3
L earning
from sur ve ys
Patient-centered
care is also family-centered
care, says Judy Harless,
MBA, CASC, administrator
of SMI Surgery Center in
San Diego, Calif. When patients are in the PACU, "we need to be careful not to
neglect the people who are waiting for them," says Ms. Harless. "We offer blan-
kets and pillows and keep them updated on the patient's schedule, so if a proce-
dure is taking longer than anticipated, they're not worried."
Communication is so important, she says, because having a loved one in sur-
z NOTHING TO HIDE Offering patients a video of their surgery
can promote confidence and help with future procedures.
