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Giving Every Patient the Beyoncé Experience
The patient experience bar has been set low, creating a prime opportunity for hospital marketers to give every patient the celebrity treatment, even if there isn't room in the budget for any major redesigns.
I am proud to say that Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, just west of Denver,CO has it all. Patients remark, "It feels more like a hotel than a hospital." The luxurious atmosphere of the newly built women's center includes private suites, flat-screen TVs, whirlpool tubs, wifi, a serenity spa for relaxation and massage, and an outdoor patio with mountain views. The patient experience is top-notch as noted by their high patient satisfaction scores and a recent award from a women's watchdog group.
Marianne, This article brings up the important balance between the environment including all the amenities you mention and the human experience. As a former OB nurse, I can tell you that even though the amenities and the room are nice touches, the things that patients will remember forever are the human interactions that made them feel cared for, supported and celebrated. I do lots of speaking and one of the things I ask my audiences is if they have had a birthing experience (as a parent) and if so, how many of them remember their nurse. I feel I can safely say that over 90% remember their nurse from a birthing experience. What they remember and talk about even decades later is the nurse who treated them with compassion and respect and who made their families and newborns feel like celebrities. We can't all be Beyonce, but we can make sure that our patients and families get VIP treatment regardless of our ability to install luxuries.