Smaller Size. Big Results.
28050 Grand River Ave.
Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Phone: (248) 471-8000
Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Phone: (248) 471-8000
winter 2013
|
Botsford Hospital is focused on treating the patient as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms. One of the hospital's core values is service excellence. Staff members take this mission as a daily commitment by providing excellent medical care in a timely, personalized and compassionate way.
See how five Botsford employees put into action the values of the organization and in doing so, how they make a difference in the community.
When Lead Teacher Lisa Bame at the Botsford Hospital Child Care Center renewed her CPR certification, she didn't realize how soon her skills would be needed.
The following day, Bame didn't hesitate when a 2-year-old suddenly started to choke. "I maneuvered over to him and said, "I am going to help you," she recalls.
Bame performed one abdominal thrust on the toddler, dislodging a small piece of fruit. "He immediately started crying, and I comforted him," she says.
Bame insists any other teacher in the center would have done the same. "We are all very aware of everything that goes on," she explains. "The trust parents place in us is monumental. You can't put a price on peace of mind."
When a patient in Botsford Cancer Center's Radiation Oncology Department needed a device called a Total Skin Electron Stand to more safely and comfortably receive treatment, two Botsford Hospital employees made sure that he got it.
"We both agreed that building that stand sounded like a rewarding challenge we were ready to take on," recalls Randy Klebs, a maintenance mechanic.
After being given a design, Klebs and Tom Trost, a carpenter, completed construction in just two days. By building it themselves, they also saved the hospital about $9,000.
For both men, the project was about more than the bottom line. "What was most rewarding about this project was knowing we helped make treatments easier for this patient," notes Klebs. The stand made it easier and more comfortable for the patient to receive treatments by providing much-needed support.
The entire Maintenance Department is dedicated to providing Botsford Hospital and its patients with high-quality services and products in the most cost-effective way. Trost explains, "I never feel prouder than when I can directly help a patient."
On her days off, Nursing Staffing Secretary Terry Seraceno strolls Botsford Hospital with one of her three golden retrievers, Apple, Jazz and Nova. As trained therapy dogs, these purebreds are on a mission to brighten the day of anyone who crosses their path. Officially, they are members of Dr. Paws’ volunteers at Botsford; each dog wears its own hospital ID badge.
"I love walking the dogs. You have no idea how much it means when a patient says thank you for making my day," says Seraceno, who has worked at the hospital for 18 years.
Seraceno's dogs are able to reach patients who might be sad or lonely in a way that nothing else can. On particularly hard days, therapy dogs can also give the hospital staff a much-needed boost.
An experienced dog handler, Seraceno founded the local nonprofit agency, Dr. Paws Pet Assisted Therapy. For more information, visit www.drpaws.org.
When Surgical Technologist Jillian Kaminga learned the local nonprofit, Life Remodeled, needed volunteers to clean up the Olde Towne section of Farmington Hills, she committed four Saturdays.
"Many of the people in that community would choose Botsford Hospital for their care. Because it's so close, I thought it would be important for me to participate," says Kaminga.
Kaminga was part of a team that pulled weeds and trimmed bushes at the local Salvation Army.
"Once the outdoor work was done, we went inside to help in painting the gymnasium," Kaminga says. "Other Saturdays we painted mobile homes and garages, sanded and painted porches and helped out where we could."
"I learned that there are many people who are not as fortunate as I am," Kaminga says. "A few hours on a weekend is not a lot of time to donate, and I honestly felt better for having done this."