The saying, “We are only as good as our people” could not be more apt in healthcare where each staff – from medical and nursing, allied health, to ancillary and administrative – plays a vital role in shaping the overall care journey of our patients.
The saying, “We are only as good as our people” could not be more apt in healthcare where each staff – from medical and nursing, allied health, to ancillary and administrative – plays a vital role in shaping the overall care journey of our patients.
At the annual Service Quality (SQ) Awards, we witnessed how NHCS’ service ethos, Care From The Heart, Right From The Start came to life with the exemplary service exhibited by the award recipients. We applaud our winners and thank them for embodying our service values and standards in their daily work - Professionalism, Value-add, Ownership, Teamwork, and Empathy (P.V.O.T.E).
Approaching every meeting with clarity and compassion, Dr Lee Shan Yin Audry, Consultant from the Department of Cardiology, exhibits P.V.O.T.E. by placing herself in the shoes of her patients. While she humbly describes herself for not possessing a patient nature, Dr Lee, the SQ Bronze Award winner often goes beyond in supporting patient care efforts – from working with the Value-Driven Care team to drive healthcare efforts to educating patients on their cardiac condition and health. Dr Audry shared that this approach has helped her patients push through harrowing experiences. A patient, Mr Wang expressed: “She (Dr Audry) brought me hope and courage to live”. Truly, a little kindness can go a long way!
Senior Staff Nurse (SSN) Rowena San Jose Delfin (pictured above) from Short Stay Unit believes that positive care experience begins with building good rapport with her patients and colleagues. SSN Rowena ensures the best care to patients by being empathetic and thorough in explaining care procedures. Described by patients as an attentive listener who made their stay comfortable, it is no wonder that her 22 years of stellar service has earned Rowena a SQ Silver Award.
Similarly, SSN Lepardo Rezah Genterola from Ward 56 believes that every patient deserves to be treated with kindness, empathy, and compassion. A patient, Mrs Koh expressed her appreciation to SSN Rezah who went the extra mile to speed up her discharge process upon learning that her daughter had to rush off for an appointment. SSN Rezah, however, remains modest: “I’m happiest when I see my patients recover!” The SQ Gold Award comes as a recognition of her selflessness and hard work over the last 13 years.
On receiving the SQ Bronze Award, Medical Social Worker Lim Jing Kai (pictured above) shared that other than being guided by P.V.O.T.E., one should possess not only empathy but also flexibility and patience to fully connect with patients and understand their needs. His patient, Mdm Mohamed commended “Despite being late for the appointment due to my caregiving duties, Jing Kai helped me immediately with my request.” Jing Kai further added that it is also important to have close collaboration especially with colleagues from other multidisciplinary teams to provide necessary support to patients and their family members for example, a grieving family during a late-night family conference.
Our sincerest congratulations to all our SQ Award winners! With the NHCS service values and standards as our north star, let us continue to put forth our best efforts into providing genuine care from our heart.
