As far as I'm concerned, you can take all those posted quality metrics and throw them out the window when you get a letter like this one that I received from a patient:
BIDMC is a special place. The nursing care deflates your stress about being in the hospital. The doctor's talent makes you believe you have the best possible care. The atmosphere makes you feel that people like their jobs and feel invested in them, so you feel that everybody is paying attention, whether they are cleaners, food service, transport, department heads, trustees.
I especially noticed the employees' investment in their jobs. (NURSE: "Doctor, I noticed you are testing Ms. X for TB. If we believe she might have TB, should we institute those protocols now?" TRANSPORT: "The nurses are really busy. I'll reconnect your oxygen so you can go back to bed and I'll tell them that I did." NURSE: Let's not wait for the bed to be changed. I want it to be dry for you when you have these fevers." She changed the bed and me three times that night.)
Symbol of cooperation regardless of rank or function: Nobody left my room without taking my meal tray with them.
Amazing... I am in awe.
ReplyDeleteModesty may prevent you from posting this one, but people should know that this attitude includes EVERYBODY---I recall seeing you walking down the hall one day and stopping to pick up a piece of trash from the floor. A small action, but one that speaks volumes.
ReplyDeleteWow. I am truly impressed - and I'm hard to impress.
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That was my experience, most of the time (during ALL of my HDIL stays). Not so on my short stay post-nephrectomy, and less than the usual excellence on my second leg-surgery stay, but very much so on most stays.
ReplyDelete(I just don't want people getting the idea that all I do is pump sunshine into the BIDMC PR machine... because I don't. :)
I celebrated my fifth anniversary at BIDMC on November 5th. I have to tell you that this collaborative effort was the first thing I noticed that was different at BIDMC from anywhere else I have ever worked (and I have been working for a LONG time--had another big anniversary this month--my 60th birthday!) I am so proud to be part of this institution. I have always held that "that's not my job" is not part of my vocabulary. I always say instead "let me see what I can do to help", and it is truly wonderful to encounter this attitude throughout the hospital.
ReplyDeletePaul: Thank you for this wonderful reminder that we can do better by patients and caregivers by working collaboratively and compassionately. I was so impressed by your blog entry that I highlighted it in my blog, pamressler.blogspot.com. Keep up the wonderful work you and your team are doing at BIDMC.
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