erode it — including medical error disclosure, end-of-life conversations, and the everyday interactions that shape how patients perceive their care. 

 Yes. The Orsini Way methodology is grounded in scientific research on the neuroscience of trust, evidence-based communication frameworks, and 15+ years of documented outcomes across thousands of healthcare professionals trained. Dr. Orsini’s approach combines his clinical expertise as a practicing ICU physician with rigorous research into what actually changes communication behavior in real-world settings.

The program is appropriate for: physicians referred for remediation following patient complaints or peer reports; clinicians facing hospital disciplinary proceedings, board review, or credentialing challenges related to communication; hospitals and medical boards seeking evidence-based, individualized remediation; attorneys representing physicians in complaint or licensing proceedings; and physicians who want to proactively address a communication challenge before it becomes a formal issue.

Completely. The program is entirely private and confidential. No physician should ever have to prove they need help in a public or punitive setting. The program is nonpunitive by design — supportive, not adversarial — and documentation is provided for submission to hospitals, boards, or credentialing bodies only when and as appropriate.

Participants receive a certificate of completion along with a formal written summary of the program, the personalized communication development plan, and progress documentation. In appropriate cases, The Orsini Way provides written letters on behalf of the physician documenting remediation steps taken — designed for submission to hospitals, medical boards, or in support of legal proceedings. 

The first step is a discovery conversation. Our role is to understand what’s happening in your environment — what challenges your team faces, what outcomes you’re working to improve, and what your timeline looks like. From there, we provide specific program and curriculum recommendations tailored to your organization. There’s no pressure and no one-size-fits-all pitch — every engagement starts with listening. Contact us at theorsiniway.com/contact.

 Yes. Dr. Orsini is an active keynote speaker for hospital associations, health conferences, residency programs, and corporate healthcare audiences. Keynote topics include: Navigating Difficult Conversations, Limiting Malpractice Risk Through Better Communication, Breaking Bad News®, It’s All in the Delivery®, Remembering Your “Why,” and Leadership Skills For When Times Get Tough. Visit theorsiniway.com/keynote-speaking.

Yes. The Resource Hub at theorsiniway.com/resource-hub includes articles, blog posts, podcast episodes from the Difficult Conversations series hosted by Dr. Orsini, and Dr. Orsini’s published book. Free webinars on topics such as reducing malpractice risk through communication are offered periodically. Subscribe to the newsletter at theorsiniway.com to receive updates.