Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm
Tiffany Ross, RN
Grand Canyon University
HLT 310V
Professor Howard Cassidy-Moffatt
January 20, 2016
Healing Hospital: A Daring Paradigm
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center was built in Chandler, AZ. It revealed how a healing environment can positively impact patient satisfaction and outcomes, while keeping spirituality in mind. This hospital takes pride in the healing environment they have created and was honored with the Healing Hospital Designation in their first year (Eberst, 2008). There are three components to being a healing hospital. They are a healing physical environment, the integration of work design and technology, and a culture of “Radical Loving Care” (Eberst, 2008).
In order to promote healing, a hospital must have a loving environment that is also aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, the environment must be quiet to enable adequate rest and sleep (Eberst, 2008). The body starts to heal and regenerate itself during sleep, so it important that our patients are undisturbed. Mercy Medical promotes a quiet environment in different ways. They have carpet in patient halls, they have eliminated overhead paging for non-emergencies, and the cleaning machines have been equipped with special silencers. All of these things promote a calmer and less stressful environment (Eberst, 2008).
The second component of a healing hospital is integrating work design and technology (Eberst, 2008). Mercy Medical has done this by finding ways to work more efficiently. They have also provided more patient privacy and security, such as installing private staff only elevators for patient transport. They have advanced equipment and the latest technology in areas like cardiology and pulmonology. Patient rooms also have entertainment and education systems built in to enhance their experience and care (Eberst, 2008).
The last component of a healing hospital is having a culture of “Radical Loving...