I met with leadership in a large hospital and we talked
about the work I am doing with vulnerable populations who use the healthcare
system, many his hospital. When I told
him that there are stories of medical professionals being less than sympathetic
and kind to people with disabilities, transgender patients or young, unwed
mothers he seemed surprised. “Not all
the stories are from your hospital”, I explained to him not wanting him to
become defensive. But I knew some of
them were.
He told me that all of his staff are sensitive and caring to
the patients that go to this hospital.
“All of them?” I questioned with my best startled voice
without wanting to sound sarcastic. He
paused and said that maybe some physicians were tired after many surgeries but
they were all caring. (I wasn’t even talking about physicians).
I then asked him if he visits patients at the bedside and he
said he does. This conversation wasn’t
going to work. It would become a back
and forth with him defending his facility and the staff who works for him. This is, to me, one of the biggest problems
in healthcare. Where medical errors can
happen, where there can easily be a breakdown in communication, how
readmissions can occur and patients and their families may not be satisfied but
not sharing this information because it falls on deaf ears.
If it were my hospital I would be begging for details. Tell me what you heard, I would be asking, or
where can we improve? I would want to know.
Instead our short conversation was about how wonderful this hospital
was. It felt similar to a parent defending
their child that everyone else knows is a bully. I was not saying that this hospital wasn’t
wonderful in many ways. I started out
our visit complimenting what I saw and things I have heard. I understand that he wanted me to know how
well they are doing in many areas. But,
I also know that I would have become a bigger fan the next time I got a
complaint or call about someone’s safety if I knew that the leadership was ready
to listen.
1 comment:
Wow oh yes yes yes! I have this from the largest group here. Everything they do is right - although they send lawyer after lawyer to you if you disagree. There are only farther away 4 hospitals, and one is a stand alone where there is a number of care items they are unable to provide (not being a near monopoly).
It is no wonder there is such a backlash against hospitals and doctors, because the internet and every now and then the media (if they are getting ad $$$ from a place, you can bet they're not going to tell bad news) will print what is going on.
All the errors, basically killing a 747 or larger planeload of people a day and this is ok?
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