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In This Issue:
Service Excellence
It is among the happiest moments in any parent’s life. The birth of a child brings joy and promise. At BWH that joy is manifested through its superb quality of obstetrical care, expert clinicians, world-renowned newborn services and a physical environment that caters to our youngest patients and their families. In the midst of this tremendous volume, the need to educate patients and prepare them for discharge can be a daunting challenge. As a result, post-partum OB services has been identified as a strong opportunity to enhance patient satisfaction through the recently announced BW/F Service Excellence program.
“We engage more than 800 staff members to provide these critical services,” said Mairead Hickey, RN, PhD, vice president, Women and Specialty Services. As the executive sponsor of the Post-Partum OB Services project, Hickey will be working with Robert Barbieri, MD, chairman, OB/Gyn and Paula Gillette, RN, nursing director, to bolster patient satisfaction scores and develop approaches to better prepare patients for discharge. “Our charge is to create an environment where every patient who delivers at BWH will feel well prepared for discharge, confident in their knowledge and ability to care for their newborn child.”
Activity on issues surrounding the discharge process has intensified during the course of the past 12 months, as a variety of team efforts have been addressing issues related to length of stay within the Connors Center. The goal of the new initiative will be to develop and pilot programs that can be adopted on all post-partum floors that impact patient satisfaction.
“As a leading birthing center in the United States, it is incumbent upon us to continue to serve as a national example in the provision of exceptional care. That care must include our ability to ensure that our patients are ready for discharge and are comfortable in the knowledge they receive at this hospital,” said Robert Barbieri, MD.
The post-partum OB services initiative is one of four projects launched in 2003 under the BW/F Service Excellence program. The program seeks to create a culture of service excellence through the implementation of several projects annually over the next five years.