PROBLEM-SOLVING IS THEIR BUSINESS
Patient advocates work tirelessly to improve our patient experience
Many employees feel responsible for problem-solving at work — but none more so than our team of patient advocates.
“Health care is a serious business and our advocates help patients every day through emotionally charged situations,” said Bo Ginn, director of the Patient Experience department at UF Health Shands.
Patient advocates work on behalf of hospitalized patients and families whose concerns have escalated and need attention. Advocates quickly assess each situation, gather information, facilitate communication between providers and patients, mediate when necessary and find solutions.
The advocates work tirelessly to address issues. Common patient complaints include wait times for available beds, the need for improved communication with providers and requests for help coordinating care between teams.
Our patient advocates are Sarah DeMott, Jana Olutola, Dawn Sherman and Beth Smith. Their manager is Anne Meiring and their administrative teammate is Kanah Kittrell.
Sherman says patient advocacy is built on honesty and openness.
“Our patients are hospitalized and feeling stressed,” explained patient advocate Dawn Sherman. “It’s about us acknowledging that the patient’s experience has fallen short — in their eyes and in ours — and that the institution is working to fix things for them.”
The advocates establish trust by listening and understanding, taking time to explain hospital processes and offering solutions. They provide comfort and empathy.
Smith says, “We know how busy our colleagues (physicians, nurses and staff) are, and sometimes we need to help them refocus just a little bit to see the situation from the patient’s perspective and improve the experience.”
Advocates are highly skilled communicators and coaches. They address situations constructively, without blame, to help all parties find resolution. In some cases, they help hospital colleagues understand how certain behaviors and words can create misperceptions for patients.
Although the work can be exhausting, being an advocate can be a rewarding career.
The advocates have diverse backgrounds. Olutola was a high school Spanish teacher and has a master’s degree in health services administration. DeMott worked in corrections. Sherman worked in billing before becoming a patient advocate in 1997. Smith has almost 30 years advocating for patients here at UF Health Shands. Meiring credits Kittrell as “the glue that holds the team together.”
Smith says the work is “never boring!” Teammates handle pressures of the job by providing mutual support. They all feel revived when they get to solve a problem.
An example: When a patient had been denied an electric wheelchair by their insurance provider, Sherman and DeMott arranged for a chair donated to the hospital to be gifted to the delighted patient.
Ginn is in awe of the team. “They are compassionate, patient and resourceful. And their resilience is what enables them to do this difficult work every day.”
