Delnor involves patients in decisions

Recently, while visiting a friend who had just returned home from a long weekend stay in the cardiac care unit at Delnor Hospital, she exclaimed, "Ginny, the nurses were so competent!" She proceeded to explain the rapid assessment that was made upon her arrival, the medication adjustments and careful monitoring she received there.

I also witnessed first-hand the care my daughter was given a year ago when she suddenly fell ill at home and was taken by ambulance to the Delnor emergency room. She spent three days in intensive care and two more days in a regular room. The thorough assessment she received by the doctors and the wonderful care she received from the nursing staff was remarkable and laid the groundwork for a complete recovery.

As a member of the Patient Partnership Council at Delnor I have learned a lot the last few years about the hospital's continuous efforts to provide excellent patient-centered care. The council is a group composed of staff members and prior patients and members of their families. Its purpose is to provide a mechanism for involving patients and families in policy and program decision making at Delnor.

The hospital staff is now inviting former patients to participate in hospital committees to share our view of the subjects from the patient perspective. The transparency this requires is rarely seen in large institutions.

Delnor was recently awarded the prestigious Planetree Designation. It is the only hospital in Illinois with this credential and one of nine in the United States. Planetree is devoted to promoting a better patient experience, empowering patients and families through information and education, and encouraging healing partnerships with patients and caregivers.

Ginny Temple

St. Charles