September 2020 Newsletter

I am fortunate to see and hear firsthand, from our patients, our JV partners, and referral sources about the good work we do in our communities. This past month, we received this handwritten letter from one of our Boulder Endoscopy Center patients, Ms. Candice Brown. Ms. Brown graciously consented to allowing me to share her message with all of you. While we get many notices from grateful patients, this one particularly struck me as identifying the traits that I hope we all aspire to everyday.

Several themes from this letter make me proud to be affiliated with this organization:

#1 The letter is addressed to our entire Team–It’s important to me that everyone understands our interdependency. That is, we cannot execute on our mission to be the providers of choice for GI care without every one of our colleagues pulling in the same direction. This patient specifically, addresses the entire staff during her visit to Boulder Endoscopy center. She recognizes that every touch point in her experience was positive and compassionate.

#2 Personalized care—Ms. Brown specifically identifies ‘caring’ and ‘cheerful’ interactions with our colleagues. This suggests to me a strong, cohesive team and one that is patient-focused and authentic in caring for our patients.

#3 Ms. Brown acknowledges fear—Health related services often create anxiety in patients. There’s the fear of ‘white coats’, the fear of anesthesia, there’s fear of the procedure itself, and fear if they ‘find something’. Extraordinary people and extraordinary health care organizations understand that fear is a part of health care, and it’s the little things (a warm blanket, a smile, clear communication of what to expect) that make a significant difference in the patient experience.

#4 Acknowledging the importance of our service—This patient is grateful for our services. She clearly articulates that the work we do every day is good work and meaningful work. She reminds us ‘why’ we do what we do every day.

I hope you reflect on Ms. Brown’s words, and that her message resonates with you as it did me. I hope you all can be proud of the work we do as a team and understand that we are making a positive contribution to the communities we serve. Remember too, that it’s the small stuff that makes a difference. It’s the accumulation of our interactions with our patients that lead to a patient experience that is either positive, negative, or neutral. Let’s shoot for being extraordinary, every day.

Jason Richardson

CEO

Gastroenterology of the Rockies