Making the hospital hospitable

Posted on April 26, 2014 by jeffcuz

Children's Ambulance — Florida Hospital for Children ambulance awaits a call.

I shared a bit earlier about how all the time we’ve spent in the hospital over the past 11 years turned into almost a second job for me.

Florida Hospital for Children is practically a second home, and there are plenty of employees there that have called J.P, their patient ever since he was a baby. Paige figured out a while back that J.P. averages about six weeks a year in the hospital.

I truly believe there’s a brightness — a spirit — in the place. I guess that’s why they say they extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

I’ve come to know many of the upper-level managers at Florida Hospital for Children, and in case you’re wondering, it’s a completely different staff than Florida Hospital-Orlando.

These people have a heart for kids and making them well. They also have a strong belief in family-

J.P. Surgery — J.P. recovers after shunt surgery.

centered care. That means the doctors aren’t going to make decisions by themselves. Parents are a vital part of the care team.

Parents are such a vital part of the hospital leadership that they established a Family Advisory Council that meets monthly to review hospital policies, make recommendations, provide input to various committees and assist with special events. There’s also dinner and much more at the meetings.

When I first began attending, I was skeptical. It’s one thing to have a council, but I wondered if they would really listen. We made recommendations to the visitation plan, and the next month the recommendations were adopted. It happened over and over again, and now parents are serving alongside staff on the Nursing Governance Council, NICU Discharge Committee, Ethics Committee and the Patient Safety and Quality Committee.

I’m now in my second year on the Family Advisory Council and serve as chairman. We have between 20 to 25 parents at each meeting and are looking for more members. If your child has been admitted to Florida Hospital for Children, you’re eligible, and I would love to chat with you more about it. Just post a comment, and I’ll reach out to you.

It’s great to know there’s such a wonderful group of healthcare professionals who are there for our kids whenever we need them. It definitely makes me sleep better.