Children’s Convalescent Unit Plans New Facility
San Diego hospital representatives said a recent survey that provided feedback on their health care services was informative.
Local representatives vowed to use the survey , which ranked five local hospitals as “average” and one “below average” , as a barometer for change as intended by the survey’s sponsors.
“The whole goal of the project was to help hospitals improve care,” said Marsha Nelson, vice president for the California Institute for Health Systems Performance who sponsored the study together with the California HealthCare Foundation.
The two groups questioned 21,151 patients in 133 California hospitals on their perceptions
In San Diego, a total of 1,167 patients who had stayed at least one night in six local hospitals commented on seven categories, including emotional support, education, and preferences.
The participating hospitals rated as average were Adventist Health/Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in La Mesa, Sharp Coronado Hospital and Health Care Center, Sharp Grossmont Medical Center and Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside.
The exception was Kaiser Foundation Hospital, which ranked below average.
Kaiser patients were dissatisfied with the hospital’s coordination of care, information and education, emotional support and involvement of family and friends.
San Diego Kaiser spokeswoman Sylvia Wallace had the following comments on the survey, “We voluntarily participated in the survey (because) we wanted to know if we were missing anything.”
Kaiser hopes programs, such as hands-on training and mentoring and classroom sessions, will help their health professionals to provide better patient care in the future.
But Wallace also wanted to remind readers that the perceptions of a few doesn’t necessarily reflect those of the majority.
Sharp HealthCare’s spokeswoman Eileen Cornish, said the hospital system always strives to get patient feedback and even conducts its own internal survey.
Cornish saw the average rating this way:
“It wasn’t a red flag that said we are doing something wrong. It was just information to make the experience better for all our patients.”
Although none of the local participating hospitals managed to reap an “above average” score, Nelson’s outlook remained positive. “In San Diego, hospitals have areas for improvement but they are in a good position to make those changes,” she said.
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Children’s Children Move Up:
Pamela Dixon, administrator of Children’s Hospital and Health Center’s Convalescent Hospital could hardly contain her joy about a planned move into new and improved digs.
The planned 59-bed replacement hospital for physically-and- mentally disabled children that need long-term, 24-hour care, offers a soothing environment with cutting-edge technology.
The children’s bedrooms will look like children’s rooms, not like sterile hospital beds.
“(Today) we have three showers for 59 kids the new hospital will have one shower for every four children.”
On the technology side, she said, “We will have all the medical technology to support the children (such as) oxygen and machines (coming) out of the walls.”
That means no more wheeling around of bulky oxygen tanks and heavy equipment.
Also on the list of improvements are community courtyards, private areas where children can be alone with their families, patios, and wider corridors for easier wheelchair access.
Most children remain at the hospital for many years. Others die of complications before they reach early adulthood.
The hospital becomes their permanent home. Health professionals share a special bond with these children and their families, she said.
“These children are like infants they are extremely dependent on everyone to do all their activities for them,” she said. “They are not able to walk or talk; we feed them and get them dressed.”
Dixon is thankful to the private donors who put up the $28 million to fund the project.
Hospital construction is scheduled to begin in June or July of 2002 and should be completed by the beginning of 2004.
Please send health care news to mwebb@sdbj.com
