Here, There & Everywhere

“The influence of consumerism on healthcare increasingly shapes how patients and families select facilities and care providers,” says Allen Wright, SVP of Strategic Sourcing for HealthTrust’s Commercial Portfolio. With the power of search engines at their fingertips, prospective patients can research and then quickly compare and contrast hospitals and providers, in the same way they make decisions on other important purchases.

These days, countless factors go into why a consumer might choose a facility—from the way the interior is decorated to a hospital’s safety scores. That’s why the HealthTrust Commercial portfolio offers a number of solutions that contribute to a positive experience for patients and families alike.

Areas of measurement

Prospective patients look at several measures to evaluate hospitals, including:

Safety. LeapFrog scores provide a letter grade—“A” through “F”—that represents a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. Every six months, analysts update the letter grades, comparing hospitals on the same national safety measures. This offers an at-a-glance way for consumers to choose the safest hospital for their needs.

Patient perceptions of care quality & experience. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey reveals patient perspectives on various aspects of the care they received while being in the hospital. This, combined with hospital-reported and other public data is shared by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services four times a year through its Compare Tool on Medicare.gov, enabling patients to easily evaluate and compare nearly 4,000 U.S. hospitals based on their HCAHPS scores.

Word of mouth. Many people rely on input from friends and family about their experiences with a particular healthcare facility or provider, while 86% of consumers read online patient reviews before making a selection, according to a recent webinar offered by Becker’s Hospital Review.

“When it comes to a hospital stay,” says Wright, “there are a number of touchpoints that extend well beyond the patient. Family members are also impacted by their loved one’s experience with a facility and its staff.”

First impressions matter

A good first impression when driving up to and entering a facility can help put patients’ and loved ones’ minds a little more at ease. Consider their experience:

• Viewing beautifully landscaped and well-maintained grounds. Check out HealthTrust’s contracted partner Brightview Landscapes (Contract #6702) for grounds management, landscaping design and maintenance, snow/ice removal and tree care
• Leaving a car with a contracted valet so they can immediately accompany their loved one to the hospital registration area, where they are welcomed by an individual with a reassuring smile from one of HealthTrust’s valet parking, shuttle and greeter services suppliers: Metropolis Operating Company (Contract #6565) or Towne Park (Contract #5229)
• Riding an elevator or escalator to/from their destination that is expertly maintained by Kone (Contract #6008), Otis Elevator Co. (Contract #4229), Schindler Elevator Corp. (Contract #7257) or TK Elevator (Contract #5947)
• Enjoying a clean environment, when indoor and outdoor areas are kept free of waste. And, more than appearance, the proper disposal of specific types of waste streams is imperative for patient and employee safety. On the contracts page of the Member Portal, type “waste” in the search box to view nearly 20 contracts with supplier partners that handle all types of waste—from nonhazardous and regulated medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous waste to integrated waste stream services
• When there is no old or outdated medical equipment cluttering public spaces or treatment floors. Whether you need help with one piece of equipment or 100, CME Corp’s (Contract #62921) turnkey, “white glove service” can assist with removing the old and receiving, storing, inspecting and coordinating the delivery and installation of new healthcare equipment

With healing in mind

According to 30 years of research from the Center for Health Design, the design of a physical environment can contribute to improving outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Design strategies that consider outcomes are referred to as evidence-based design (EBD). The Center has found that effective implementation of EBD can improve metrics such as lengths of stay, the need for pain medications and patients’ satisfaction with the services they receive. And there’s a positive impact on staff as well.

Unless they are involved in new construction projects, most providers don’t have the luxury of completely redesigning existing spaces. However, some deliberate choices around artwork and the colors of walls and furnishings can help humanize a hospital. That, combined with appropriate lighting, good air quality and comfortable temperatures can also bring some calm to an otherwise stressful environment.

Here are some suggestions for creating an aesthetic healing environment that helps to put patient and family more at ease as they navigate your facility:

• Wall coverings and paints in tones such as those found in the Connected Calm palette from Sherwin Williams (Contract #5893), were created to evoke a feeling of familiarity and relaxation. And, for those with sustainability top of mind, Sherwin William’s professional line of durable paints offers many low- or zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) options to help meet a healthcare system’s LEED and other green building project considerations.
• Nature can help generate positive emotions and a sense
• of calm, so why not bring more of the outdoors inside with:
• Plants, landscaping and living walls from Ambius, Inc. (Contract #26597)
• Nature-based artwork or a sculpture from Health Environment Art Services (Contract #3928)

Creature comforts

While it’s certainly not “home,” there are ways to attain a few of the comforts of home by offering:

• Rooms that are clean and well-maintained. Our contracted suppliers have extensive offerings in both the Environmental Services (EVS) and Housekeeping spaces, including cleaning products, outsourced services and product rentals. Type either of these words into the search bar on the contracts page of the Member Portal to view a complete list.
• Comfortable pillows from Care Line Industries (Contract #59903)
• Satellite TV service [Adcomm TV (Contract #7305)] on in-room televisions [Avidex Industries (Contract #500045), Grainger (Contract #4077), MDM Commercial Enterprises (Contract #67542), Remar Technologies Group (Contract #3248)] so patients and families can tune in to their favorite shows or stay up to date on the latest news
• Well-maintained laundry, linens, blankets and towels from a number of suppliers—search “linens” on the contracts page of the Member Portal to view a complete list
• Adjustable in-room lighting. Select from these contracted suppliers for LED and other types of lighting: Facility Solutions Group (Contract #37300), ProStar Energy Solutions (Contract #69491), SiteLogic (Contract #37301)
• Quality paper towels and tissue products from Georgia Pacific (Contract #192)
• Translation and language services to ensure patients feel they are heard and so everyone involved understands medications and the care plan while in the hospital as well as upon discharge. Check out providers who can deliver savings, as well as help you comply with the Americans with Disabilities and Rehabilitation Acts: Braille Works (Contract #57056), Cyracom International (Contract #2905), Language Services Assoc. (Contract #2926), Verbatim Languages (Contract #74095)
• Comfortable in-room sofas and recliners that transform into beds for overnight stays, as well as other in-room furniture options that meet both appearance and functionality needs for visiting family members. Go to the “Category” header on the contracts page of the Member Portal, type “furniture” and select the first three options in the drop-down box to view a list of nearly 40 contracted options.

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For more information on the Commercial portfolio, reach out to your HealthTrust Account Manager or email the team at commercial@healthtrustpg.com

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