As the rise in consumerism inundates the healthcare industry, it is crucial to provide our community with exceptional experiences. Spectrum Health Pennock leveraged the PFAC for improving how we communicate with patients.
Council members influenced our approach and physical environment to provide a family-focused atmosphere. Rounding sessions associated with people, process and place produced process and structural changes, including the construction of areas dedicated solely for welcome centers, space for warm customer greetings upon entering the facility and a child-friendly waiting room. Their passion has helped Spectrum Health Pennock cultivate an atmosphere of community.
What I appreciate about our PFAC is that we can make a meaningful and lasting impact on our hospital and, in turn, our community. A hospital that does well is beneficial for everyone.
Spectrum Health never disappoints when assisting our family through times of health issues. As the parents of two small children, health scares with kids are always a challenge filled with dreadful feelings. Our youngest daughter contracted a severe kidney and bladder infection at 3 months old. Spectrum Health Pennock cared for our little one while in constant communication with our pediatrician. The care was extremely compassionate with a great deal of explanation to every detail. Through some further diagnosis, we were able to pinpoint the issue and Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has been able to continue to monitor the situation and provide specialized care moving forward through our daughter’s growth.
The PFAC is a great way not only for community members to be involved in local health care, but for the health care system to be more transparent to the community. The health and well-being of our neighbors and family starts with a highly involved heath care setting. When citizens "feel good" their better health leads to increased productivity not only at work, but at home, in interaction with their family, and an increased sense of pride in community. As a local real estate broker, home-buyers moving to our area are very impressed by the fact that we have Spectrum Health in our community.
I am most proud of our PFAC's commitment to "rounding" to feel the pulse of every area of service. We have seen our recommendations implemented which allows our council to feel extremely engaged and promote this positive vibe throughout the community. The secondary impact of rounding is that the care teams get to see this interaction and allows them to feel that leadership cares about the patients. What keeps me coming back is the outcomes we see from our work coming to fruition, from something as simple as signage to the design and features of a new surgical center.