The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…..Fanny Fern (1811-1872)

This proverbial saying may hold some truth and some may swear by it.  However, UTMC knows there’s more than one way to reach a man’s heart. Just ask Eugene Goolsby, a widower for for 25 years. He has been a patient here in/out for the last year and most recently inpatient for the last month. The cancer in his stomach/esophagus prevented him from eating and swallowing.  However, his spirits remained high, because his heart has been touched by those who went above and beyond their call of duty to care for him. To name a few:  4AB staff, especially, Vernon, Louise, Glory, Holly, Tami, Chris and Chris K. the Director, who wanted any problems reported to him;  then there was Dorothy from 4CD; Harry, HVC; Cath Lab; Dr. Skeel, Dr. Alynbiawi, Dr. Finney, Dr. Mohammed and her staff, Dr. Selman, Dr. Rees, Dr. Hinch, Dr. Foster and Dr. Cooper, ER staff, PARU, Michelle Ward, SICU, Phyllis Henderson and then there was the Transport, Dietary, Lab and Housekeeping personnel that all rounded out his care.  When discussing his plan of care he was asked, if he understood that he would not be able to return home because of the extensive care that he needed, he said he understood and if it was alright with everyone he wanted to stay right where he was or in any room on the 4th floor.  What a testimony to the care and attention he has received here at UTMC.

Mr. Goolsby has seen the many changes of this hospital (the ER, Main Lobby, uniforms, the reduction in staff, etc.) Yet, each and every time he walk through the doors he never experience a change in the personal care and attention he was given. He liked the fact that he was treated with respect. Something very important to a man who was one of the first black marines during World War II in 1943 and faced discrimination. UTMC is one of places that he can honestly say “those folks know how to treat you”. Many times during his last stay, the staff tried to get him to eat or drink, when that failed, they all lent an ear to hear one of his many stories. Their personal interest in him is what touched his heart and the hearts of his family.

After accepting the fact that he could not stay at UTMC, Eugene was discharged on August 9^th. The following day, my siblings and I met with the folks from Hospice. I no longer let my dad see the frustration on my face when he says “he doesn’t want to eat or drink”, instead I listen to his stories, knowing that sometimes a way to a man’s heart is not just through his stomach. I am very proud of my dad and very proud to be a part of the UTMC family. If you have been extended kindness by someone in the UTMC family, let them know. They no doubt will tell you, like the humble folks I mentioned, that “they’re just doing their job”, but let them know…..that a fine job they did!!!

Respect for others begins within. Having worked in customer service for several years, there has been a consistent theme I have encountered throughout my career. The behaviors and attitudes staff member exhibit when interacting with each other has a direct impact on the customer.

Working in hospitals and academia is tough and often requires a thick skin.  Why is this? Aren’t hospitals places of kindness and healing? Aren’t universities places where individuals are encouraged to share his or her thoughts and ideas without reservation? I love working in academic and hospital settings. I often think about the commitment to care most hospital and academic staff, myself included, felt upon entering our respective careers. After all, we have decided to work in a service industry.  In academia, we are privileged to see our customers at one of the happiest times in their lives, as they cross a stage to collect a hard-earned diploma. Also, in hospitals we often see our customers at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives – as they lie in bed while we provide care and comfort.  Such dramatic shifts in emotion affect our university and hospital community, and often weigh heavy on our staff.

So what do we do? We are undergoing a culture change on our Health Science Campus. We are doing this by looking at the way the organization, and we as individuals provide care and service to our patients and their families who are are our customers. 

The scope of our culture change, however,  cannot be limited to the treatment of our customers. It must include developing and maintaining a high level of collegiality among our fellow staff members. We can begin to change the internal culture by focusing on our attitudes, the way we talk with and listen to our co-workers. We can change our behavior by practicing patience and empathy with everyone we encounter.  Consistently employing active listening, empathy and patience when interacting with our colleagues will not only positively affect the workplace environment, it will also set the tone for our customer interactions.

 If a physician is having a bad day because of a lack of communication with staff, is it possible that this may reflect in his or her patient interaction? If this same physician reprimands a nurse, isn’t that nurse more likely to present in a negative light to the patient?  Best practice literature suggests this to be true. A recent Institute of Medicine journal article states there are approximately 98,000 U.S. hospital deaths, each year, due to preventable medical errors. A more disturbing is fact that 70% of errors result from poor interaction between healthcare providers. It is probable that similar customer impact examples can be seen in all aspects of business, whether in the hospital or in the classroom.

As we go about our day today and tomorrow, we must keep in mind the words of the great philosopher, Plato. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”   This kindness to and for each other will carry over into the care and respect we show our customers.

A hospital can be a stressful place.  There are so many things to do and so many life or death decisions that our health care professionals are faced with daily. Somehow, through all of the challenging events that can occur in our hospital, our employees manage to keep a smile on their face while providing kindness, sincerity and the top level of care to patients. An established, positive relationship not only makes our jobs easier, but it makes the patient experience so much more enjoyable.

At UTMC, we know that a kind and friendly treatment is of the highest importance for any patient coming under our care.  That’s why in the past few months we’ve begun stressing two main points for enhancing patient experience:  Universal Scripting and Rounding with a Purpose.

In my previous blog post, I talked about Universal Scripting, and how being prepared to greet and interact with patients can go a long way in improving the quality of their care.  So far, the results have been extremely positive.  Our entire staff is really going out of their way to make sure our patients’ stay is as enjoyable as possible.

Rounding with a Purpose, our second employee initiative, was introduced July 1, 2011. Like Universal Scripting, this is going above and beyond to make our patients’ stay at UTMC be as enjoyable as possible.  UTMC’s Rounding with a Purpose initiative involves hourly visits of patients by nursing staff and (where applicable) clinical/support staff. These visits focus on providing comfort and support in the following areas:

Pain → Pain Level + Pain Management

Potty → Offering toileting assistance as needed

Position → Assessing the comfort of the patient’s position & repositioning if necessary

Personal → Making sure all equipment is within easy reach (Call light, Telephone, TV Remote Control. Water. Trash Can, Tissue, etc.)

Privacy → Assuring maximum privacy is being established and maintained

Promise to Return

Studies have shown that hourly rounding helps the hospital and patient care in a number of areas, including increased productivity and patient/employee satisfaction, reduced pain related complaints, decreased noise levels and use of call lights, and a heightened level of happiness among families regarding their loved ones care.  So far, patient and staff feedback following launch of this initiative have been extremely positive. Implementing Rounding with a Purpose is one more way UTMC continues to set itself apart from the competition both in terms of the quality of care and the service provided!

UTMC is making great strides to improve the quality of our patients’ care.  This not only makes their stay more enjoyable, it makes our work environment much more pleasant.  Improved patient interaction has helped all of our staff truly shine. The Universal Scripting and Rounding with a Purpose initiatives are just another step UTMC is taking to prove that we don’t just care how we’re treating, but who we’re treating, and it’s this quality that allows us to truly provide a Higher Degree of Healing!