Embracing Words of Affirmation
Every day, HSS receives hundreds of letters from patients we have provided care for, families we have comforted and friends we have inspired with our world-class treatment. I wish I could share every letter with you, as each one is a true testament to HSS and all family members who work tirelessly to provide exceptional patient care, but there is not enough time in the day to do so! However, a letter that I recently received speaks for itself. It is a reflection on how each of you upholds our Leadership By All philosophy and speaks to the commitment, dedication and hard work we all bring to HSS.
I am writing this letter to let all at HSS know about the outstanding, wonderful, professional, 5-star, excellent care I received while at HSS. From start to finish, I researched where I would receive the best care possible. I talked to many people at my P.T., fellow workers, nurses, anyone who had undergone my procedure, online, family and friends. Most all responded: HSS. With the help of family and friends, we looked at what doctor I needed for my procedure. Choosing an HSS doctor to perform my hip surgery was the best decision I have ever made.
I can’t find the words to describe how elated I am. My doctor, his staff and all HSS staff that I crossed paths with can only be described as caring, extremely knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. All of which made my recovery quick and easy. I talked to people who had the same procedure – they commented about a lot of pain and the amount of time it took to get to where I am now. I can’t believe how great I feel and am doing just two weeks after surgery. I am recovering much better and faster than they did (they didn’t go to HSS).
When I came home from HSS, family and friends asked how I felt. I answered with, “HSS is a 5-star resort hospital. All the staff, the accommodations, the food, the attention to details and cleanliness were all perfect. They responded: “But how do you feel?” My response: “I feel great and I feel happy!”
I hope that this letter expresses my heartfelt feelings, even though I don’t have the words that can accurately convey my joy and gratitude to HSS. One of the best choices I have made in life, other than marrying the love of my life (my wife, Marie), was choosing HSS for my surgery.
Many of us have had the honor of receiving kind words from patients and their loved ones. While I receive many heartfelt letters, there are countless interactions you have with our patients that I don’t have the opportunity to hear or see.
Have you received meaningful words that have impacted your career here at HSS? Whether it’s from a patient, their loved one(s), colleagues or friends, I’d like to hear them! Please feel free to share these words with me and all HSS family members in the comment section below!
Please do not include identifiable patient information in Comments.
26 Responses to “Embracing Words of Affirmation”
Almost daily, my team and I receive many heartfelt and genuine comments regarding their Patient experience. One comment that we received last week was: “The people in this department are exceptional. Professional, efficient, considerate constantly working and making sure everyone’s needs are met” when we receive these types of comments it’s a good reminder that our role and how we perform our job, matters to others.. The positive effect that HSS as a whole provides daily is very refreshing to the patients and their family members especially during these turbulent times that we are living in.
Thank you for this post, during my daily patient rounds I consistently receive feedback from patients who reference the friendliness of staff from the minute the pull into the driveway. They always say this must be a great place to work because everyone seems happy.
When I tell people I work at HSS, I consistently get permutations of the same reaction which is something like “There’s no other place you [a patient] should go; they are the best.” Followed by “My [close family member, best friend] had a [problem, then procedure] and they were up and running in no time.” Followed by “Wait, you’re a Nurse?” (nope, IT) 🙂
Every time I help a patient resolve an issue with their insurance, reconcile their hospital bill, or complete my Leadership Rounds, I’m given profound feedback that reinforces the importance of my role here at HSS, even though I’m not directly involved in patient care. It’s a powerful reminder that the HSS patient experience extends beyond their surgery or appointments.
The most recent meaningful words I’ve received came in the form of a mother, whose daughter had been coming to HSS for many years for her care, but had experienced her own serious accident, and needed assistance navigating insurance issues.
She simply said, “HSS Is the best at everything, it doesn’t matter what it is, you’re just the best.”
Another powerful reminder that we’re all in this together if we’re going to be the BEST.
Happy New Year, Lou and HSS!
Last week, a patient called and asked to speak with me directly. She wanted to compliment the entire staff (Registration, Radiology & Nursing). She stated that from the moment she got off the elevator, she was received with a friendly greeting, followed by exceptional care. It was her first time coming to HSS Westchester and her overall experience and interactions with the staff were great. It was such a pleasure speaking with her and to hear about the wonderful experience she had.
What a great idea. It’s a testament to the entire HSS team that our culture stays intact across the enterprise and has a meaningful impact to our patients and families.
Here are a few comments we have received from our Internal Satisfaction Survey given on the patient’s day of surgery:
1. HSS is the only hospital we use for any orthopedic surgery. All I can say is wonderful, We have often recommend our friends to come here. Thank you for the dedication to your profession.
2. Everyone has gone above and beyond to make our daughter’s surgery a very positive experience. Thank you all…
3. Staff was friendly, informative and always walking around asking if you needed anything during the entire day. No one sits. Staff is actively meeting the needs of patients and their families. So refreshing to see.
One of the best parts of working at HSS is having the opportunity to see the impact this enterprise has not only our patients, but on their closest family and friends as well! We often hear feedback about how our proactive approach to communication has changed what the day of surgery looks and feels like for visitors – here is some recent feedback from some of our visitors:
As always your staff is top notch. We’ve been here before. You do not disappoint!
Great experience thank you all very attentive caring and polite everyone made me worry less THANK YOU.
I am very impressed with the efficiency and communication while we have been here today.
This place is the gold standard!
A huge thanks to everyone for creating and maintaining a culture in which our goal is to provide the best experience – always!
Reading this kind of feedback is always a nice reminder as to why we do what we do and why we go above and beyond for our patients and visitors every day. I read our Internal Satisfaction Survey responses on a daily basis and while each response is unique, the responses all tell a similar story: HSS provides excellent care to all. Here are some comments from patients and visitors that we have received in the past few weeks that emphasize the culture of HSS:
“From start to finish the staff was excellent. They saw to my needs as a patient, especially mindful that impending surgery can be stressful.”
“I have nothing but praise for the overall experience from the moment we walked through the door. I would hugely recommend HSS. Overall very positive experience.”
“The entire staff makes your feel welcome and helps to relieve any anxiety. They are professional and always have a smile on their face.”
While I was in Antarctica last year, I met a traveler who had knee replacement surgery at HSS. She spoke enthusiastically about her overall experience at HSS and specifically mentioned the superb care she received from her physician and the HSS staff. As I listened to her recount her positive HSS experience, I felt immense pride knowing that I work at an organization that, on a daily basis, has a transformative and constructively life-changing impact on the lives of the patients that we treat.
I similarly hear such comments. “HSS” is like no other place. It is truly exceptional. I feel my wife is getting the best care possible”. Also, from another person: “thank you for referring me here…my care has been phenomenal…I have never seen such integrated professional care and caring during a surgery and hospital stay’
The Regional Outpatient Centers use a real-time patient satisfaction tool called Q-reviews. It gives the patients an opportunity to share their impressions with us. Here is an example of feedback that we received for care provided last Friday.
” Everyone was compassionate and caring. They were empathetic to my back pain and made every accommodation to make me as comfortable as possible. It was fantastic that I could get all of my needs met in one location (x-ray, MD visit and MRI) as I have very limited mobility. I feel I received excellent care with very professional staff.”
We share the feedback with our physicians and staff. It really is very rewarding to have such positive feedback just about every day and often, staff are mentioned by name.
I receive heartfelt gratitude from our patients in HSS but there was this time where I received an amazing feedback about our hospital that made me proud of all of us as a team. I was in Lake Como, Italy last summer waiting for a boat , I met two American tourists with their mother on a wheelchair. We started chatting about healthcare and the quality of care we receive in the US vs. Europe and Canada. Both tourists (sisters) started to tell me about HSS and how they had the best quality of care and that their mother is having a surgery as well soon. I proudly told them that I work in HSS and I was very happy to hear that they had an outstanding experience.
The care this family received was a collaboration of everyone’s dedication and hard work that left such a great impression on them.
Not only does HSS provide excellent clinical care, HSS is also a committed educator in orthopedics and musculoskeletal health. Below is a quote from one of our international academic visitors who had the opportunity to observe HSS surgeons in the OR and clinical areas. This demonstrates the impact of HSS’ orthopedic excellence on our global academic visitors by our surgeons and clinical teams sharing expert knowledge and innovation to enhance orthopedic surgeon leadership and education, fostering a stronger global musculoskeletal ecosystem.
“Through the knowledge and experience gained through this project I can now systematically approach more complex cases. I am more confident and can also guide and pass my advice on young residents. During my stay in HSS the attending shared their experiences, knowledge and way of thinking and now I can approach problems like they would have. I had also the opportunity to see how research was done and can now follow similar paths and organize similar projects in my clinic. Senior consultants seek more often my advice and ask for my help on difficult cases. I also feel more confident because I know in case of a difficult case I can reach to attending in HSS and ask for their opinion I would also say that through this project I was able to develop more my leadership skills, as I saw how attending inspire their co-workers and how they can make the best of them. I have recommended this program to residents and junior consultants in the clinic that I am working. During the last 6 months I have operated and assisted on many primary arthroplasty cases (shoulder, hip and knee) and arthroscopies as well. Lastly I feel more confident now with the patients and can treat more demanding cases than before.”
Thank you for sharing this feedback. Our patients are very grateful and they are usually not shy to share their feedback with us. Being part of HSS I feel very fortunate to receive compliments about HSS staff from our patients and visitors either in person or via surveys daily and so happy to get a chance to share these compliments with all of you:
“The staff was very attentive to everybody”.
“Excellent staff answer all our questions when we were here at 5:00am!”
“Greetings from the staff and helpfulness is excellent”.
“The staff are very polite and happy to help when a question is asked”.
“A+ from top to bottom. Everyone is so nice and kind.”
A family friend recently had a surgery here at HSS. She spent this past weekend sharing how seamless the whole process was and telling me how impressed she was with her care. She herself is a nurse and she stated in all her years of experience she had never come across such an amazing hospital. Great work everyone!
A few weeks ago a PRM informed me that an international patient who I had interpret for and helped some months ago , send very kind words and warm regards for me. This was very touching and it made me extremely happy to know that not only was the patient and family happy with the services that were provided , but that I left a positive impression on their life, their experience while at HSS and that they remembered me personally.
Although companies strive to develop a “sweet spot” in their strategic roadmap, journey-based transformations are not easy, and could even take years to perfect. But I am fortunate to experience these successful journeys when I interact with a patient. Generating excitement and creating new operations frontier continues to build a culture that has a true competitive advantage. It’s euphoric to be a member of this organization that not only provides the solution for our customers but creates an environment that is truly a home away from home!
Thank you all!
2 in 1:
I was at a pretty serious signal one last year that lasted over an hour.. We saved the patients life. At some point the same day, that patients family member (who witnessed the event) stopped me in the hallway sobbing uncontrollably. She said she seen me run across the hall to grab the medication trays and appreciated my pharmacy expertise throughout the code. She said she’s glad they come to HSS. I will never forget her kind words.
That same evening I was called to the front lobby of the main hospital. A gentlemen was waiting by the main entrance. He greeted me and said “ Hi, not sure if you remember me , I was a patient here a few months ago and you reviewed my medications . Nobody has ever been so thorough. I am a spine surgeon myself at a different institution and lately with all of my other complications (non ortho) I was put on a new list of medications. I have the list with me right here”
So I sat there in the main lobby and helped review his medications. He praised HSS over and over again.
I’m proud to be part of this institution. Proud to be a pharmacist here.
I have to agree with all of these comments…HSS is amazing to their patients…
My daughter had surgery at HSS last week and I had the pleasure to experience first hand what all the patients rave about HSS. I can honestly say, my daughter did not want to leave the hospital after her overnight stay because she was treated so well by every single member of the staff. From the Patient Access team at check-in, who was so friendly to the staff in the holding area on the 4th floor to the Anesthesiologist, who was so patient with her, and the OR staff, her surgeon, of course, the nursing staff and everyone that came to see her and help her post-op in Peds…what a wonderful group of people. I was so amazed that every single person we came into contact with during her time here, (and there were quite a few people) was not only friendly and helpful, but intelligent and informative. My daughter knew exactly what was going to happen next. They talked to HER and made HER feel like she was the most important person in the room and they were all their for HER. Most hospitals and doctors talk to the parents when you bring a child, not the child…it was very refreshing to see the staff speak to my child as well as myself. Thank you all.
In some cases, I believe actions speak as words of affirmation. For example, the two new Osteoarthritis videos in the Public and Patient Education playlist on YouTube have been viewed nearly 10K times in less than 2 months. It’s encouraging to know that people seek out, trust, and view educational content from HSS to help them through their life journey. I’m grateful to work somewhere that professionals are empowered to work together to script, film, produce, edit, and market content that is viewed by so many people and helps people live their best lives.
Heading home after a long day, a person noticed my ID and said ” I am heading there tomorrow, what can I expect?’ I immediately said “the best of the best”. Now, those that know me know I usually pause, crack a joke or two, before answering anything . The person was surprised at my “knee jerk”response saying “how comforting, thank you”. I wished her well and went on about what I was doing. I suddenly reflected that by putting this potential patient at ease, I felt really good about my place at HSS. Even the simple interactions reaffirm my faith in HSS as an employee.
What a great way for us to have started our weeks off! It’s been nice to see all the wonderful kind words that people have received. All too often we get into a routine and forget about those special moments that remind us why we do what we do. I recently received a card that stated: Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done for “A” over the past year. You’re truly an amazing persona and incredible speech therapist. I know you truly care about your patient and you always go above and beyond. You care is a rare commodity this day and age.”
I am lucky to have chosen the career to help people express themselves. It’s as rewarding for me as it is for them!!! Thankful to HSS peds rehab to foster an environment that allows us make effective change everyday. GO SPEECH!!!!!!
In one of our survey questions: How can we improve upon your experience? The patient’s response says it all:
I don’t think you can, I rave about the hospital to everyone I speak to who asked me about my surgery. Everyone associated with that hospital is so kind and knowledgeable and on top of their game It absolutely amazes me. I was going to have my surgery on Staten island and decided to check out HSS I’m so glad I did.
From the parents of a child receiving services in Outpatient Peds Rehab 9th floor E
“I, my wife, and our entire family feels that we are receiving the most advanced form of therapy by some of the most advanced pediatric practioners in one of the most advanced settings available to humankind. In fact, not only do we find the care to be extraordinary, but also its delivery: warm and wholehearted. We are thrilled beyond any words to be in a facility that accommodates us in every single way, while not compromising on the highest quality of care available anywhere.”
Many positive comments are received from highly satisfied patients and their visitors about their experience at HSS. One patient’s actions and words stand out for me:
A patient had arrived on 75th Street, obviously in great pain and she commented that she is so upset as her pain was prohibiting her from holding her very young baby and family and friends were helping her with him, however, her sadness as a new mom was very painful as well as her physical pain. Patients typically sit to wait for their procedure, however, with a very simple call to pre-op, a bed was ready as soon as this patient was registered. She was able to lie down sooner than later and I continued with other tasks at hand.
Many months later (about 10) I returned from a meeting and a colleague gave me a hand written note from this patient. She was just passing through the neighborhood and wanted to thank me in person for the care and empathy shown to her that day. So much time had passed that I had to really think who the note was from. She stated that she felt so cared for by me and often thinks of that visit and how she felt being listened to. We all do everything we do at HSS for patients and their visitors and sometimes the smallest gesture of compassion leaves a lasting impression. Months later, she stopped in again just to say hello and to make sure that I did get the note she had left. Again, she expressed her gratitude and commented that her now robust toddler was keeping her very busy and she was loving every minute with him.
When I think about this patient. I hope she and he son are having all the hugs and snuggles to make up for the time that she could not due to her pain level.
A recent comment from a visitor to me was, “Throughout today, I have noticed how genuinely happy you are doing your job. This must be a great place to work.” This visitor was definitely right and it is clear to both patients and visitors how proud and happy I am to be a part of the HSS family. My role at HSS is always reinforced by the positive feedback received by patients and visitors everyday. We are always making a difference even at moments when we may not realize it.