Selecting Patient Escorts
Case Analysis
Case: Selecting Patient Escorts
Introduction
City Hospital is one of five major hospitals in the core of a large Midwestern City. The hospital has just recently added a small addition for the treatment of “well known” patients, such as Athletes, Music Stars, and top business executives relative to the area. Local and visiting celebrities always choose City Hospital when they are in the city and in need of medical assistance. The Hospital has a 1,200 patient bed capacity and currently employs 4,500 workers, 40 of which are patient escorts. Patient escorts serve a vitally important, and under recognized role in the hospital. They are responsible for moving patients from room to room or escorting patients that have been discharged out to the front door or to his or her car in the parking lot. The role of the patient escort requires very little physical talent and mental ability. The major requirement of this job is to be personable and friendly. The patients that are discharged are taken down to the front door or their car by the patient escort, which means that the very last face and impression the patient has of the hospital and their experience is the one the patient escort leaves them with. The addition of the small celebrity wing is extremely important that all patients leave feeling healthy and with a positive experience. Should for any reason the reputation of the hospital is damaged, the influx of celebrity and high profile traffic will begin to decrease, which will most likely result in horrible losses both financially and characteristically for the hospital. Recently, it has been stated that multiple patients have reported being treated poorly by the patient escorts over the last two years. Thus leaving a negative connotation of the hospital in the minds of the patients.
Problem Identification The problem at hand in City Hospital is in regards to the way that the patient escorts are treating the patients both during their stay and upon
Case: Selecting Patient Escorts
Introduction
City Hospital is one of five major hospitals in the core of a large Midwestern City. The hospital has just recently added a small addition for the treatment of “well known” patients, such as Athletes, Music Stars, and top business executives relative to the area. Local and visiting celebrities always choose City Hospital when they are in the city and in need of medical assistance. The Hospital has a 1,200 patient bed capacity and currently employs 4,500 workers, 40 of which are patient escorts. Patient escorts serve a vitally important, and under recognized role in the hospital. They are responsible for moving patients from room to room or escorting patients that have been discharged out to the front door or to his or her car in the parking lot. The role of the patient escort requires very little physical talent and mental ability. The major requirement of this job is to be personable and friendly. The patients that are discharged are taken down to the front door or their car by the patient escort, which means that the very last face and impression the patient has of the hospital and their experience is the one the patient escort leaves them with. The addition of the small celebrity wing is extremely important that all patients leave feeling healthy and with a positive experience. Should for any reason the reputation of the hospital is damaged, the influx of celebrity and high profile traffic will begin to decrease, which will most likely result in horrible losses both financially and characteristically for the hospital. Recently, it has been stated that multiple patients have reported being treated poorly by the patient escorts over the last two years. Thus leaving a negative connotation of the hospital in the minds of the patients.
Problem Identification The problem at hand in City Hospital is in regards to the way that the patient escorts are treating the patients both during their stay and upon