Are You Ready for a Treat and a Treatment? | As Published at QualityDigest.com
by Bill KalmarSeveral years ago, I penned a column entitled, “Nurse, I’m Ready for My Cappuccino!” The article was an interview with Gerard van Grinsven, the new CEO and president of the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, which was to be located in a Detroit suburb. At the time of my interview, Van Grinsven had just left a successful career as general manager at the Ritz-Carlton. His goal in assuming the role of head honcho at the West Bloomfield location of the hospital was to instill the culture of the award-winning Ritz-Carlton Hotel into the DNA of the new hospital. In short, this is what he envisioned:
“A facility that provides each patient with a private room outfitted with plasma televisions; plush visitor chairs; state-of-the-art adjustable beds; effective soundproofing that eliminates the constant cacophony from the loudspeakers; a detailed menu from which food can be ordered 24 hours a day; electronic medical records that obviate repetitive questions; a business center for visitors who may be on the premises for extended periods; and physicians, nurses, and support staff for whom providing patients with a pleasant experience is their most important function.”
Being the seasoned, investigative columnist that I am (no laughing now), I thought it was prudent to visit the hospital, as it is now fully operational, and confirm Van Grinsven’s vision. What I discovered was truly amazing and awe inspiring: Either Van Grinsven is a magician or he practices slight of hand. In any event, he and his team have created the Cirque du Soleil of health care. (There are hundreds of circuses in the nation but only one that sets the standard for all and that is Cirque du Soleil.) Van Grinsven started out to make the Ford West Bloomfield Hospital the standard in health care and it appears he has established that. There is nothing that even comes close to the service, the treatment, and the level of patient and customer service that one experiences at this wondrous establishment.
As Published
