Patient Experience Week April 28-May 2

-by Katie Folkerts, Quality Manager at Orange City Area Health System

April 28- May 2 is nationally recognized as Patient Experience Week. "Patient experience encompasses the range of interactions that patients have with the healthcare system, including their care from health plans, and from doctors, nurses, and staff in hospitals, physician practices, and other healthcare facilities. As an integral component of healthcare quality, patient experience includes several aspects of healthcare delivery that patients value highly when they seek and receive care, such as getting timely appointments, easy access to information, and good communication with health care providers."

Having a positive experience at OCAHS is a great goal of its own, but an improved experience can lead to improved clinical outcomes, better compliance to medical advice, improved patient safety, and lower use of unnecessary healthcare services. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality).

I get to read dozens of comments from patients about their experience at OCAHS every week. There are typically a couple negative comments about things we can do better, and we take each one of those seriously and consider how we can improve. The vast majority of comments though, are positive, from patients who are extremely grateful for the service provided.

Here are just a few recent examples:

• “Everyone who I came into contact with was wonderful. They all do such a good job there.”

• “I was very satisfied with the help and care that I got at Orange City Hospital. It was truly great. Thank you.”

• “I like the service and the receptionists are also very friendly. The doctor and nurse are very professional.”

• “I am rarely put off by my experience at OCAHS. It's a wonderful place full of wonderful people.”

• “Such a great bunch to have when I need them! Always courteous and caring, tell me exactly what and how procedure goes. So glad we made the change to Orange City Health a number of years ago. Many thanks to all at OCAHS.”

• “Everyone was skilled at their job but also friendly and kind. No one made me feel like my questions were unimportant. And I could tell everyone tried to help me not be nervous.”

• “They always make you comfortable and feel like family! I always leave with a smile”

• “Since I switched to your facility, I have always been treated with the best of care, from the front desk, nurses, doctors and the outpatient services. I will continue to recommend to others!”

It takes our entire team to create a positive patient experience ... from the first face you encounter at registration to the front-line staff in each department to any phone encounters. We appreciate all our Dedicated Colleagues for their dedication to make each patient's experience exceptional!

And we thank all our patients and their families for trusting us for a lifetime of care.