The Medical Center wants patients to leave the hospitals and clinics saying their experience was excellent, from the time they're checked in to the moment they walk out the door.

“We want to provide patient-centered care simply because it's the right thing to do,” Adrienne Murray, director of nursing quality, development and professional practice, said at UMMC's monthly leadership meeting held May 10.

The Medical Center has created an Office of Patient Experience to provide infrastructure for leading employees in taking care of the needs of patients and their families. “This is an office that will elevate the importance of the patient experience,” said Dr. Lisa Didion, associate professor of pediatrics.

The office is a huge step for UMMC in its journey toward quality improvement and culture change. Murray and Didion are leading the effort under the guidance of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Henderson and Chief Nursing Officer Terri Gillespie.

The new office and its focus - with strong support from UMMC senior leadership -- was introduced at the May 10 meeting by administrators including Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and School of Medicine dean.

Unlike his Spanish-speaking parents, who came to America from Mexico, Angel Martinez, 7, is fluent in the language of their adopted country.

But when would it be OK to ask someone so young to tell his parents he has a blood-related cancer? When would it be OK to ask this first-grader to explain for them the complications of his illness, Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

At UMMC, those questions are answered by a group of medical interpreters working out of the Office of Patient Experience: “Nunca. Jamas. Never.”

Among them are Leslye Bastos Ortega, manager of Language Services & Patient Advocacy; and Diva McCardle: two interpreters who have worked closely with Miguel and Nicolasa Martinez during their son Angel's visits to Batson Children's Hospital for treatment. 

“I'm very thankful for all those who have helped us out during the tough visits,” said Nicolasa speaking through Ortega.

“Diva is always coming by to see if we need anything, even when the doctors don't call for her.”

At UMMC and its outpatient clinics, physicians and other health care providers may call Language Services whenever their patients need medical information converted into Spanish.

Several interesting events are scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.