No caps were thrown in the air, but all the excitement was there in the lobby of Roy L. Schneider Hospital as 100 new "customer service representatives," hospital employees, graduated Monday morning from a two-day program called "Customer Service Excellence."
The ceremony, which turned the normally somber lobby into a graduation hall, is "just the beginning of a long-term process" in the continuing education of his staff, said Eugene A. Woods, hospital chief executive officer.
The training was designed to teach staff how to handle difficult situations with caring and compassion, from being sympathetic in the admitting process to calming patients in the emergency room.
Woods said completion of the course in customer service excellence conducted by the Virgin Islands Tourism Awareness and Advancement Link is the first step in the hospital's new training initiative.
June Adams, an RLS nurse for 34 years and a hospital board member, introduced Woods. She said, "If I had a hat, I'd take it off to him," and commended Woods for the direction in which he is taking the hospital — the training program in particular.
Mabel Maduro, VITAAL executive director, called the program "an opportunity fulfilled" in the eyes of the graduates, and said "the response has been overwhelming." She added that the students were anxious to "identify their own needs," and to "have the opportunity to work with other employees, not in their own departments."
Woods said the program will be "extended throughout the year to the hospital's 400 employees." He provided some arresting statistics on the volume of patients the hospital handles each year ( in approximate numbers):
– 20,000 emergency room
– 35,000 outpatients
– 5,000 inpatients
– 800 babies delivered.
That's a lot of people to be treated with "customer excellence," which is what Woods and his staff propose to do.
Sen. Roosevelt David, who said he had heard of the ceremony on the radio Monday morning, made an impromptu appearance, praising Woods' efforts since the hospital has become semi-autonomous, and encouraging the students to "work hard."
Working hard is what some of the students were doing. All of the graduates couldn't attend the ceremony, as some were on duty, some were sleeping from the night shift and some were home preparing for their next shift.
The students in their remarks called the program everything from "endearing" to exciting."
Jewel Harrigan of the admitting office said she had learned to "accept constructive criticism."
"If your peers won't tell you what you're doing wrong, you certainly don't want the patients to!" she said.
The students came from key departments, including operating room, emergency room, radiology and the security staff.
Woods said the hospital has "not been providing customer service training for our employees for many years" and called the morning a "milestone event." He said the training is just one of several initiatives recently instituted to better meet patient needs.
A pamphlet is being distributed to patients informing them of their rights and responsibilities.
A patient-advocate hotline was implemented last month to provide patients and their families an opportunity to bring issues directly to the administration. The hotline can also be used to recognize staff members for outstanding service. The number is (340) 776-8311, ext. 7951.
