Feb. 27, 2010
Dear Mr. Stephens,

EXTRAORDINARY! That's the word that I have been using to describe my five day hospitalization in November. I frequently write letters to and about company management, but seldom do those letters discuss outstanding professional performance and exceeding all of my expectations. I actually put of writing this letter until I received your final billing, just in case ...

From the instant that I arrived by ambulance at the ER through the moment I was released at the front door, I received first class health care. My experience was marked by exceptional professionalism and state of the art medical technology. These combined with attention to detail and a caring sensitivity on the part of EVERY Sycamore employee, made my surgery and recovery uneventful.

As I write this letter, I find myself thinking about literally dozens of little things that from the perception of this patient - made a BIG difference! As it turns out, each of those little things was in fact professionals performing professionally. Some examples of the little things that don't show up on the metrics -

I remember little of the ER, but I do remember Dr. Kwiatek and the time he took explaining his diagnosis and his attention to my pain. I don’t remember the diagnosis details, but I remember thinking he is going to make sure that I get what I need, when I need it!

I remember being prepared for surgery by two nurses and Dr. Bruce that made me tell them in detail about my symptoms and what I thought was about to take place - obvious attention to detail made this engineer feel much better!

Dr. Bullmaster - what can I say. From this side of the scalpel, this is the professional that you want. As much as I appreciate his surgical skills and the results achieved, his willingness to listen/explain and then immediately act upon our discussions earned my trust and my respect. His approach to pain management with the use of the “pain ball” and PCU with dilaudid was unbelievably effective, but again I had total confidence in his professional commitment to my needs! It’s easier to appreciate all of the little things when you’re not in pain.

The nurses and the aides made your system work. Their technical competency and their skills were obvious and I can’t express my gratitude and appreciation adequately. It was their sensitivity and caring that complemented those skills that made the difference! Again, from my perspective as the patient, here’s a sampling:

• I remember at 8:00 PM the doctor telling me and the nurse that I could have clear liquids and the nurse immediately volunteering to bring me broth and Jell-O cups - that was a BIG deal to me!
• I remember waking up the morning after surgery and meeting Kim and having her explain what had been done in surgery, what was going on and scheduled (i.e. fist walk, gastric tube instruction, breathing exercises, drugs on IV pole etc.) - there's that communication again! With all the things that Kim did to me and for me, it was her professional caring and her willingness to address concerns/requests in a timely manner that made me comfortable and confident. One of the little things that made a difference to me was seeing her direct the student nurses get me cleaned up, disconnected and ready for my walk and then the detailed check of the IV pole and various feed rates after everyone left. I noticed! I like lists and I like people checking and double checking.
• Concern - my favorite word! I had a concern and I spoke to Lori about it. She listened and she agreed to contact the doctor for me. She kept me informed and when the doctor called in, everything was addressed in a timely manner. Lori is also the nurse that stayed an extra twenty minutes after her shift to process my discharge paperwork since I was released by the doctor at 7:15 PM or so and she was CONCERNED that shift change could delay my eagerly awaited discharge.

On my various laps through the hallways, I spent some time with your posted metrics. As I started feeling better, I started paying more attention to how your company delivers the performance that made a difference from my perspective as the customer. I've quantified the unquantifiable, prepared my share of charts over the years and have come to appreciate the art. What I really like to see are the working metrics of an organization, the differentiators that make a real difference but seldom make the charts. It is those seemingly little things that move the competent to world class professional status. I certainly benefited from the dedication, professionalism and sensitivity of the entire staff which I believe is a result of management support, recognition of people and an environment that appreciates the importance of those 'little things'.

You have one great company! You and your employees deserve the Thomson Top 10! Your balance sheet has some great assets but the ones that make a difference go home at the end of their workday.