During Patient Experience Week April 29-May 3, we’re celebrating the role every single one of our employees plays in delivering an exceptional patient experience.

Both clinical and non-clinical employees have an impact on our patients, and we are proud of their efforts to support expert, compassionate care.

Our goal is to ensure a patient experience that not only promotes healing, but empowers patients to take an active role in improving their health and quality of life.

At Regional One Health, delivering exceptional care means not only helping patients improve their health, but treating each individual and family with compassion and providing resources that empower them to continue building a better quality of life.

During Patient Experience Week April 29-May 3, we are proud to celebrate the role every single employee plays in delivering a premier patient experience.

Gary Lester, Director of Patient Experience, said a patient’s experience reflects the care they receive and how they are treated by each person they interact with.

“It takes everybody to make a positive impact on patient experience – from food service to EVS to our nursing team and beyond,” Lester said.

“We’re honored that our patients decide to come here for their care, and we reflect that by being engaged and ready to provide excellent care to every patient, every time out.”

As Director of Patient Experience, Lester encourages employees to always remember why they got into the health care profession. By focusing on their “why,” employees gain the right mindset to deliver a positive patient experience.

Lester also encourages employees to engage with patients in a positive manner, and does so himself by regularly rounding on patients. He said by asking patients about their care, comfort, understanding of their treatment, etc., employees can help patients feel more empowered.

To highlight how each and every member of our team impacts the patient experience, employees from throughout Regional One Health shared what Patient Experience Week means to them.

On the clinical side, care providers talked about meeting patients’ medical needs while showing them empathy and support.

Cyrilyn Walters, MD, medical director of ambulatory services, aims to build trust so she can deliver better care. “I create a safe space for my patients to come and talk about their issues, and I try to be their advocate in those spaces where they’re not able to have a voice.”

Renee Abdu, RN, MSN, WHNP-BC, a maternal fetal medicine nurse practitioner, approaches each patient as an individual. “I invest in each and every one of my patients from the time they enter the door to the time they leave,” she said. “I want to empower them to have autonomy in their care so they can have the best possible outcomes.”

Tracy Gillard, CMA, certified medical assistant, also focuses on patients as people: “I try to impact the patient experience by providing compassionate care and exceptional service, and by being an active listener to each patient’s needs,” she said.

Nicole Lowe, LBSW, LNHA, MBA, administrator of Regional One Health Subacute Care; and Sarah Sabbatini, PT, DPT, manager of burn rehabilitation, both spoke of keeping their focus on helping patients heal and get back to their lives.

“I’m proud to lead a team of premier staff members who believe in the betterment of our patients and their experience,” Lowe said. Sabbatini added, “Our goal is to work with burn survivors and their families on a daily basis to help them get better and get home.”

Meanwhile, employees from a variety of non-clinical departments also keep patient experiences front-and-center.

Guest services clerk Trevontea Vinson takes pride in providing a positive first impression of the hospital: “When visitors and patients come in we are the first person they see. Bringing forth the passion, the smile, the love and the comfort toward families and patients is what we do.”

Vice President for Information Technology Operations Daniel Thomas and Security Director Patrick Walls said it’s all a matter of providing the resources and environment needed for exceptional medical care.

“My team is committed to providing a safe work environment for staff to do their amazing work and a place where patients and visitors feel safe to receive premier care,” Walls said.

Thomas noted, “We make sure our technology works for our providers and all employees so they can provide the care our patients need.”

Ellen Cole, a talent acquisition professional in human resources, has worked in several units at Regional One Health – and she’s found a consistent thread tied to the patient experience. “In every area that I’ve worked in I’ve always put into mind that could be my mother, my father, my child. I try to give them the best experience I can,” she said.

Criston Kopka, executive assistant, said it all comes down to empathy.

She takes a proactive approach to supporting system leaders so they have the resources they need to make decisions that can positively impact all patients.

“When someone arrives at a care facility like ours, that’s arguably one of the worst days of their life,” Kopka said. “Every interaction, every experience is heightened. It’s incumbent on us to make sure they walk away healthy and heard and safe and cared for.”