At the recent NHCS Service Quality (SQ) Awards...how simple gestures and words of kindness could help to alleviate the fears of our patients and transform their visit experience to a pleasant one.
It is very common for patients to experience anxiety when visiting a hospital. At the recent NHCS Service Quality (SQ) Award, we learnt from the award recipients how simple gestures and words of kindness could help to alleviate the fears of our patients and transform their visit experience to a pleasant one.
While medical appointments can be daunting for most patients, those who have had the opportunity to meet Christina Chong, Patient Service Associate (PSA) Executive from Cardiac Clinics, were instantly put to ease by her bubbly and amiable disposition. The Gold Award recipient constantly goes the extra mile to make their day, from patiently helping patients reschedule their appointments to lending them a listening ear. Ms Goh, a patient who visited the blood test clinic recounted what she saw, “A patient was telling Christina that he had ran out of his hypertension medication. She patiently gave him instructions to complete his blood test first, and assured him that her colleague will help him with his medication prescription. Before he left, she also reminded him to look after his health.” Christina is truly a testament to the important role that PSAs play in the overall patient experience.
Ummi Hazirah Binte Jumaat, Social Work Assistant from Medial Social Services and Bronze Award winner has also been lauded by patients for her empathy and dedication. Mr Lim, a patient’s family member shared, “When my mother-in-law’s condition took a turn for the worse, all of us were filled with worries and uncertainties. Ummi helped us coordinate the financial aspects so that we could focus on planning for the long term care needs. We are deeply grateful for her professional work ethics which took a huge load off our shoulders.”
Patients are also full of praise for Gold Award recipient, Asst Prof Philip Pang, Deputy Head and Senior Consultant from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, commending him for his excellent skills, patience and humility when interacting with them. Mr Soon shared, “Dr Pang called my father the day before his surgery, reassuring that he would do this best to repair his mitral valve. This simple act lifted my father’s spirits considerably! After surgery, Dr Pang stayed in the ward till late to monitor my father's recovery, and checked in on him even during weekends. We have never come across a surgeon as skilled and dedicated; my father felt cared for and safe in Dr Pang’s capable hands!”
Teamwork makes the dream work - departments showed their fullest support for their fellow winning colleagues!
A patient’s wife, Ms Huang shared that Dr Daniel Chong, Senior Consultant from the Department of Cardiology, not only treated her husband but also provided advice on financial assistance when they needed it. “We are sure that Dr Chong will continue to treat other patients with patience, compassion and skillful treatment. We really appreciate Dr Chong,” shared Ms Huang of the Silver Award winner.
For Senior Staff Nurse (SSN) Shasi Rekha D/O Valaitham Mariyappa from Ward 56, going the extra mile is almost literal – when a porter was not available to assist a discharged patient, SSN Rekha went to the pharmacy and got a queue number for him to collect his medication. By the time the porter helped the patient get to the pharmacy, the waiting time had been significantly reduced as well. As the patient, Mr George aptly puts it: “She (Rekha) made an impossible situation possible!”
Catch Christina, Shasi Rekha and Ummi on NHCS IG as they share what motivates them to go the extra mile for patients!
Congratulations to all our SQ Award winners this year! Thank you all for going the extra mile for our patients and exemplifying P.V.O.T.E. in all that you do!
