14 Dec OMC Honors 2020 Patient Experience Champions
Patient Experience Champions Go Above and Beyond to Serve the Needs of Patients and Their Families
Pictured from left: 2020 Patient Experience Champions Sergio Contreras, Roger Haugen, Deborah McGruther, Laura Little, Christin Deese
Olympic Medical Center’s Chief Human Resources Officer and General Counsel Jennifer Burkhardt and Patient Experience Director Patti Haught named five Patient Experience Champions at a recent board of commissioners meeting.
Healthcare workers nominate their peers for the recognition of Patient Experience Champion for communicating with courtesy, compassion and respect, empowering patients to learn or cope effectively, contributing to new programs, improving processes, and/or going above and beyond to serve the needs of patients and their families. Patient Experience Champions are annually celebrated in May; however, due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, it was originally postponed in hopes they could be recognized in person by the board. Given continued restrictions, the board chose to honor our Patient Experience Champions virtually.
- Sergio Contreras, Certified Nurse Assistant, Float
- Christin Deese, Central Registration Supervisor, Olympic Medical Physicians
- Roger Haugen, OMC Volunteer
- Laura Little, Analyst, Clinical Informatics
- Deborah McGruther, Plant Operator, Sequim Plant Operations
About This Year’s Patient Experience Champions
Sergio Contreras has strong patient care skills, often going beyond expectations. “He is genuinely one of the most compassionate individuals and a phenomenally hard worker,” said Burkhardt. A co-worker shared a touching moment when they saw Sergio playing music for a patient and holding hands with him for a “dance,” prompting a huge grin from the patient.
According to Burkhardt, Christin Deese goes above and beyond for the good of patients, looking at situations through the patient’s perspective and using her creativity and innovation to move the bar higher and higher so OMC can exceed patient expectations. Christin empowers her staff members with transparency, compassion and respect, leading her team by example to achieve quality in all patient interactions.
As a 10-year volunteer with over 1,500 volunteer hours, Roger Haugen is a “real-life angel to so many people: patients, friends, staff, neighbors, and anybody who needs help,” said Burkhardt. He is a member of OMC’s Patient Family Advisory Council and draws from his many experiences as a patient and years of volunteering to provide unique perspectives, insights and valuable suggestions that better patient experiences.
Laura Little is always finding opportunities to improve the MyChart experience for patients and has advocated for helpful changes. “As we encourage more people to sign up for MyChart, the foundation that Laura helped build increases in value for a quality patient experience,” said Burkhardt. “Laura is an excellent example of how each employee contributes to the exceptional experiences OMC provides patients, families and employees.”
Deborah McGruther is officially the plant operator, but she is also considered a caring friend, confidante and committed employee who lives the OMC mission. “Deb is one of the most remarkable employees one could ask for; a true self-starter who takes pride in caring for the Sequim campus and ensuring it’s in top condition,” said Burkhardt. Deborah is always looking to make the facilities a better place for patients, families and staff.
Congratulations to this year’s Patient Experience Champions. Your work to serve patients and their families at OMC makes a world of difference!