Custom Learning Systems

What Custom Learning Systems does

Custom Learning Systems is a Calgary-headquartered, private healthcare-exclusive culture transformation consultancy founded in 1984 by Brian Lee, operating legally as Custom Learning Systems Group Ltd. The company delivers coaching, training, and digital learning services to 560+ healthcare providers across North America, with primary emphasis on community hospitals, critical access and rural hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community health centers. Its core methodology is the Service Excellence Initiative (SEI), a three-year organizational transformation journey that embeds proprietary frameworks—Service Excellence, Seven Licenses to Please, LEAD Protocol, and the Hospital of Choice methodology—into leadership accountability, staff engagement, and daily care workflows. The flagship program is delivered under setting-specific brands (Hospital of Choice Initiative, Community Health Center of Choice Initiative) and is complemented by Ignite the Patient Experience, a two-day onsite intensive that serves as a high-value entry point, plus add-on programs including the 16-part Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series with optional CHPP certification, Everyone's a Caregiver micro-webinar system, CareSay real-time patient and employee feedback platform, Care College, 5 Star Swing Bed Growth Academy, and Accelerated Staffing Fix.

The technology layer centers on CLS One, a centralized HIPAA-compliant digital platform that consolidates CLS programs, tools, and resources and hosts Ava, a text-based AI assistant trained on the company's proprietary healthcare content. Distribution is primarily consultative direct enterprise sales with strategy-call bookings, supplemented by an annual Healthcare Service Excellence Conference (26th edition scheduled for November 2026 in Reno, Nevada) and a Trusted Partner program with five vendor sponsorship tiers priced from $2,150 to $10,000 annually. The company employs 11-50 people, is privately held with no disclosed external investment, and serves as both consulting services firm and content licensor with a software-enabled delivery model.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across multi-year transformation subscriptions (SEI), professional services engagements (ITPE), annual conference registrations, and vendor sponsorship packages. Documented client outcomes include an average 46 percentile-point HCAHPS score increase across eight of eleven domains within the first year of SEI implementation, a 68% reduction in clinical turnover at Van Diest Medical Center, 95%+ patient satisfaction at Camarena Health, and multiple CMS 5 Star and NRRS designations, providing measurable evidence of value delivered and supporting the company's positioning around sustained 5 Star culture achievement.

Name

Custom Learning Systems

Legal name

Custom Learning Systems Group Ltd.

Website

https://customlearning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Custom Learning Systems is a private Calgary-based healthcare consultancy founded in 1984 that delivers three-year culture transformation, coaching, and digital learning programs to 560+ community hospitals, critical access hospitals, and FQHCs across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Culture Transformation & Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Education, Content & Personalized Journey Orchestration (HLACAEAE), Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ), Adaptive Learning & Personalization Engines (EDAFAFAB), Education & Learning Personalization (HDAAAGAL)

Keywords

• Healthcare culture transformation
• Patient experience improvement
• HCAHPS leadership training
• Service excellence consulting
• Healthcare staff engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Service Excellence Initiative (SEI): Three-year organizational transformation journey including leadership education, staff engagement strategies, department-level improvement processes, patient experience tools, coaching, benchmarking, and ongoing accountability support. This is the flagship comprehensive program.
2. Ignite the Patient Experience (ITPE): Two-day high-intensity onsite working session resulting in a customized Three-Year Blueprint. Provides immediate momentum and clarity for healthcare organizations.
3. Trusted Partner Program: Annual partnership tiers (Bronze $2,150, Silver $3,250, Gold $5,950, Platinum $7,450, Diamond $10,000) providing conference visibility, exhibitor packages, marketing benefits, and sponsorship opportunities for healthcare vendors.
4. Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series: 16-part leadership webinar series with optional CHPP certification exam. Provides domain-specific education on HCAHPS improvement strategies.
5. CLS One Platform Access: Centralized digital platform subscription providing 24/7 access to training, resources, and Ava AI assistant for healthcare organizations.
6. Healthcare Service Excellence Conference: Annual 3-day conference featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions, awards ceremonies, and networking for healthcare teams. Conference revenue from registrations and sponsorship packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Custom Learning Systems provides healthcare-focused coaching, training, and culture-transformation services centered on its multi-year Service Excellence Initiative. It combines onsite consulting, digital learning tools (CLS One with the Ava AI assistant), HCAHPS education, and real-time feedback platforms to help hospitals and clinics improve patient experience, achieve CMS 5 Star ratings, and reduce staff turnover.

Product overview

Custom Learning Systems offers a comprehensive suite of healthcare transformation solutions organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The flagship offering is the Service Excellence Initiative (SEI), a three-year partnership that provides the overarching framework for culture transformation, available under setting-specific names including Hospital of Choice Initiative and Community Health Center of Choice Initiative. This core program is complemented by Ignite the Patient Experience, a two-day intensive consultation that serves as a high-impact entry point or on-ramp to SEI. The digital hub is CLS One, a centralized platform that integrates all programs, tools, and resources—including the Ava AI assistant—into one HIPAA-compliant location. Specialized modules include the Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series with optional CHPP certification, Everyone's a Caregiver micro-webinar system, CareSay real-time feedback platform, Care College for clinic settings, Accelerated Staffing Fix, Swing Bed Growth Academy, and specialized assessments for clinics and emergency departments. The portfolio also includes an annual Healthcare Service Excellence Conference and customized keynote presentations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Service Excellence Initiative: A three-year organizational transformation journey that embeds Service Excellence into how healthcare organizations lead, operate, and deliver care.
• Hospital of Choice Initiative
• Community Health Center of Choice Initiative
• CLS One
• Everyone's a Caregiver
• CareSay
• Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series
• Care College
• 5 Star Swing Bed Growth Academy
• Accelerated Staffing Fix
• Ignite the Patient Experience

Products and services

• Service Excellence Initiative (SEI) Flagship three-year organizational transformation journey embedding Service Excellence into how healthcare organizations lead, operate, and deliver care. Includes leadership education, staff engagement strategies, department-level improvement processes, patient experience tools, coaching, benchmarking, and accountability support. For hospitals, health systems, and clinics pursuing 5 Star culture.
• Ignite the Patient Experience (ITPE) A two-day high-intensity onsite working session that produces a customized Three-Year Blueprint for lasting patient-experience improvement, delivering organizational assessment, leadership alignment workshops, and implementation frameworks. Serves as an on-ramp to SEI for healthcare organizations.
• CLS One A centralized, HIPAA-compliant digital platform that brings all CLS programs, education, tools, and resources together in one place. Features micro-learning modules, implementation playbooks, role-based pathways, and the Ava AI assistant for healthcare organizations in CLS programs.
• Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series An advanced 16-session webinar education program for healthcare leaders focused on measurable HCAHPS improvement, covering data interpretation, leadership behaviors, and communication best practices, with an optional CHPP certification exam.
• Certified HCAHPS Practicing Professional (CHPP) A professional certification credential for healthcare leaders who complete the Mastering HCAHPS Leadership Series and pass a 100-question exam, demonstrating knowledge in HCAHPS methodology, improvement strategies, and patient experience leadership.
• Everyone's a Caregiver (EAC) A web-based learning system built around short, high-impact micro-webinars designed to engage all hospital, clinic, and long-term care staff in delivering consistent, compassionate, patient-centered care. Used for onboarding, ongoing education, and culture reinforcement.
• CareSay A real-time patient and employee feedback platform that helps healthcare organizations capture insights, resolve concerns quickly, recognize excellence, and drive continuous improvement through actionable feedback, real-time alerts, and trend tracking.
• Care College A 16-week education and implementation program built specifically for clinic settings, designed to improve patient experience, access, communication, care coordination, and quality through facilitated team discussions and custom workshops.
• 5 Star Swing Bed Growth Academy A program helping rural hospitals optimize swing bed services through structured education, best practices, regulatory guidance, and operational strategies for improving care transitions and compliance.
• Accelerated Staffing Fix A focused 16-week program designed to tackle staffing shortages, improve retention, and stabilize workforce through collaborative learning with peer organizations, targeting recruitment, onboarding, retention, and recognition.
• 5 Star Clinic Assessment A comprehensive evaluation helping ambulatory clinics and community health centers benchmark performance against best-in-class standards across patient experience, staff engagement, access, and operational excellence.
• 5 Star Emergency Department Assessment A specialized evaluation to help emergency departments measure and improve performance across patient experience, safety, efficiency, and satisfaction, benchmarking against high-performing peers.
• Healthcare Service Excellence Conference An annual three-day conference bringing healthcare leaders together for learning, networking, and inspiration, featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and awards ceremonies. Held in Reno, Nevada, with registration and sponsorship packages.
• LEAD Protocol An end-to-end framework for sustained HCAHPS performance built on four elements — Leadership, Execution, Accountability, and Discipline — providing coaching, tools, and accountability structures to drive measurable results.
• Trusted Partner Program An annual tiered partnership program (Bronze to Diamond) connecting healthcare vendors with CLS's 560+ patient-focused healthcare leaders via conference visibility, exhibitor packages, marketing benefits, and sponsorship opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• HCAHPS scores increased an average of 46 percentile points across eight of eleven domains within first year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Healthcare Vendors (Trusted Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Trusted Partner program connects healthcare vendors with 560+ patient-focused healthcare leaders through the CLS ecosystem. Partners receive conference visibility, exhibitor packages, marketing benefits, and networking opportunities at the annual Healthcare Service Excellence Conference. Five tiers available from Bronze ($2,150) to Diamond ($10,000).
• NHLN (National Healthcare Leadership Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHLN provides live streaming leadership and professional development educational programming. CLS supports this healthcare associations initiative with resources and programming that scale across member organizations.
• Healthcare Speakers BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with healthcare speakers bureau for keynote presentations, facilitators, and seminar leaders to deliver high-impact presentations at healthcare events and conferences.
• Organizations Achieving CMS 5 Star and NRRS RecognitioncoreOthers560+ healthcare providers including hospitals, critical access hospitals, FQHCs, and community health centers partner with CLS for culture transformation and sustained 5 Star achievement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avatar Solutions: Avatar Solutions provides patient, employee, and physician experience surveys plus culture consulting to hospitals and health systems. Direct comparable to CLS in targeting HCAHPS improvement and culture transformation for mid-sized and rural providers.
• Language of Caring: Language of Caring provides patient-centered communication training and culture transformation programs for healthcare organizations. Comparable to CLS's communication and patient experience training modules like Everyone's a Caregiver.
• Healthcare Experience Foundation: Healthcare Experience Foundation offers patient experience training, coaching, and certification programs to healthcare leaders. Closely aligned with CLS's HCAHPS leadership education and CHPP-style certification approach.
• The Baird Group: The Baird Group consults with healthcare organizations on patient experience strategy, culture, and leadership development. Comparable boutique competitor in CLS's space with similar focus on hospitals and health systems.

Broad incumbents

• Studer Group (Huron Consulting): Studer Group, now part of Huron, delivers healthcare leadership and culture transformation coaching with a comparable outcomes-driven methodology. CLS and Studer Group compete directly for healthcare leadership development budgets and culture change engagements.
• Qualtrics (Healthcare): Qualtrics provides experience management software with a dedicated healthcare vertical for patient and employee experience. Overlaps with CLS's CareSay and culture measurement offerings but at significantly larger platform scale.
• Press Ganey: Press Ganey is the dominant healthcare patient experience measurement and benchmarking firm. CLS competes for the same patient experience and HCAHPS improvement budgets but Press Ganey is the larger incumbent with broader data assets and enterprise software.
• NRC Health: NRC Health provides patient and employee experience solutions to healthcare organizations. Comparable to CLS in targeting patient experience improvement and HCAHPS performance, but operates at larger scale with broader analytics offerings.
• Relias: Relias provides online healthcare training, compliance, and staff education to healthcare organizations. Comparable to CLS's training and certification offerings (CHPP, HCAHPS Leadership Series) but at much larger scale across broader healthcare workforce topics.

Emerging players

• Walker Company Healthcare Consulting: Walker Company provides patient experience consulting to healthcare organizations, focused on culture transformation and service excellence. A smaller, emerging competitor in CLS's healthcare transformation niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/customlearnings
• Facebookfacebook.com/CustomLearningSystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/custom-learning-systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Custom Learning Systems