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New Process Addresses Concerns
The staff of Goodland Regional Medical Center has the privilege of taking care of people, many times when people are at their most vulnerable - when they are ill or injured. Although clinical and office staff constantly strive to provide quality services to their patients, there are times when patients' expectations are not met.
At those times, patients and/or their family members are encouraged to speak to a staff member and express their concerns. Goodland Regional Medical Center has recently implemented a new process for dealing with these concerns and tracking the concerns in order to make corrections where needed. A patient or family member is free to speak to any staff member at Goodland Regional Medical Center regarding a concern. The staff member is then responsible for taking that concern to either Director of Risk Management Mary Ann Elliot or Administrative Assistant Ericka Wieck.
Once the concern is received, the patient will receive a letter thanking them and stating that the administration and staff of Goodland Regional Medical Center is investigating the concern. The concern is then logged into a risk management software program in order to track the concern and see if there is a trend that needs to be addressed. Mary Ann Elliott then takes the concern to the department involved to resolve the matter. The patient will also receive a follow up letter or telephone call to inform them how the concern was handled.
"When we receive a patient concern, we look at all aspects which include individual and system processes," Mary Ann Elliott said. "We look at improving systems so employees are better able to provide quality service."
Sometimes a concern can come from a misunderstanding that can easily be resolved, other times a concern can even lead to finding additional resources for the patient. When patients or their families express concerns to Goodland Regional Medical Center it allows the staff to take corrective measures and gives staff members the opportunity to improve the quality of their service. Any patient with a concern is encouraged to contact a staff member or call Ericka Wieck in the Administration Office at (785) 890-6002.
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