Page 7 - Simi Valley Hospital | Your Health | Spring 2013

SURGERY
Soothing surgery anxiety
Whole-person care sets a tone of calm
for Aspen Surgery Center patients
IT was on a visit to a San Francisco
museum that Jeanine Maurer,
director of the Aspen Surgery Center
on the Simi Valley Hospital campus,
had a flash of insight about how to
make the surgery experience better
for patients.
In an
area where
behind-the-
scenes tours
take place at
the museum, Maurer discovered an
album filled with photos and brief
bios of museum employees.
“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be a
great way to remove the barriers
between patients and staff?’” Maurer
recalled, adding that she is working
toward creating a version of the
book she saw at the museum.
The idea of a staff introduction
book in the waiting area of the
Aspen Surgery Center is just one
component of a far-reaching effort to
help patients experience their visit to
the center in a whole new way.
“Stress has a huge impact on how
the human body heals,” Maurer said.
“We know that stress begins the
minute someone learns that they are
going to have to have surgery, so our
goal at the Aspen Surgery Center
is—from the beginning—to reduce
their stress. Ultimately, that helps
patients experience a better, faster
recovery and healing.”
Beyond physical care
The focus at the Aspen Surgery
Center is on whole-person care—
considering not just the body and
the physical ailment that requires
surgery, but also the mind and
the spirit. So along with carefully
monitoring their patients’ physical
needs, staff members also address
their spiritual needs, such as praying
with patients if they request it.
A recent major renovation at
the facility was also driven by the
center’s commitment to a positive
patient experience.
“The whole idea
was to create an
atmosphere that was
the least stressful it
could possibly be for
our patients,” Maurer said.
Warm colors on the walls, darker
wood accents and nature-themed
artwork have a calming effect on
patients and help to reduce their
anxiety, she said.
Starting at home
The focus on the whole person
extends beyond Aspen Surgery Center
patients to the nurses and other staff
members who provide care.
“If we’re not healthy and content,
we can’t provide the best experience
for our patients,” Maurer said.
The facility renovation has
addressed that need in part,
she said, and the center has
other initiatives in place to help
employees feel supported from
a whole-person standpoint. The
process is beginning with the
center’s leadership team, who are
then passing their knowledge and
insight on to other staff members.
In turn, Maurer believes, a more
in-touch staff will help patients feel
calmer and more supported during
their visit to the center.
“In our relationships with our
patients, it’s all about individual
attention and quality care,” Maurer
said. “In order to make that happen
and for patients to have the best
possible experience at the Aspen
Surgery Center, we reach out to them
in ways that affect them beyond
their obvious physical needs.”
Reducing stress helps patients
recover faster and heal better
after surgery.
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For more information about the Aspen Surgery Center, call 805-955-8008.