Transition Celebrations help patients as they leave clinical setting
The thought of leaving the hospital may terrify some behavioral health patients, many of whom spend days and weeks learning to cope with their diagnosis. Such feelings are not unusual, according to Shawna Jaworowski, MA, CPXP, director of Human Centered Care with the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network (BHN), who adds that a new practice piloted at The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) and launching at all BHN sites soon, should help patients make smoother, less anxious adjustments from hospital to home.
Called Transition Celebrations, the practice is the result of a desire to support and instill self-confidence in patients, reinforce skills taught during hospitalization and enhance the overall patient experience. Staff also ask what, if anything, could be improved upon based on the patient’s stay. Patients are then given a card, soothing stone or other token to represent their recovery.
“This is something that has been a best practice in acute care and we’re applying it in our setting,” Jaworowski said, adding that BHN staff conducted patient focus groups over the last 18 months and one of the areas targeted for improvement was the discharge (transition) process.
“Patients felt uninformed, that it was just a process to get them out the door.”
Transition Celebrations take place just before a patient’s transition, when three or more members of the team who cared for the person gather to recognize what he or she has done while in the hospital “toward their own health and healing so that they’re ready for the next level of care.”
The focus, Jaworowski stresses, is underscoring that the patient is an integral part of the treatment team. They are encouraged to ask questions of the clinical team members who also tell them to expect a follow-up phone call within two days of discharge.
“The important part is that it’s a celebration, a time to say ‘You’ve done this for yourself and we’re so happy for you!’” she said.
These Transition Celebrations not only boost the spirits of BHN patients — and allay some of their concerns about leaving the structure of the hospital setting — they benefit the staff as well.
“The team walks away feeling great about the work that we do,” Jaworowski said.
It seems like a minor step, but the practice is having major results. In the first three months, the program’s national ranking, based on feedback from patients, jumped to 73 from just 27 in the same time-frame last year. In addition, the overall rating of care climbed from 49 last year to 79 this spring.
Transition Celebrations will begin soon at the Institute of Living, Natchaug and Backus hospitals and Rushford, where Jaworowski said the different nature of treatment might mean a unique interpretation of the practice. In addition, she said the system is looking into organizing similar celebrations for patients in oncology and other acute care areas where chronic or serious illness can leave them feeling helpless and vulnerable.
For information about Transition Celebrations, you can speak to the patient advocate at the location nearest you. For the Hartford region, call 860.972.1100; for the Central region, all 860.224.5391; and for the East region, call 860.889.8331, ext. 6828.