GREENSBURG – Tom Crist saw a need and addressed it.
The Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) perioperative director wanted to improve a second-floor lounge for families as they awaited word on loved ones undergoing procedures at the hospital, so he set out to remodel the area in an effort to make it more “family-friendly.”
“From a comfort standpoint, we felt our patients and their families deserved better,” said Crist, moments after cutting the ribbon on the enhanced waiting area in a special ceremony Monday.
To make it happen, staff went “all out,” installing new lights, a large desk and complementing the area with comfortable tables where families and friends may congregate.
Cell phone chargers are readily available, and patients and their acquaintances can research any diagnosis on a tablet computer. There are refreshments – coffee, filtered water and juice — and even a play area for small children, all in full view as soon as one steps out of the second floor elevator doors.
DCMH president and CEO Rex McKinney said the restyled meeting room offers greater convenience for families, allowing them to “interact together without interruption.”
The area is blanketed by natural lighting, with a view of ever-bustling Lincoln St. always on display below.
The goal, Crist and McKinney explained, was to make the area as comfortable as possible for all involved.
“What we’re always most focused on is our patients’ experience,” said the president and CEO. “We’re focused on making sure the needs are met of each patient and their families … meeting their expectations.”
The hospital’s own 2017 capital improvement fund paid for the project. The remodel, including the furniture, came in at or under the $35,000 budgeted.
The effort has been more than worth it, staff explained, as the looks on the faces of patients and their families has been a reward all its own for Crist and other “front line” team members tending to patient needs.
“They’re really surprised when they first come up,” Crist said of the positive reception the posh new waiting room has received. The project concluded late last year, but Monday served as a formal debut for the waiting room’s face-lift.
Monday’s event was certainly a cause for celebration as Crist, McKinney, numerous DCMH staff members, Hospital Foundation executive director Susan Burkhart, several volunteers, and Chamber of Commerce executive director Jeff Emsweller chatted and enjoyed cupcakes and other refreshments.
McKinney and Crist mentioned that it is possible other waiting areas will see similar improvements in the future.