Looking for Hospitality in All the Right Places

Driving Satisfaction in Myriad Ways

In healthcare, hospitality is a serious responsibility, and a large part of patients' perceptions of their hospital care is impacted by how they feel they were treated during their stay. Crothall Services Group has devoted many resources to understanding both the art and science of hospitality. This commitment is driven by a VP of Process Excellence and a Director of Leadership Education and Development, who study, teach, and measure both patient and staff satisfaction practices and "hospitality ethics" within Crothall leadership. Patient satisfaction, which is closely linked to staff satisfaction, is the result of consistent application of hospitality techniques, which must be embraced by all of our service associates, regardless of how little direct contact they may appear to have with patients.

Environmental Services

Hospitality training produces a happier, satisfied staff. At North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi, EVS Director Bill Mello has experienced both a drastic increase in employee satisfaction (from 53% to 73%) and a 42% rise in productivity as byproducts of their achievement of raising patient satisfaction to the 99th percentile.

Click here for a case study on North Mississippi Medical Center.

At Magnet-accredited University Health Care System (UHCS) in Augusta, Georgia, Crothall-managed departments include Environmental Services, Facilities Management, and Laundry, as well as Clinical Equipment Services technicians. Director of Facilities Dennis Primrose and Environmental Services Resident Regional Manager Graham Mitchell collaborate to drive hospitality initiatives, including:

• Promoting from within: supervisors are brought up from within the ranks.
• Working together: EVS and FM alert each other to problems.
• "Bed Huddle": Nurses meet with support staff every morning.
• Patient Ambassador: rounds with patients every day.
• "Fresh as a Daisy"/"Turn-Down Service" awareness programs.

"We are a community hospital that strives to treat every patient with respect and compassion," said VP, Support & Facilities Services Kyle Howell. "What fuels our efforts at patient-focused service is teamwork, and Crothall's EVS team is the best I've ever seen at building relationships, especially with the clinical staff."

Click here to read about Pam Corley: Housekeeper to UHCS Director

Patient Transportation

The direct contact involved in transporting patients truly requires a spirit of compassion and empathy. No one likes being wheeled around by a silent messenger toward scary tests or operations. Being left in a busy hallway or a deserted waiting area with no one to watch over you can be extremely frightening and disorienting. Crothall's Patient Transportation associates are coached through the "Foundations" training program. Transporters learn how to handle both the transport equipment and the people they serve, including scripting for engaging and reassuring the patient. This training program gives them the technical and hospitality skills they need to begin working with patients.

Facilities Management

The UHCS Facilities Management department focuses on keeping patient rooms comfortable all year round. When a patient becomes uncomfortable, Director Dennis Primrose realizes that patients don't always know how to get the problem solved. Having the eyes and ears of the EVS team on site helps greatly, especially when the Patient Ambassador makes her rounds. The maintenance requests can be delivered directly to the department and tracked by an invested party. Many times, patients are actually more satisfied when a concern is addressed promptly than they would have been if no problems were ever found. When the problem requires work in a patient room, communication is key to good hospitality. If the patient is out of the room for a test or asleep in bed, a "While You Were Out..." note card gives an update on the request and how to get help if there are further problems.

Laundry & Linen

Clean, freshly laundered and pressed linens contribute to patient comfort.Adequate linen distribution can also affect satisfaction. UHCS's Graham Mitchell relies on morning "bed huddles" with the nurses to do an inventory check. "They know if there is going to be a shortage of patient gowns or sheets, and it helps to be proactive," said Mitchell. "Happier nurses definitely lead to happier patients." Studies show there is a direct correlation between nurse, doctor, and other user department satisfaction and patient satisfaction. Crothall works with our clients on proper linen utilization through education programs that ensure everyone has the linens they need, when they need them.

Clinical Equipment Services

Crothall has Biomedical Engineers who are responsible for medical equipment maintenance and repairs that are vital to patient and staff safety and satisfaction. Delays of patient diagnostic tests due to down medical devices causes undue stress and dissatisfaction to patients and medical staff. At Shands Medical Center, the preventive maintenance completion rate has exceeded the 98% guarantee and has met 100% completion annually. One especially helpful process is having the team make rounds throughout the facility on a daily basis. This has improved communication between the departments and impacts all systems from the ventilators, to the physiological monitors, to the nurse call system.