At Western Maryland Health System intentional effort to define and improve our patient experience and culture have been in place during the entire 5 years I have been an employee.  The structure and format of the staff that have the responsibility to implement changes and monitor the level of engagement and culture have changed several times during these five years.

 

Under each configuration I have found that Pastoral Care can be an effective partner in helping identify patient needs and support initiatives to improve the total patient experience.  These changes tell me there is more than one way to accomplish this work.  I have also learned that without coaching employees on the power of patient experience it is easy for that focus to slip from the fore front of our minds as we encounter patients.

 

At our most recent meeting our team was divided into groups of 5 – 8 people and the theme was a baseball diamond.  Each table had a different part of health care they were looking at from the lens of patient experience.  Each team was able to identify steps we either are taking or could adopt to help with this area of patient experience.

 

I liked the theme of the baseball diamond because is stressed we are in constant movement as we round the bases with each patient.  Just as a baseball runner is very aware of the people on the field as he or she is running the bases while the ball is in play.

 

I chose this graphic of the globe and a stethoscope intentionally because the image states our mission in images not words.  We are to care for the medical needs of the world (or the portion of the world that seeks help at our institution).  Showing patients we care for them is the first step in treating their illness even before we know their diagnosis.  If people don’t feel that they are valued as individuals they will not place much trust in the medical interventions we provide.  Caring creates trust.  I invite you to create trust with those you encounter by first showing them you care for them as an individual.