Emphasizing privacy, all 86 rooms in the Fauquier Hospital are private with built-in sleeping accommodation for family members. There are no longer any restrictions on visits by family and friends. They can visit any time of the day or night, reports the Washington Post.
Patient needs are taken into consideration such as the time when they sleep or the time when they dine. Unlike conventional hospitals, Fauquier enables patients to order brick-oven pizza, breakfast burritos, Mongolian stir-fry and other non-institutional dishes. Apart from selecting from nearly 50 items, the hospital also offers patients a cafeteria that provides meals whenever the kitchen is open.
Other alterations made to the hospital according to the Planetree approach, include carpeted corridors, extra windows, community artwork on the walls, halls with faux wood finish or carpeted to reduce sound, and the use of lamps in waiting areas. Sliding-glass windows that acted as barriers between staff and patients have been eliminated. The hospital now has separate elevators for the public and patients.
To eliminate redundant question-answer sessions with patients, the hospital provides computerized records. The redundant registration process for the infusion center has also been eliminated.
The hospital has adopted a family-friendly approach by enabling family members to accompany the patient to one of the 33 private treatment rooms in the emergency department. Family members are provided with fold-out couches in every room.
Additional services provided by the hospital include a clinician who sits with the patient and discusses and explains their medical condition.
Apart from patient-centric treatment, the hospital offers extra benefits to staff including regular retreats, discounts on items ordered from the cafeteria and $10-a-month health club membership.
The changes implemented by the hospital based on the Planetree approach has increased levels of satisfaction amongst staff and patients and increased market share.
Established in 1978, Planetree specializes in social support, patient education, spirituality, nutrition and building design. It has 140 hospital affiliates, by and large from the US, out of which eight have been awarded ‘designated’ status.
