The Debate

I recently had an exchange, or debate, with another healthcare professional regarding the retail initiative that I am pursuing. It seemed that there was great concern with the idea of "niceties" taking precedence over the needed money for patient care and/or state of the art medical equipment.

It was her position that she would rather have a stark environment if it meant that she had the best doctors and equipment available to provide the best care at that particular facility. The fact that there may be a nice cafe, salon, gift shop or other food offering available for the staff or visitors was not a real need for her care, or anyone else.

My contention was the real world facts that prove those that are not necessarily "in the bed" at our area hospitals need to have work environments (staff) or amenities (visitors) in order to provide a positive experience which then transitions into the contact time with the patient / loved one. I pointed to her own office work environment as an example. I asked her if she had a very uncomfortable chair, grey walls without any pictures, no windows, cement floors......you get the image. Likewise, our hospitals should have venues that provide for that respite and recharge for the benefit of our morale and energy that we carry into the rooms throughout the campus.

In addition, these are areas that provide, if built and managed correctly, for greater gifting and benevolence to those that need it. This is not retail just for the sake of having retail. This is retail that has definite purpose and mission behind it. Anything else that is serving only to offer a good coffee, or worse yet, fill the pockets of an outside entity is not to the full benefit of the patient care.