Employees give back to improve patient care

Whether providing bedside care, registering a patient for services or helping a patient schedule an appointment, Swedish Covenant Hospital employees are key to enhancing the patient experience. The Patient Care Fund was created to harness the ideas of employees to enhance patient care. However, employees gave more than just ideas to this project. Through an employee fundraising campaign, employees contributed nearly $70,000 to put these ideas into action.Funds raised through the employee campaign will help to expand a new concierge program to provide personalized services to patients and their families, reach more patients through the healing arts program; provide live music throughout the hospital; and provide comfort packages for patients.Piloted in Spring 2016, the concierge program offers items from teas to toiletries to help make patients more comfortable during their hospital stay. According to Anne Murphy, Patient Experience Manager, it is an extra way to show patients that as a hospital, we care about their health and well-being. A concierge visits newly admitted patients daily to welcome them to Swedish Covenant Hospital and provides a menu of items and services, the most popular of which are lip balm, lotion and eye masks.“The concierge program is a way to ‘make the ordinary extraordinary’ by surpassing patient expectations and communicating that a patient choosing Swedish Covenant Hospital for their care is deserving of our gratitude,” Anne said.According to Anne, patients have been incredibly appreciative of these small tokens of comfort. She recalls being able to provide a coloring book and crayons to a child who was visiting a hospitalized parent and providing mints to a patient who was agitated because of heartburn.Employees were challenged by a generous matching grant from the Swedish Covenant Hospital Medical Staff. The Medical Staff agreed to match every dollar donated, up to $50,000. More than 60 employees generously contributed to support the patients they serve every day. Our employees responded to the campaign for many reasons. We asked what inspired them to contribute to the campaign; their answers are below.

“Helping and giving to others is the foundation of nursing.”– Eva Peroulas, RN, MSN

“Giving is the foundation of the healthcare.”- Jasmina Stekovic

“Swedish Covenant Hospital is a jewel. This place is the best. You have to support what you believe in.”- Robyn Jackson

 “I am inspired to give because of the caring and inspiring people I have the pleasure to work with.”- Christina Simms

“I am inspired to give because the community and my family need Swedish Covenant Hospital to be the best it can be.”- Francie Habash

Thank you to all of the employees who contributed to the campaign.

The 2016 Annual Benefit Gala will also benefit the Patient Care Fund. To learn more about the gala, click here.