Richard P. de Filippi, AHA Chairman

March 9, 2010

Transforming Relations

 
"There are two jobs at Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare, Utica, N.Y. - taking care of patients directly, or taking care of people who take care of patients directly," Perra says. Traditionally, relationship-based care has been a mantra for nursing departments looking to strengthen ties between caregivers, patients and their families. But at Faxton-St. Luke's, the concept has been used to transform everything from food service to finance. Faxton-St. Luke's began using relationship-based care principles in 2004, when Faxton Hospital and St. Luke's Memorial Hospital merged. At first, the concept was used in nursing - where patients are treated by a primary nurse responsible for their stay - but CEO Scott Perra and others thought it had promise to bring the new organization together. Today, Faxton-St. Luke's uses relationship-based care principles to manage interactions between staff, while chefs and engineers drop by patients' rooms to check on food preferences or the temperature. For this and other stories of successful improvement stories, visit the Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence Web site at www.hpoe.org.