D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May 2010
The Difference That Makes a Difference
Following a tradition that dates to Hippocrates, Planetree facilities such as Gila Regional Medical Center treat the whole patient.
By Deborah Elster
When I came to Gila Regional Medical Center (GRMC) in Silver City as a physical therapist "traveler," my intention was to complete my 13-week assignment and, possibly, extend to nine months. From the very first day, however, I knew there was something very different here from any of the many varied settings where I've worked in 36 years as a healthcare provider. The main reason I decided to become a permanent employee at GRMC is that Planetree difference.
GRMC is one of more than 80 healthcare settings across the US and Canada affiliated with the nonprofit Planetree organization, founded in 1978. Planetree's mission is "to serve as a catalyst in the development and implementation of new models of health care which focus on healing and nurturing body, mind and spirit. These models integrate human caring with the best of scientific medicine and complementary healing."
At GRMC, our rehab department encompasses this Planetree model from the start of every day. We take a moment, before treating our first patient of the day, to listen to a reading related to the workplace and to meditate on its emphasis. Within our department, we have our own committees to address all our pillars of concern and interest so that we present a patient-centered outpatient clinic aligned with the hospital's components of the Planetree model. Under the Planetree umbrella, work tends to be a celebration — for we celebrate who we are as caregivers by giving the best care to each of our patients.
The name "Planetree" references Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who was said to have sat beneath a planetree (or sycamore) to teach his medical students. Hippocrates stressed that quality healthcare should be patient-focused and that the environment was an important factor in healing. Though this concept of patient-focused care was first voiced centuries ago, some current-day patients' experiences may still tend to make this a novel idea.
Today's Planetree organization was born more than 30 years ago, when a woman named Angelica Thieriot was battling a rare viral infection. She sat staring at cold, blank walls in her hospital room. She battled to get better, yet her experience of de-personalized care threatened to outweigh the benefits of the high-tech hospital care. Following her discharge from the hospital, Thieriot became aware that her dehumanized hospital experiences were not the exception for others. She desired to make a difference. She envisioned a hospital-care model where patients could receive their care in a truly healing environment — one that allowed them to become active participants in their care.
In 1978, Thieriot founded the non-profit organization Planetree, which aimed to revamp the model of care in health facilities and give the patient the personalized focus each deserved to heal in a holistic atmosphere. With a planning and advisory board formed under her direction, the first Planetree unit was opened in a 13-bed medical/surgical unit in a large San Francisco medical center.
Since its inception, Planetree has grown to be an internationally recognized leader in patient-centered health care. Its affiliate sites range from small rural hospitals (25 beds) to large urban medical centers (over 2,000 beds) and include acute and critical care, emergency departments, long-term care, outpatient services, ambulatory care and community health centers.
The Planetree philosophy facilitates efforts to create patient-centered care in healing environments, utilizing a holistic care model, so that the care given to each individual ensures that all needs of mind, body and spirit are met. It strives to personalize and demystify the healthcare experience for patients and their families; it encourages patients to be active participants in their care.
The beliefs statement of Planetree is empowering to not only the patient, but to the caregivers, too. It states, "We believe that we are human beings, caring for other human beings; we are all caregivers; care giving is best achieved through kindness and compassion; safe, accessible, high quality care is fundamental to patient-centered care; in a holistic approach to meeting people's needs of body, mind and spirit; families, friends and loved ones are vital to the healing process; access to understandable health information can empower individuals to participate in their health care; the opportunity for individuals to make personal choices related to their care is essential; physical environments can enhance healing, health and wellbeing; illness can be a transformational experience for patients, families and caregiver."
In southwest New Mexico, the Planetree philosophy is represented by Gila Regional Medical Center, a non-profit hospital owned by Grant County. GRMC is the largest hospital in a 100-mile radius, licensed for 68 beds and 12 basinettes. Its commitment to patient-centered care is right on the GRMC website: "Our proclamation for patient-centered care: We proclaim this truth, which we hold to be self-evident: A patient is an individual to be cared for, not a medical condition to be treated."