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Evidence of a culture change
12/13/2005
Supervisors and Service Excellence team members have been asked to submit "success stories" they have observed that illustrate key principles of Service Excellence. Here's a sampling of Service Excellence in action, with examples of compassion toward patients, teamwork on the job and employees feeling valued. Watch for new ones to be added.

Posted June 30, 2005

  • A patient who had spent almost a month in MICU was transferred to the step-down unit. The MICU nurse told a family member that they were sad to see him leave and that the patient had really become like family. This patient was never expected to make it this long and the family member who heard this comment felt that it was extremely caring and showed compassion as a nuse. It also made them feel that the patient was well-cared for and the staff truly cared for his wel being.

    • Posted June 28, 2005

  • Kacey Trout, OTR Coastal Rehab Pediatrics, had a little girl for therapy who said school friends did not invite her to birthday parties because she drooled. Kacey purchased the items needed for therapy out of her own pocket to hurry the process and help this little girl recover faster. The patient made great progress.
  • Nichole Sutton observed a patient trying to buy a soda from the vending machine on the floor when the vending machine took the patient's money and produced no soda. Nichole asked the patient what kind of soda they were trying to purchase and what room they were in. She then went downstairs, got some of her own money, purchased a soda and brought it to the patient. Nichole has a tender heart and goes above and beyond the call of duty. This time she really went out of her way to help a patient.
  • Teresa Russel arrived to work on the evening of June 9th and saw an elderly gentleman at the back entrance of the Coastal Rehab Center, asking to be let in. He was explaining to the voice on the intercom that he had parked on the parking deck, and was bringing a walker in to his wife, who was a patient in the Rehab Center. He was told that he would have to "go around the hospital to the visitors entrance" even though was told by ambulance attendants that he could park in the parking deck, closer to the back entrance. By the time Teresa arrived at the door, the gentleman was very distraught. When she saw that he had equipment that he was bringing in for his wife, she decided to escort him to his wife's room. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the door of his wife's room, just as she was waiting to get up from the bed.
  • Dr. Stephen Young and his Nurse Practitioner, Bonnie Parsons, consistently display compassion, caring, patience, and understanding when dealing with patients and families for whom Palliative Care has been consulted. On several occasions they have come back to the hospital on their own time, after hours to meet with the families of dying patients. Dr. Young recently did this for one patient and stayed over four hours with the family. He takes his time to sit down with the patients and families and explains things in way that they can understand. This is a valuable team whose services are appreciated greatly.
  • The husband of a patient who recently passed away, came to the Zimmer Cancer Center to tell the staff he wanted to give them a pizza party because of the tender and loving care they had given his wife. He also wants to show a video he made about his wife, in her honor.
  • Children's Services had a patient that needed a flow cytometry test on a Saturday (to rule out diagnosis of Leukemia/Lymphoma). This test is typically not available on a Saturday. Jackie Smith came in on her day off to run this test on a 7-year old boy. Thank you notes were written to her for coming in on a Saturday and putting the family's fears to rest (the patient did not have Leukemia).
  • On June 13th a very ill man come into the out patient clinic to pick up some x-ray films. He was obviously lost and Cathy Leonard our support associate coordinator began to question how she could help. She called the x-ray department to get the man's films but was told that they would not be ready in time for his doctor's appointment. She advocated further for this man and was told that he could come down and pick up a disk that had the pertinent information he needed on it. Realizing that this man was short of breath she had him wait in the clinic and she went to radiology to get the disk for the man. The man was very appreciative and was able to make his appointment on time.

    • Posted June 21, 2005

  • Yesterday we had a patient come through Admitting was who very sick. The charge nurse in the Rapid Admit Unit identified that the patient had a good experience on 8 South in an earlier admission the previous week. Debbie (the charge nurse) contacted Kathy Larkins in admitting. Kathy worked with her team in admitting and found a private room on 8 South (quite a feat based on high census), coordinated logistics with 8 South and Rapid Admit, followed up with the patient and got the patient to the room without delay. Given the incredible amount of teamwork, this was service excellence at its best.
  • Jennifer Smart, a new employee (dietitian) in Food and Nutrition Management, was working her first weekend. Unfortunately, it was also a very busy weekend, with more than 20 consults. Her co-worker, Tara Beighle, called to check on her to make certain she was okay. When Tara discovered the number of consults, she decided to come in on her Saturday off to help her co-worker. They worked together to complete the consults, enabling Tara and Jennifer to each feel that her co-worker appreciated her efforts.
  • A patient came to pre-testing one week before she was having a total hip replacement. After her visit she asked staff to walk her and her husband to the manager's office so she could say how wonderful the staff had been to her. She walked with PCT to the office limping on her painful hip with her husband, who was on O2, so she could applaud our staff. She did not want to be pushed in a wheelchair, which our staff offered. A thank you note was sent for her consideration as well as to the nurse and PCT who took care of her.
  • While rounding, a middle-aged woman had a map in hand, but was in need of direction to Outpatient Registration, so I escorted her. During our walk, she stated that a doctor highly suspected that she has MS. She was distraught by the news. She was here for a myleogram to confirm her diagnosis. As we approached Outpatient Registration, she thanked me for taking the time to listen to her. She stated that she was considering leaving the building when she was lost and not have her test. She said she needed someone to talk to today.

    • Posted June 15, 2005

  • During a heavy rain storm, New Hope Pulmonary Rehab staff escorted pulmonary patients to their cars with umbrellas to prevent them from getting wet.
  • Because our staff meetings are so jam-packed with official business, staff members rarely have the time to discuss issues that are important to them. We started three months ago having monthly informal lunch meetings with managers, coordinators and all interested staff. Many good suggestions have come out of these meetings and have been implemented such as: suggestion box, birthday calendar, department web page, etc. Many operation processes have also been looked at and problems have been corrected.
  • Recently, the sister of the vascular coordinator for the main operating room was dying of cancer. The vascular coordinator was on administrative call Easter weekend (Fri-Sun). All coordinators in the main OR and the OR manager divided the call up to cover for this coordinator. It was a beautiful coming together of the team.
  • I am the manager of Skilled Nursing Facility at Pender Memorial. We have only a few male patients. Only one of them is alert and oriented and able to communicate well with staff. On March 20, my husband went to Pender, picked him up, placed him in my truck and brought him and his wife to our home to watch Duke basketball on a big screen TV. This patient is 84 years old and surrounded by … women all day long and needed a little male bonding and to see Duke on a big screen TV one time in his life. The smile on his face and the loving and kind words that he directed to my husband and myself are more than words can express.
  • We do approximately 20 dental pediatric surgeries at the Cape Fear site. One of our team members made tooth fairy bags for their teeth.
  • Approximately three weeks ago we introduced calling cards for our Environmental Services staff. The cards are used at discharge cleaning or when a patient is out of the room for testing. The employee signs the card and leaves it in the room. Last Wednesday, a patient asked me to come to her room to pick up the card that she had added some comments on. I used this card to honor this employee during our staff meeting this past week. The employee, Nora Benbow, was truly honored that a patient recognized her for her hard work.

    • Posted June 10, 2005

  • Dr. Sam Spicer (Vice President of Medical Affairs) made rounds on 9 North and visited a patient. The wife of the patient had medical problems - severe pain problems - but was not going to leave her husband's bedside. She was a very sweet lady who brought her own five-inch thick mattress to lay over the … chair for her comfort. Dr. Spicer asked the unit to provide her with her own patient bed. This demonstrated great efforts and compassion while providing quality service to all customers.
  • A surgical patient whom I rounded on shared the following experience: After surgery she was told that she needed to walk. After walking a short distance, she became self-conscious because her gown did not sufficiently cover her. A CNA not assigned to her care noticed her discomfort and followed her back to the patient's room. The CNA asked the patient if she needed help. The patient told her the gown did not fit her and was too small. The CNA went to the laundry room and located a larger bariatric gown for the patient. The patient wanted to recognize the CNA for her sensitivity. … To address the patient's concern for larger gowns, Harry Webster (Director of Environmental Services) has ordered 60 dozen bariatirc gowns to add to our inventory and increase availability on the nursing units for our patients.
  • Michelle Zumbo, physical therapist at Oleander Rehabiliation Center, did a fantastic job on the Communication and Compassion standards recently. On Good Friday, Michelle's last patient had a complicated treatment session for lumphedema. Michelle took the initiative to stay later with the patient, after all of her fellow clinicals had gone home, to give the patient the time she needed. When Michelle asked me to be an extra pair of hands during therapy, I observed Michelle … making sure the patient knew exactly what to expect and what to do, and thanking the patient for being compliant with therapy. During the whole time, Michelle was so sensitive to the patient's dignity. When Michelle walked out the door, 30 minutes after her co-workers had gone home to start their holiday weekend, she apologized to me for keeping me late, but no apology was needed.
  • Just this week, our staff came together to both share and distribute responsibilities for someone who is traveling to Russia to adopt a baby. The group also put together a care package for our employee, her family, and her newly adopted children. Our staff took on more responsibility and gave of themselves, exhibiting our service excellence principles.

    • Posted June 6, 2005

  • I observed a teammate on the 7th floor take time to go to the lobby to purchase a newspaper for a lonely patient.
  • Two employees from one department were nominated for employee of the month - the first time anyone from that department had been nominated.
  • 'Pat on the back' patches were implemented by Marilyn Tyner, an Emergency Department coordinator. They are stickers in the shape of a hand put on the backs of staff members when they are doing above and beyond, or when they are being a Service Excellence example employee. They not only inspire the employees, they inform the customer of our intentions to serve and care for their needs.
  • A distressed patient had thrown her tray across the room and was crying and upset. Once the nurse let the rest of the unit know she needed help, two CNAs came to the room to pick up the tray and change the bedding, a housekeeper came to mop, and a manager went in the bathroom to help the patient bathe. The room was full and felt the pain of the patient. Everyone helped her get back to her clean bed. She knew the team cared.
  • Being new to the organization, I have gotten lost several times. Each of the six or seven times I was looking confused or lost, an employee noticed, asked if (he or she) could help and escorted me to my destination. This even occurred the first day I walked into NHRMC for my interview. I was immaculately impressed. It was obvious to me that service excellence was the norm in the organization.


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