Because You Needed To Know

When meeting a recent patient that was hard-of-hearing and did not know sign language, Bariatric Dietitian Andrea M. knew that it was going to be a challenge to effectively communicate given these obstacles.

Despite the patient feeling her daughter could be used as a translator, Andrea knew it was her responsibility to make sure this patient understood her pre-surgery instructions as it was imperative to her health and long term success. Andrea recorded her two-hour basic nutrition class on video so the patient could watch it at home at the proper volume. Andrea also provided all of her educational handouts in advance of each meeting and went over them in detail so she could be confident the patient understood. She even worked with other staff throughout Mount Carmel West before the patient’s surgery to make sure she was assigned to specific associates who understood her needs and spoke loudly, clearly and slowly.

It’s a textbook case of putting patients at the center of everything we do. Thanks for the lesson, Andrea.