Uniquely Warm and Caring Service: One Patient at a Time

Hospital operations are a complex undertaking. Equipment must be maintained, quality healthcare must be delivered, facilities must meet patients’ expectations and international standards must be upheld. Yet even with numerous departments covering the major facets of healthcare delivery, the main goal of a hospital – to serve patients – still needs a champion. We, the members of the Patient Services team, act as advocates for every one of our patients to make certain they receive the outstanding care they deserve.

The Patient Services team ensures that healthcare has as much to do with care as it does with health. If practitioners within a health organization are thought of as the cast of a play, Patient Services would be the crew, tirelessly working behind the scenes to make sure patients feel appreciated by smoothing over any hiccups in the day-to-day operations.

The Patient Services Department serves as a bridge between the patient and the healthcare organization; our mission is to assess patient needs and expectations; to act as patient advocates with care, empathy, dignity and respect; and to enhance the quality of service in a culturally-sensitive manner, encouraging collaboration between departments and stimulating a positive environment.

To achieve these goals, Patient Services officers start by putting themselves in the patient’s shoes to better anticipate needs or quickly address them as they arise. One of our main functions is to provide language support, with most of our Patient Service departments speaking around 10 languages in-house. For example, when a new Central American ambassador recently visited Beijing United Family Hospital, a Spanish-speaking officer provided him with a personal tour. Likewise, Japanese expatriates newly arriving in Shanghai may receive assistance at Shanghai United Family Hospital with understanding healthcare packages and vaccination plans that best serve their families, in their native tongue. When we cannot handle language needs within Patient Services, we immediately reach out to the UFH staff that represents over 45 nationalities. We also utilize embassies and consulates as language resources, as well as a 24-hour telephone translation service. Of course, should you be in need of these services they are always provided free of charge.

In response to United Family Healthcare’s ever-growing patient diversity, Patient Services provides an additional facet of quality care: cultural sensitivity. Without compromising the quality of healthcare, we seek to address the cultural needs of each patient by employing team members who not only represent a variety of nations, but also have a deep understanding and appreciation for all cultural backgrounds.

Gestures that most people would not think twice about – a bow instead of a handshake, a kiss on each cheek instead of a bow – are essential pieces in a Patient Services officer’s behavioral repertoire. Even when the patient does not share a nationality with one of our staff, good training and the team’s strong commitment to service ensures that every patient still feels that they are receiving quality personalized care.

As patient needs extend beyond language and cultural considerations, so does the scope of the Patient Services charter.

Whether for a scheduled appointment or an emergency visit, an officer is always available – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – to provide assistance to patients through every step of their hospital or clinic visit. Helping patients navigate our healthcare system is certainly a big part of what we do, but we provide more than directional guidance. Patient requests for help run the gamut of life activities that the path to wellness either makes necessary or puts on hold. For every opportunity to assist – including laundry, shopping, helping visiting family members, communicating with relevant embassies, organizing hospital transfers or evacuations, or simply finding innovative ways to make patients smile – we are ready and willing to lend a hand.

In many cases, healthcare needs extend beyond physical concerns. Patient Services team members are trained to provide emotional support to patients and their loved ones. No matter how a patient responds to the care they are receiving, beyond medical management, we are always the first on the scene to offer assistance.

Importantly, in addition to meeting the needs and expectations of patients, Patient Services plays a central role in encouraging other hospital departments to do the same. This includes our officers consulting with all departments regarding relevant patient feedback. These consultations may include passing along patient comments to clinicians, billing issues to Finance, or wayfinding suggestions to Facilities. The department also works closely with kitchen staff to ensure hospital menus meet patient dietary requirements such as vegetarian, kosher, halal, or gluten-free meal choices, to name a few. Internally, our team organizes campaigns for employees that reward growth in cultural awareness. The most recent cultural awareness campaign gathered UFH employees over lunch to take part in activities aimed at presenting the healthcare preferences of the major cultural groups our patients represent. Though not technically a UFH service offering, culturally-appropriate food was lovingly crafted by the Patient Services team.

In essence, Patient Services creates “the magic” behind a seamless healthcare experience. As advocates, we make patients our first priority in everything we do – and we take that job seriously. When you walk through the doors of a UFH facility, you can count on receiving practical expressions of our values: caring, empathy, respect, accountability, inclusion, and excellence. These are not simply words on our mission statement; these are core elements of a service model each of us has made a commitment to embrace. We’ve fixed our sights on service excellence, and patients can rely on us to deliver the excellence we promise.

We engage in all of this without any expectation of recognition, however patients often send notes of gratitude and feedback, one of which we would like to share with you here:

Dear Patient Services,

I want to thank all for your wonderful assistance while staying at Beijing United Family Hospital. I have made it back to the United States, it was a long trip, but I am finally home.

It is a lonely feeling to be sick and by yourself in a country that is not your own. The staff at UFH made me feel secure and well taken care of. Their professionalism and personal concern was one that will never be forgotten.

Your staff stayed with me until the very last minute, making sure I had an airline ticket, money, and was feeling strong enough to make the long trip back home. I could not have done it without their help.

Once again
please express my gratitude to each and every one of your team members.
Sincerely,
A grateful patient

Miriam Brofman
Patient Services Team Member
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics