Service Spotlight: Owning the patient experience

This month, the Office of Patient Experience (OPE) is shining the spotlight on employees who are committed to providing exceptional service to their patients.

Among them are Julie Derossett, Auda Checchi and Niaja De’Boest, who all took simple steps to owning the patient experience — and their patients were so appreciative that they submitted a Making a Difference award to honor them.

Here’s a rundown of the trio’s outstanding efforts that earned kudos from their patients:

Julie Derossett

Julie Derossett, nurse, urology

Derossett puts her patients first by ensuring their requests are promptly met — and by taking the time to follow up with her patients after a surgery or procedure.

One of her patients truly appreciated Derossett’s efforts: “Julie is the best. She returns calls promptly, has the physician provide answers to questions in a timely manner, makes suggestions, and is a full-time cheerleader for patients to help keep their spirits up. She always has a positive outlook and a smiling personality which comes through in person or over the phone — she even called me the day after my surgery to see how I was doing. It was on her day off … need I say more? Thank you, Julie!”

Auda Checchi

Auda Checchi, medical assistant

Checchi, meanwhile, always makes an effort to listen to her patients’ concerns and needs and ensures that they have the proper continuity of care by sharing pertinent details with other caregivers.

A recent patient raved about the service that Checchi provided: “She is always so good to me and watching out for me. Even though at my last appointment she was not my assistant, Auda made sure the person helping me saw to my particular needs. She was also diligent about the accuracy in my file. I appreciate her always going above and beyond — I feel like I am in good hands because she is such a great listener. I appreciate the care and concern I get from Auda and from every one of her colleagues at U-M!”

Niaja De’Boest

Niaja De’Boest, nurse aid, 5C

De’Boest knows it’s often small acts of kindness that get patients through a day — or an entire hospital stay.

A patient who was on her floor recognized De’Boest for her caring demeanor: “Niaja has a smile to light up a room. During my 11-day stay, she would keep my water cup full and often helped get all of my IV lines and other equipment ready for me to get in bed. She also came in frequently just to see what she could do for me. When I was leaving, she came down and gave me a big hug. Thank you, Niaja. You are an exceptional person.”

Derossett, Checchi, and De’Boest are just a few of the thousands of employees at Michigan Medicine who put patients and families first. As they have demonstrated, simple acts of consideration, empathy and kindness can make a world of difference in a patient’s life.

If you would like to recognize a coworker for going above and beyond, nominate them for a Making a Difference award.

And to learn more about how you can provide exceptional service to patients, join OPE at Patient Experience Week events between April 23 – 27.

Thank you for all you do to improve the patient experience!