concierge ? Really?

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I spent the day in an ICU in a hospital in Dover,De. It must be on the cutting edge in this area as far as the new trend in healthcare that places customer service over patient care. I'm not saying anything negative about the care-it just did not seem of paramount importance-while I was there the family had a visit from the "concierge" and also a "guest relations representative" They were given ifo about the ammenities. The family was able to report that the "service" was excellent. They went on to mention the shops, the cafeteria and were knocked out by the Star concierge service ..... from the website---- A brief sampling of the new concierge services includes:

Travel and meal accommodations. If you have visiting friends or relatives from out-of-town, the Star Service staff can provide discounted hotel and meal options for your visitors.

Pet sitting services. Star Service staff can arrange for a professional pet sitter to feed and care for your pet at home.

Retail and Mom & Baby Shop orders. The Star Service staff can pick up any item large or small from the hospital gift shops.

Taxi and transportation services. If you are a discharged patient without transportation, the Star Service staff can make sure you get home safely.

Personal errands or purchases. Whether it's reading material or personal care items, the Star Service staff can provide these for you.

REALLY? Wow-just,wow....15 years ago I paid 15.00 to park in a parking garage at a city hospital-they didn't even give out discount parking vouchers. The television was $8.00 per day and if you were out of the room when the agent came through to sign you up you were outta luck. No tv for the next 24 hours. How times are changing.

Ironically today the family waited HOURS for a chaplain to show up .The hospital chaplain was not answering his pages so the unit secretary started going down the list and got someone from a local church pretty quickly .... I hope that after we left the family received excellent "service" and support while they withdrew life support from their loved one.....

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Let me know if you see any indigent patients admitted there. THEN I'll be truly astounded!

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

It is good customer service! I don't see the problem or issue. It is the same service, celebrities, professional athletes, politicians have received for years. Now everyone gets the same opportunity. I don't see why families should not be pampered. At the end of your post, you made mention of a love one dying...should the family be uncomfortable, or more so made comfortable during this most stressful time?

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Specializes in CNA: LTC & DD.

On the one hand, I can see how a "concierge" might fill a role in a hospital - helping pt's families navigate a new and unfamiliar place and helping them arrange things that aren't medical or related to the patient. Especially if it's just a couple, with one spouse as the patient, it might be a lot to handle alone.

On the other hand...a hospital's not a resort!

Either way, I think "concierge" is a really crap title for anybody who works in a hospital. Sounds a little too focused on image and not focused on care, to my mind.

Just my (not so) humble opinion! I'd be fascinated to hear from anybody who works in a hospital that offers such services.

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My Mom Had open heart surgery 11/10...the hospital didn't even have sufficient staff ie,RN,PCA's... I find it ironic that the hospitals have the $ for concierge staff but not sufficient Nursing/Support staff! As A patient I would rather have all my meds on time, not listen to my IV "beep" for 30 min, wait 30 min. for assistance getting to the toliet, ETC.. Than have a Concierge service available!:twocents:

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
It is good customer service! I don't see the problem or issue. It is the same service, celebrities, professional athletes, politicians have received for years. Now everyone gets the same opportunity. I don't see why families should not be pampered. At the end of your post, you made mention of a love one dying...should the family be uncomfortable, or more so made comfortable during this most stressful time?

Everyone?

Do you honestly believe they would do all of this for someone on Medicaid or someone with no insurance? Call me cynical, but I don't think so.

It's hard to square justifying these services with hospitals crying "too poor" to hire nurses.

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.
Everyone?

Do you honestly believe they would do all of this for someone on Medicaid or someone with no insurance? Call me cynical, but I don't think so.

It's hard to square justifying these services with hospitals crying "too poor" to hire nurses.

I am sure these services are "paid for" by the family. No, Medicaid patients or people without insurance won't get these services but they don't have the funds to pay anyway and are probably not used to these services. This is a capitalistic country. As long as we are, some will always have services, the masses won't. Don't be naive. It has been done for years, for free. MGH in Boston goes way, above and beyond these simple services when you are a Kennedy or Brady. Get real, the poor have been forgotten in everything, this is the least of their problems. Peace!

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The pampering of the family and decent nurse/patient ratios aren't mutually exclusive. As somebody said, the extra services will be paid for. And as somebody else said, poor people won't get the pampering. If the patient care is lacking, people will eventually figure out that the extra services are little more than window dressing.

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And just what is wrong with concierge type services? I actually pay for my family and I to have concierge doctors services. They have know all my info and they even have a chef available if I wish to have something to eat, they offer us drinks (non alcoholic but fancy coffee...yuck) they know our names and even will send a town car to pick us up for an appointment if we need transportation. They have free valet parking and if we call we get a human on the phone within 3 rings and when we need to speak to a doctor after hours we actually have a number that the doctor himself/herself answers. If we need tests doen the doctor will meet us at the hospital to walk us thru them and get results right away. They will arrange the hospital room if needed and they have fresh flowers delivered to the room daily if we are in the hospital. Yes we pay dearly for this type of service. The hospital they send us to also has this type of service available, There is nothing wrong with the hospital offering it. PEople will pay for better service and healthcare is a service industry.

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I've been to many hospitals that offer valet - make sense for people who can't walk far!

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Travel and meal accommodations. If you have visiting friends or relatives from out-of-town, the Star Service staff can provide discounted hotel and meal options for your visitors.

Pet sitting services. Star Service staff can arrange for a professional pet sitter to feed and care for your pet at home.

Retail and Mom & Baby Shop orders. The Star Service staff can pick up any item large or small from the hospital gift shops.

Taxi and transportation services. If you are a discharged patient without transportation, the Star Service staff can make sure you get home safely.

Personal errands or purchases. Whether it’s reading material or personal care items, the Star Service staff can provide these for you.

Eh, I don't see anything wrong with most of that list. It's fancy new names for meal & cab vouchers.

Some of the things listed are things volunteers used to do.

At best it's minimum wage jobs that probably go a long way toward boosting elective admits.

I live in a 'burb with 2 very good hospitals (one of which I work for) in a metro area with ~20 hospitals. When I need hospital care a family member stays with me, all things being equal I make a 20 mile trip to a hospital with both great care AND some perks for my family.

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I can't get past that pet sitting business! Who's going to hand over their house and car keys to a complete stranger?

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