GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexho USA, the nation's leading provider of food and facilities management services to hospitals and healthcare facilities, today officially announced the launch of its "Total Patient Experience," a sweeping new initiative that will revolutionize the hospital experience for patients, visitors and hospital staff.
Beginning in June, the Total Patient Experience program will be piloted at a number of Sodexho's most prestigious accounts, with a company-wide rollout targeted to begin in early 2006. The locations of the pilot accounts were not announced.
Sodexho officials said the new initiative will dramatically change the way non-medical services are offered in hospitals, with the potential to impact nearly every facet of the facility's environment -- from the way employees are hired to how meals are served to the types of entertainment and hospitality options provided to patients. While the various initiatives included in the Total Patient Experience are generally targeted to patients, Sodexho anticipates providing a better experience and environment for visitors and staff as well.
"Americans have come to expect an extremely high standard of care when they enter a hospital, but oftentimes other aspects of the healthcare environment are viewed as being of secondary importance to the quality of core medical services. But in fact, over 80% of the time a patient spends in the hospital is not related to direct medical care," said George Chavel, president of Sodexho's Health Care Services Division, which provides patient food and nutrition services, restaurant dining, environmental services, engineering and patient transport services to 1,800 hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities across the US. "With the introduction of Sodexho's Total Patient Experience, patients will enjoy a different level of service and an exciting range of innovative concepts that will utterly change their expectations when it comes to a hospital stay. The goal is to create an experience that rivals what you'd enjoy at a nice hotel or a luxury resort."
Under the initiative, Sodexho will introduce a range of new services not traditionally found in hospitals today, while enhancing existing signature Sodexho programs including At Your Request ... Room Service Dining(SM) and Wellness & You(SM). To further ensure the success of this customer-centric program, the company is currently recruiting for the newly created role of Senior Vice President for Patient Experience.
Chavel said the initiative will require a cultural change in the way non- medical service is regarded in the hospital setting, and as a result Sodexho is implementing hiring criteria that places greater emphasis on a prospective employee's ability to interact in a positive and empathetic manner with patients.
"Doctors and nurses are often judged on their bedside manner, and we think our people play just as important a role in providing a positive environment to patients and should be able to demonstrate a similar sense of caring and commitment," Chavel said. "By believing and understanding that patients are the heart of everything we do, our teams will be focused on the details that really make a difference-the things that really drive patient satisfaction."
Sodexho USA (http://www.sodexhousa.com/) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.
Sodexho USACONTACT: Sarah Cody of Sodexho USA, +1-301-987-4413, orSarah.Cody@sodexhoUSA.com
Web site: http://www.sodexhousa.com/