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In This Issue:
Patient Information staff and ambassadors include, front left, Helen Thompson and front right, Bob Green, and, back from left, Rosen Trinidad, Noreen Tiangco, Nadir Khir, Migena Dulemani, Alexander Bazazi, Sally Ahern and Gentiana Spahiu.
When Helen Thompson gets a new crop of volunteers at the patient information desk, she tells them their two goals: make patients and visitors feel welcome and assist them to their destinations.
"People often have so much anxiety when they arrive," said Thompson, supervisor of the patient information desk in the Tower Lobby, which is often the first point of contact for hospital visitors. "We try to reassure them and make their day less hassled."
Visitors appreciate the help and kindness they receive from Patient Information representatives, and their appreciation is reflected in last quarter's Press, Ganey® inpatient satisfaction scores. From October through December, patients ranked BWH information desk representatives in the 91st percentile when compared to like-size teaching hospitals that use Press, Ganey®.
In addition to Patient Information, Nursing and Patient/Family Relations are among those to thank for a continual rise in patient satisfaction scores for the Visitor and Family section of Press, Ganey®. Scores rose for every question in this section, including accommodations and comfort of visitors; staff attitude toward visitors; helpfulness of people at the information desk; and information provided to families regarding a patient's condition and treatment.
"Families are key to how we provide care to our patients," said Mairead Hickey, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of Patient Care Services. "BWH nurses and all health care providers respect that our patients are always part of a family."
In recent years, BWH has adjusted the visitor policy to accommodate families and guests by extending visiting hours to 9 p.m. and allowing a designated support person to be with the patient 24 hours a day. Additionally, BWH offers families and visitors resources in the Bretholtz Center and Kessler Health Education Library, as well as newly converted family waiting areas on Tower 3 and 14.
"Nurses and all staff have supported wonderfully the presence of family at BWH and work to ensure that families will continue to have a presence," said Kathleen Gordon, RN, MS, director of Patient/Family Relations, who added that the Shapiro building is being designed to enhance family presence.