Using Twitter to Stay Informed - Putting Patients First
May 31st, 2012 2 Min readWhat did you do at work last week? Here at CompHealth, last week was our annual Employee Appreciation Week. It's a fun week filled with pancake breakfasts, manicures, mini massages, food, games and lots of thank yous! Why does CompHealth spend time and energy on what sounds like a big party? Because our core value is Putting People First. This concept, when used correctly and consistently, can be a successful corporate strategy for ensuring workplace engagement and productivity. Putting People First isn't just about fun and games either. Yes, our annual Employee Appreciation Week is a lot of fun! But fun is only a small part of an employee-centric environment. Beyond that, CompHealth puts a concerted, daily focus on ensuring their employees are engaged through continual learning opportunities, health & wellness programs, growth & development plans and a healthy work/life balance. In other words, it's personal.
With employee engagement top of mind, I came across the tweet below from Health Leaders Media (@HealthLeaders) and I was intrigued to read how the putting people first philosophy - that I've seen be so successful at CompHealth - is being applied in clinical settings.
"Putting patients first, hospital tries to make care more personal"
This tweet links to an article about a company called Planetree that is dedicated to making the hospital experience more human and personal; an experience designed to not just heal the ailment, but the whole body - soul and all. Planetree certifies healthcare facilities based on a high-level of patient-centric behavior, in other words, those facilities that put their patients first by going out of their way to offer services outside the normal hospital offerings and allow more access to family and friends. Some examples are fresh baked cookies, open visiting hours, aromatherapy, organic food cooked to order and private rooms. To some, this might sound over-the-top, unnecessary and even distracting. But for the patients who receive this level of care and personal attention, they have better outcomes and heal faster.
Some are skeptical that making the individual the focus in a hospital setting, as well as in a corporate setting, really delivers the type of performance and outcomes that would outweigh the cost. However, I've seen the results of a putting people first environment first hand and am excited that hospitals and healthcare facilities are seeing similar positive results by making it personal.
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Happy tweeting! @comphealth