A positive way to enhance your department’s image, both internally and externally, is through special events. The following are a number of ideas to help promote awareness about your department during National Healthcare Access Personnel Week:

Open House for family members of Access Staff
Inviting your staff’s family to the Access Department can be a great way to enhance recognition of what patient access is all about. Keep in mind that when planning an open house, it’s important to offer such attractions as refreshments, exhibits, a true/false fact quiz, or blood pressure screening.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guidelines and approval 6 – 8 weeks prior to open house
• Send invitations to homes of Access Staff
• Contact Food Service Manger about refreshments
• Develop true/false fact quiz about your department
• Arrange for giveaways (i.e. balloons, magnets or buttons, posters)
• Develop exhibits about your department
• Arrange for hospital tours

Recognition Luncheon for Access Staff

A luncheon during National Healthcare Access Personnel Week is an excellent way to boost the morale of your department. Depending on your budget, you can have a potluck in the department, a special luncheon prepared by your hospital’s dietary staff, or a catered meal in a conference room. This is a good time for you or the hospital administrator to present recognition certificates to your staff.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guidelines and approval 4-6 weeks prior to luncheon
• Determine budget and decide on type of luncheon (contact Food Services Manager for suggestions)
• Arrange for room if not having luncheon in your department
• Invite hospital administrator and other key management as special luncheon guests
• Arrange for special recognition certificates to be given to staff members

Employee and Volunteer Open House

A department open house is a good opportunity to introduce hospital employees and volunteers to your area.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guidelines and approval 4-6 weeks prior to open house
• Contact Public Relations Director to help publicize event internally
• Contact Food Services manager about refreshments
• Send one invitation to each department and request to post
• Create flyer announcing open house and post throughout the hospital one week before event
• Send invitations to hospital auxiliary members
• Arrange for giveaways (i.e. balloons, buttons, or posters)
• Arrange for nurse(s) to do blood pressure screening
• Develop true/false fact quiz about your department (i.e. 'Last year 2,333 patients were admitted …true or false)
• Have staff develop department exhibits

 

Honor your Physicians and their office staff

National Healthcare Access Personnel Week is a perfect opportunity for your department to recognize the physicians and their office staffs you work with year round. Delivering a recognition certificate, accompanied by a poster, buttons/magnets, balloons (to pediatrician offices), and a plant or flowers (budget permitting), is an excellent way to show your appreciation.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guidelines and approval 4-6 weeks prior to event
• Contact Medical Staff office to alert them about plans
• Contact Volunteer Coordinator and request hospital auxiliary to help assemble and deliver packages

 

Patients’ Day

Let the patients in your hospital know you care by dedicating a day in their honor. Your hospital auxiliary can serve cookies and punch to patients and their visitors, and tie balloons onto the wheelchairs used to transport patients throughout the hospital.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guidelines and approval 4-6 weeks prior to event
• Contact Nursing Unit Managers to alert them to date and time of patient visits
• Contact Volunteer Coordinator and request assistance of hospital auxiliary
• Order cookies and punch through Food Services Manager

 

Educational Seminar

This program can be a valuable motivational experience for the Access staff. Suggested topics include 'How to Enhance Your Image,' and 'Creative Time Management.' This would also be an excellent opportunity to invite other hospital staff to a seminar on how the Access Department functions.

Checklist:

• Eight Weeks prior to seminar secure budget approval from Administration for bringing special guest speaker(s) to your hospital
• Once approved, contact speaker and arrange seminar format
• Arrange for conference room to hold seminar (two sessions may be needed to accommodate entire staff)
• Arrange schedules so entire staff can attend seminar

 

Teddy Bear and Doll Clinic

This event, co-sponsored with the Emergency Department, is a great way to acquaint the community with your department, help to ease children’s fears of hospital, and provide an opportunity for media coverage. Children bring their broken or torn dolls to your hospital to be admitted, examined, and treated. In addition to having 'doctors' on hand to mend or repair the teddy bears and dolls, you can offer refreshments, hospital tours, fingerprinting, balloons, health screenings (i.e. blood pressure, height/weight, eye, etc.) and information booths on poison prevention, how to dial 911, and CPR. This is an EXCELLENT opportunity to invite your local media in to your facility to cover the event.

Checklist:

• Contact Administration for guideline and approval 10-12 weeks prior to event for guidelines and approval
• Hold event on weekend to increase community participation and media coverage
• Establish a planning committee 10-12 weeks prior to clinic to organize event. Have representatives from the Access, Emergency, Food Services and Marketing/Community Relations Departments serve on committee
• Contact Community Relations Director to coordinate internal and external publicity (i.e. article in employee newsletter, news release, flyers to local schools)
• Send invitations to local schools, churches and day care centers
• Coordinate refreshments with Food Service Manager
• Request hospital auxiliary to assist with hospital tours, refreshments, balloon giveaways, etc.
• Contact Housekeeping Department for trash containers, and assistance with set-up and clean-up
• Alert switchboard, information desk and security staff about place and time of event
• Arrange for giveaways (i.e. balloons, posters, magnets, and buttons)
• Have security help direct traffic on day of event
• Make list of necessary supplies and materials (i.e. balloons, ID armbands or teddy bears and dolls, tape, Band-Aids, needles and thread, etc.)

Sample Timeline of Events*