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Melanie Cole (Host): A time of illness is a stressful time for patients as well as for their families. The best-laid plans can go awry, judgment may be impaired, and put simply, you're not at your best when you're sick. Patients need someone who can look out of their best interests and help navigate the confusing healthcare system – in other words, an advocate. The staff at Palmdale Regional Medical Center wants you to have the best possible care as prescribed or recommended by those treating you. They also want you to know your rights as a patient; being your own best advocate can help ensure better outcomes. Here to tell us about the importance of patient advocacy is Jeanetta McDow. She's the director of patient experience and service excellence at Palmdale Regional Medical Center. Welcome to the show. Tell us about patient advocacy and what does that even mean.

Jeanetta McDow (Guest): Good morning. Thank you. For me, patient advocacy here at Palmdale Regional Medical Center, I become the eyes, the ears, the voice, the educator for our patients and their families. Anytime there's an issue, they will call and I will get involved. We are able together to resolve issues that pertain to any area while the patient is in the hospital. It could be regarding their bill, it could be a situation with a physician, it could be any area, and I'm there to assist them with the resolution.

Melanie: First of all, how do they find you? If they're admitted to the hospital, do you just show up in their room? Do they have to ask for you? How does that work?

Jeanetta: It’s a combination. We as leaders here at Palmdale Regional Medical Center round on our patients. Through that rounding and asking them about their stay and welcoming them to Palmdale Regional Medical Center, during that opportunity, we have dialogue. We're building relationships, so there are two ways; during our rounding process and/or if they ask the nurse for the patient advocate. Sometimes they call me directly, but the staff here will direct them to me.  

Melanie: Would some of the area of patient advocacy also include education for the patients and families, and how so in regards to maybe they're in there because they had a heart attack? Is education of the families and the patients maybe regarding nutrition, exercise, what to expect at cardiac rehab included as well?

Jeanetta: If there are dietary concerns or if there are rehabilitation concerns, we have experts here that are able to facilitate providing that kind of information. In terms of what I would do is I educate them on their insurance, I educate them on assisting with primary care physicians because many patients sometimes may not, so I give them assistance. We're trying to help them outside of this admission for future healthcare.

Melanie: What questions would you like the patient to be asking you as their advocate when you meet them for the first time? Do you have some tips of things that can make their relationship with the advocate just that much more comfortable so that you know that you're going to really serve them in the best interest of themselves?

Jeanetta: We have an amazing staff here and there's not always an opportunity for me as the advocate to get involved because the staff is also the advocates for the patients. In combination and in totality, all of us here are advocates for that patient. I just specialize when one is not able to resolve those issues that a patient may have, but again, during our rounding exercise, we're able to ascertain concerns that a patient may have and resolve those timely and very quickly. That's the benefit of it all, that we as a hospital staff, are all advocates for our patients and their families.

Melanie: What about patient’s rights and patient’s privacy? Are those large factors in what you provide for the patients at Palmdale Regional?

Jeanetta: Absolutely.

Melanie: Tell us a little bit about patient rights. How do you explain this to them?

Jeanetta: There is literature that we go over with our patients when they're admitted to our hospital that explains what their rights are. They can choose or deny services and many times we have nurse educators that can explain things that are going to occur to make them comfortable if they give them good information – information that helps that patient make a really good decision along with their family. As a hospital staff and personnel, we are all able to provide complete patient advocacy.

Melanie: Along with patient rights, they have some responsibilities as well. Is that in the literature and you inform them about that?

Jeanetta: Yes.

Melanie: What would you like them to know about things that you feel are important when they are admitted or whether their families should be involved? Should their families be involved in all of this?

Jeanetta: Sometimes patients are not able to advocate for themselves and their family is the voice and the ears and the eyes. The family will provide information that is meaningful to the care of that patient. For us, it’s really all about the patient. When they come to a hospital, they're not here necessarily because they want to be here; they're here because they have to be here. We try as hard as possible to make that experience the best experience that it could be while being in a hospital setting.

Melanie: What other departments or types of agencies both in-house and out in the community do you work with to assist with a patient's needs or concerns?

Jeanetta: Sometimes there are needs that may require I refer to an outside agency, for example, because it’s about touching lives and it’s about providing complete care and just making sure that our customers are satisfied with the care and the processes here at Palmdale Regional Medical Center. What happens sometimes is they’ll ask questions that go beyond what we do here at the hospital, and so for me, it’s about whatever I can do to help that person, I will do that and I have a situation where a person is needing some assistance with a home health entity outside of here. For me, I will make the connection and get the information and provide it to the patient and the family externally because they trust and rely on us, and it goes beyond this box right here – it’s doing whatever you do to make sure that it’s complete. That’s what we’re about. We’re about touching lives. We’re about doing what it takes to make things happen, and that’s what I do as an advocate here at Palmdale Regional along with a lot of the staff here.

Melanie: In summary, what would you like people to know about being their own best patient advocate getting their families involved and utilizing the advocacy services at Palmdale Regional Medical Center?

Jeanetta: I'd like to probably close us by saying it's important to ask questions. If we don't know the answer, we will get the answer. Ask questions, take notes, really good notes and just be humankind. It's about human kindness as well. Be humankind, take notes, ask lots of questions and be that advocate for your family.

Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You're listening to Palmdale Regional Radio with Palmdale Regional Medical Center. For more information, please visit palmdaleregional.com. That’s palmdaleregional.com. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.