It all started two years ago. Members of Speare Memorial Hospital’s 10-member Family Advisory Committee were touring the hospital with their coordinator Kathy Wieliczko, director of social services, and stopped in the Solarium; a resting/waiting area for patients and families located in the northwest corner of the hospital on the second floor.

“One of the Family Advisors commented, ‘Oh, so that’s where all the old furniture goes’,” says Wieliczko. “Another commented she thought the Solarium was a staff lounge, and as they all got chatting, came to the realization that the patient and family waiting areas on the in-patient (second) floor needed to offer a more comfortable, warm and inviting atmosphere.”

The new and improved Solarium, and waiting area just outside the Birthing Suite, were unveiled on July 2. While new lighting and artwork are still on order, the transformation from old and drab to warm and welcoming is on full display with redone floors, newly painted walls, new carpeting and furniture.

“Fabulous,” is the word Nurse Director of Medical/Surgical Beth Simpson used to describe the new and improved resting/waiting areas. “They are so much homier feeling and much more enticing to patients and families to actually want to rest and relax in the space. I was very impressed with the whole process and very thankful to the Family Advisors.”

The process of having Family Advisors identifying a problem and then working on a solution together with hospital staff is what gives Wieliczko the greatest satisfaction. It exemplifies the heart of the patient and family centered care philosophy Speare is committed to. She notes, “They recognized that some patients and families were resting in the main lobby atrium of the hospital where there was a couch and they could stretch out. Not only did that trigger the realization we only had chairs in our waiting/resting area, but there was no place private for patients to go except for their rooms.”

“The patient and family perspective is important in the planning, delivery and evaluation of healthcare,” explains Wieliczko. “The experience of care, as perceived by the patient and family, is a key factor in healthcare quality and safety. We need patients and family members to feel welcome and more importantly, comfortable so they are able to communicate and work with providers.”

It was the patient and family centered care approach that attracted donors to support the update to Speare’s waiting/resting areas. Funding for the project included a grant from the Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, and a gift from Speare’s own Student & Volunteer Services’ Outreach & Scholarship Committee to purchase new televisions for each area.

Speare’s Family Advisory Committee is made up of community volunteers who are interested in participating in, and promoting, patient and family centered care at Speare. If you would like to learn more about the Family Advisory Committee or other volunteer opportunities at Speare, please call Chris Fenn at (603) 238-6460 or email cfenn@spearehospital.com