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Question: As we continue to grow, how are we still going to maintain that small-town family feel?
Answer: As most of you probably know, we are growing. We have added multiple clinics over the past few years and we will add 24 more hospital beds within next 10 months. I think as we continue to grow, it comes down to two main things to maintain that small-town, family feel. Those two main things are being intentional in making, building and maintaining relationships between our team members, and communicating, communicate some more and then some more. Information is power and we must work to make sure our team knows where we are headed and feels part of the journey.
I have to admit to you folks that I have not struggled at any time in coming up with something to write about for my blog. Actually, there have been several times that I had multiple topics come to mind. However, for this blog, nothing was really coming to mind over the past two weeks. So…I decided to step back and see what may just come to me and there it was.
At the end of this past week, I finally got to do some rounding in the hospital and I found myself in the pre-op/PACU area on our 2nd floor in the surgical area. As I started to talk with the nursing staff, one of the nurses asked what I had going on this weekend. I mentioned that my wife and oldest daughter were going to be out of town at the San Antonio stock show as our daughter would be showing her horse and that meant I had to do to the dreaded grocery shopping. Nothing against grocery stores, I just do not like going.
And there it was, the power of talking to folks. One of the nurses said I should do the curbside pick-up and as I said that the produce would not be as good or they would not get my order correct, another nurse would jump in and say what a great experience she had with curbside pick-up, or another nurse would say a similar thing and another and another. Each time I came up with a “what if this or what if that,” someone would convince me all would be good.
So I decided to give it a try. I downloaded the app and low and behold, the grocery store was not all that bad and I got my order. The dreaded grocery store turned out not so dreadful. Also, the person who delivered my groceries to my car was very pleasant, had a smile on her face and a gave a warm, “Hello, how are you doing?”.
Just as patients come to our clinics and hospitals, they may dread what is about to happen – maybe a shot, news of a troubling diagnosis or just not wanting to be there.
However, I have witnessed over and over each of you making experiences our patients dread not so dreadful and even pleasant. It took a bunch of nurses to convince me to give something I was dreading - grocery shopping - another try and even branch out to experience curbside delivery.
Just like the dreaded grocery store, coming to one of our clinics or hospitals can be something patients dread. But the little things like a pleasant greeting or another small act of kindness can turn their whole perception around. I want to thank each of you for doing these little things each day. They add up to make a big difference!
Talk soon,
Jason