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When we encourage patients and their families to participate in their care, we stated something that would fundamentally and philosophically revolutionize how health care is delivered. Because Patient-and Family-Centered Care is a partnership based as much on trust and empathy as it is on advanced technology, medical science and the art of patient care. The happy results are what all of us in health care aspire to everyday. Better outcomes. Better medicine. Some might call that revolutionary. We prefer to call it better care.
At Georgia Regents Medical Center, patients and families are our priority and we take pride in the care we provide. Our values are based on four primary principles.
Respect and Dignity. Individuals including patients, families and health professionals demonstrate consideration for the viewpoints, backgrounds and knowledge of others working in non-hierarchical systems
Information Sharing. Health care providers communicate and share complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful .
Participation. Individuals and families build on their strengths through participation in experiences that enhance control and independence.
Collaboration. Collaboration among patients, families and providers occurs in policy and program development and professional education, as well as in the delivery of care.
To ensure we provide outstanding quality and service excellence, we offer a variety of services from within our department.
Many of our patient and families join our team by becoming members of our Patient Advisory Program. Through this program patients and their families are involved in the direct decision making that impacts our enterprise's ability to provide quality care. Our patient advisory program consists of over 100 active patient advisors. Advisors are attached to departments throughout the Children's Medical Center, that adult hospital and all ambulatory care centers.
First impressions are everything in today's world. Our job is to welcome you and your family to our hospitals and clinics, answer your questions and help you find your way around our campus. You'll find a member of our team at a desk near three of our hospital entrances: The South and West located in the Adult Medical Center and in the lobby of the Children's Medical Center.
We understand that in order to provide the very best care, we must treat more that physical symptoms. Our multi-faceted Healing Arts Program uses music and art to address the emotional needs of patients and families by creating a soothing, compassionate hospital environment, which reduces stress and facilitates quicker healing. This humanistic and holistic approach to healing is our way of letting our patients and families know that we care and that we are all in the journey together.
As the local population becomes more diverse we find ourselves interacting more and more with patients from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Culture and language are vital factors in how health care services are delivered and received.
Georgia Regents Medical Center recognizes and supports the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP), deaf and hard of hearing patients who may require assistance in communicating with hospital and clinic staff. CLAS is dedicated to help health care providers bridge the gap with LEP and hearing impaired patients through an accurate interpretation.
We value the uniqueness of all individuals recognizing their beliefs, culture, needs and strengths.
We have trained medical interpreters available 24/7. For languages other than Spanish, we have contracted CyraCom International as a transparent language service that specializes in medical interpretations in over 150 different languages. CLAS also coordinates access to licensed America Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for the hearing impaired.
Service Excellence
We spend a lot of time researching and finding out from patients what is important to them. We consistently conduct surveys to identify ways we can improve the quality of care. For more than 10 years, Georgia Regents Health System has partnered with Press Ganey to create a high-performance enterprise that is experientially, clinically, operationally and financially strong. This partnership has helped us improve our quality. increase market share and operate efficiently.
In addition. our Process Improvement Coordinators collaborate with various nursing units, clinics and departments within Georgia Regents Health System to identify, implement and track sustainable patient satisfaction improvements.
The welfare of our patients is our primary concern. Having a loved one in the hospital can disrupt family routines and family life. That's why it is vital that we help families cope with that can inevitably be a stressful time while visiting our hospital.
Through our family support services, we offer family resource libraries in our Adult Medical Center, Children's Medical Center and Comprehensive Cancer Center. These libraries were established on the premises that the family plays a central role during a major illness or disability. In working with the health care team, an informed family is a stronger partner in the care and planning for their loved one.
Topics covered in our libraries:
- Information about specific diseases
- Coping with hospitalization
- Living with chronic illness or disability
- Family Relations.
Resources Include:
- Videotapes (non-circulating)
- Books (non-circulating)
- Pamphlets (given to families)
- A file of organizations and support groups.
It is our mission to support the operations of the hospital through the recruitment of dedicated volunteers who are willing and able to assist the staff that serves and cares for the patients of one of the top health care facilities in the nation. Volunteers play a very important role in the mission of the organization, and through your volunteer experience, you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of many, whether directly or indirectly. Volunteers are given the chance to contribute in a variety of settings, including clinical, administrative, retail, and public areas, among possible others.
For more information about the Family Services Development Department, please call 706-721-6838