Safety -Satisfaction -Delight- the Kauvery Approach to Quality Healthcare!!
At the outset, I would like to wish our patients and well-wishers a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018! 2018 promises to be a great year for Healthcare, and Kauvery Hospital which is at the forefront of Healthcare Research is poised to provide more effective and modern treatments in the coming year.
Now, what does this picture indicate to you? Anything significant related to Quality and patient expectation?
Now think of these words – minimal waiting time, courtesy, state-of-the-art equipment, excellent clinical care, spacious rooms, bright OPDs, smooth process flow and coordination, proper dispensing of medications, hot and healthy food, hygienic environment, post-operative care, clarity in instructions, post-discharge consultation with empathy and genuine concern in place.
The above terms truly reflect the common expectations from a hospital.
Both clinical and non-clinical staff must deliver quality healthcare. This requires regular and continuous training to educate staff on how to care for patients. Nowadays, it’s not only the patient but also the patient attender whose needs should be addressed.
The hospital sector still goes by word-of-mouth Marketing. No matter what branding and marketing initiatives are undertaken by a Hospital, a satisfied and happy customer (patient) will vouch for our treatment more than anything else.
So in what way does Quality apply in hospitals? Is Quality the same as getting an accreditation? How is Quality enforced and perceived in the Hospital or Healthcare environment?
At Kauvery Hospital, our Quality journey has progressed through patient care, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and now we are moving towards patient delight.
It is the goal of our hospital to deliver service not only in a timely and effective manner but to improve ourselves with continuous monitoring of patient feedbacks. Systematic efforts are taken to review patient complaints, feedbacks and ensure corrective action is taken to continually improve our services.
Many a times, Quality is confused with the term Accreditation, whereby a hospital works for certification and then forgets about it. That is a short-term and short-sighted approach.
What works in the long term is the building and sustenance of a Quality culture in the organization. It is not about one person or a few key members working on patient safety and satisfaction. It is each and every employee’s duty to understand the work they are doing and the importance behind it.
Kauvery Hospital proves that Quality is a top-down approach and with the support of the management, Quality month was celebrated as part of World Quality Month which is celebrated all over the world in the month of November.
The theme this year was Quality from the patients’ point of view!
This event was first of its kind in our hospital, and its objective was to drive the value of Quality through each and every employee.
The whole month saw various activities and competitions, based on the theme and was received with enthusiastic participation from staff across all departments.
The event came to a conclusion with a grand closing ceremony on 2nd-Dec-2017. Dr.Manoj, eminent Cardiologist, and Dr. B. Krishnamurthy, Anesthesiologist and Healthcare Quality Expert, graced the occasion as chief guests. The Chief- Guests launched the NABH Staff Education Booklet and the Drug Formulary. The winners across various categories were awarded prizes, while certificates were given to all participants.
To make difficult concepts simple and ensure its implementation at all levels was the objective of this event.
Kauvery Hospital is taking significant steps towards delivering Quality service and focusing on Patient Delight! Our work ethic and approach towards patients can be best summarized in the words of M.K.Gandhi, who said:
As Gandhi said, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider of our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.”
Dr. Renuka Vidyashankar, BDS, MBA, PG QM & AHO
Senior Executive – Quality, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai
Picture Gallery of Events in December 2017
Christmas celebrations at Kauvery Hospital
Medical Clowning, part of Kauvery Hospital’s holistic healing approach
Kauvery Hospital was decorated on the eve of Christmas, to share joy and happiness with the Patients. The corridors filled with the spirit of Christmas and later with Laugher when the medical clowns from “Little Theater” were brought in. The strangers gave exactly what the patients wanted; a much needed break from the tough times they were going through. Everyone, from kids to senior citizens, had a wonderful time with their tricks and pranks. Medical Clowning has been a part of Kauvery Hospital as we believe that it helps in all-round, holistic healing.
IMA awards bagged by Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet @ Sangamam TIMACON 2017 – Nagercoil
- Dr. R.M. Krishnan Award for Best Branch Journal
- Dr E. Sivakumar Vellore Award for an individual branch for enrolling more life members from Group VI and Group VII
- State President Appreciation Award for CME Activitie
- State President Appreciation Award for Branch President
- State Secretary Appreciation Award for Branch Secretary
