Planetree

“As a nationally recognized leader for patient and family engagement, Northern Westchester Hospital is committed to the heart of our mission: the delivery of high quality patientcentered care. Our goal in creating innovative programs and services is to fulfill the needs of our patients and their families. But the implementation of these programs would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of our staff, physicians, volunteers, and trustees, as well as a unique partnership with our robust patient and family advisory councils — all of which Planetree has helped us to nurture.”

“The Planetree philosophy helps staff and physicians appreciate the importance of meaningful patient and family interactions to quality outcomes. At NWH, patients and families are active participants in their care, and their unique preferences and values are respected and incorporated in the goals for recovery — this is the essence of Planetree and truly what healthcare is all about.”

““Planetree provided a valid approach that everyone could buy into. It didn’t create more work; it just created more synergy.””

““I don’t think Enloe would have gotten through the challenges we have had since 2018 if we hadn’t set on our course of person-centered care. Our Planetree journey helps us define and then live by our values. We became more resilient. We had more solid relationships. We weren’t fighting each other; we were working together. We knew how to communicate with our community and with our patients, and that helped us become a trusted resource in these times of difficulty.””

““We weren’t bringing Planetree in to give us a bunch of Planetree programs that would transform culture. We brought Planetree in for the values. We then took those values and translated them into something that is meaningful for us.””

““Our scores speak for themselves, and I think this showcases our commitment to our culture, and our continued desire to improve and elevate what person-centered excellence looks like at Fox Chase Cancer Center.””

““This increased our visibility and respect throughout the organization. FCCC staff now come to us and ask to present and attend our meetings,””

““We needed to attract and retain members that were engaged in the committee, and ready to show up to the table and drive change.””

““Planetree helped us to reinforce not just the patient side of things, but employee wellbeing and engagement as well,””

““We were looking to enhance our person-centered care, and looking internally, we knew that there were structural aspects that could be improved upon. Our goal was to raise our program to the next level, and after an abundance of research, I knew Planetree’s evidence-based framework was our best path forward to raise our program to the next level””

“Planetree has taken us to that next level. Our staff were so proud to receive the Gold Certification and to work in a place that strives to have that high standard of person-centered care. I think it is important to be Certified so that nationally, internationally, government-wise, they know we’re not just saying it, we’re actually being measured against person-centered standards.”

“Planetree is a belief system that starts from the inside and radiates outward, to the benefit of all. It makes us who we are, touching all areas of life at the Villa, including the work environment, operations, leadership, expertise, innovation and services.”

““Planetree is about empowering people to be their best self.  Our staff create more innovations and ideas for improvement when they are loved and cared for.””

““Adventist Health Howard Memorial has led the system in many important areas including patient experience and physician and employee engagement.  Our scores consistently put us in the top 10% of hospitals in the nation and we attribute our Planetree journey as key to the culture that has been created here.  I believe we are well positioned to share our Planetree journey with the rest of Adventist Health as we elevate all of our hospitals across the west to top decile performance.””

“Planetree Certification isn’t just an honor for us, but a responsibility to provide the best care every time, to every patient, every day. Always.”

“To this day, when our CEO talks about our Planetree Certification, she beams with pride and insists we point out the international distinction—we’re proud to count Joe DiMaggio among the best healthcare centers delivering patient- and family-centered care in the world. Our community is proud, our physicians are proud, and even our families are proud to get involved and have their voices make an impact.”

“Many hospitals may use the terminology ‘person-centered care,’ but this Certification tells the world that we are really and truly implementing it.”

“We consider accreditations and certifications the best learning methodologies. For somebody who wants to build a person-centered care culture, the Person-Centered Care Certification helps to train staff and build the culture in a fast period of time. If we didn’t have the Certification, we would go about it at our own pace and rhythm. It would have taken us more time.”

“The JCI standards that focus on systems and processes for patient safety and to ensure clinical quality are important, but they are not enough. On their own, they will not increase doctors’ satisfaction. They will not look at how well our staff is doing or look at wellness programs or how we are involving staff in task forces. The added value of Planetree has been the partnerships with patients and staff, and engaging with them to make this hospital better.”

““We are working to ensure patients feel confident in their treatment journey, feel connected to their care teams and engaged in their own care. Our ultimate goal is to deliver the best patient experience possible .””

““In the beginning, everyone was skeptical about whether you could survey patients,” said Dr. Philip Wilner. “They have difficulty concentrating, can be psychotic, and are often very sick nowadays if they’re in the hospital. But we learned quickly that those surveys were meaningful. Everyone keeps asking what’s happening in Westchester. I tell them Planetree.””

““There was a peacefulness I felt when I walked in,””