“What patients want is not rocket science, which is really unfortunate because if it were rocket science, we would be doing it. We are great at rocket science. We love rocket science. What we’re not good at are the things that are so simple and basic that we overlook them.”
Laura Gilpin, Planetree Pioneer
The Formula
Meet Maria Hale
Northern Westchester Hosptial
Like all healthcare organizations today, the team at Northern Westchester Hospital must balance a multitude of demands to consistently deliver exemplary medical treatment that combines leading edge technology with compassionate human interactions. A Planetree member for more than a decade, the Planetree philosophy has been a powerful lens through which to plan, prioritize and evaluate what it means to provide high quality patient- and family-centered care.
Meet Lucie Dumas
Centre de réadaptation Estrie
Located in Quebec, Centre de réadaptation Estrie provides rehabilitation for individuals with motor, hearing, visual, language or speech impairments, largely in an outpatient setting. In 2004, the center was struggling. Budgetary restrictions and staff shortages demanded that the CRE team find ways to do more with less. By joining forces with Planetree, a new path unfolded for CRE to take on this complex mandate. A goal was established that within five years, CRE would be among the top employers in Quebec and the center would become a leader in patient-centered care.
Meet Dr. Dael Waxman
Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy
Part of the 42-hospital Carolinas Healthcare System in North and South Carolina, Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy is a 180-bed, adult acute care hospital located in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2007, a leadership change and facility renovations prompted the hospital to seek out a partner to provide a framework for a rebuilding effort that would extend beyond the physical environment to transform the culture as well. The Planetree Designation criteria became that framework, offering up a structure for improving the patient experience while driving quality, positioning the hospital as a destination for treatment.Planetree Member Testimonial
Planetree has touched millions of lives across the world. The voices of healthcare professionals and patients illustrate our impact:
“Planetree provides the roadmap to creating an experience for patients and families that is centered on the right thing – the needs and expectations of patients and families..”
Joel Seligman, CEO, Northern Westchester Hospital
“I think what needed to change was not so much what we were doing, but how we were doing it...We needed to once again become connected to what we did everyday as professionals.”
Kenneth Mizrach, Director, VA New Jersey Healthcare System
“Our values should be at the heart of everything we do…I see partnering with Planetree as an opportunity to return to our roots and affirm our core values: compassion, integrity, excellence, teamwork and wholeness. Planetree’s components of patient-centered care are in direct alignment with Loma Linda’s motto ‘to make man whole.’”
Jesse Mock, Vice President for Patient Engagement at Loma Linda University Medical Center
“Planetree makes us who we are. It is hardwired into our system. The Planetree culture recognizes and acknowledges the unique contributions every member of the health care team provides to the holistic care of the patient. This culture allows us to work effectively as a team, placing primary focus on the outcomes of the patient and family experience. In this environment, we collaborate in a manner to push up, through and forward in a manner that will benefit patients, families and staff.”
Lisa Spitzer, Fauquier Health
“As a patient I rebelled against being denied my humanity and that rebellion led to the beginnings of Planetree. We should all demand to be treated as competent adults, and take an active part in our healing. And we should insist on hospitals meeting our human need for respect, control, warm and supportive care, a harmonious environment and good, healthy food. A truly healing environment.”
Angelica Thieriot, Planetree Founder (1978)
“Health care workers enter their field because of personal motivation and commitment to make a difference in the lives of others… a patient-centered model of care provides that opportunity.”
Patrick Charmel, President, Griffin Hospital
The Standard for Excellence - Person-Centered Designation
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Education Calendar
Regularly scheduled webinars on a range of topics related to patient-centered programs and principles, as well as trends and issues relevant to any organization striving to enhance the patient or resident experience, improve quality, and cultivate a healing environment and patient-centered culture
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My Planetree
The My Planetree Community, exclusive for Planetree members, contains features to enhance the ways you connect, share, and learn with Planetree colleagues around the world
Making Healthy Connections!
Planetree's Corporate Affiliate Members
Our Corporate Affiliate Member Page is a resource that brings together health care professionals and businesses the create innovative products and services that enhance the patient's experience.
Tokens of Kindness
Stay Tuned for Tokens of Kindness 2.0
Planetree created these tokens to celebrate the power of individual acts, big and small, to make a difference in the lives of patients, families and staff, and how collectively these individual acts create a community that is transforming health careCollaborators
