Nena Speed, a Savannah College of Art and Design student, had been suffering from an unexplained rash for several months and tried treating it herself with numerous creams and ointments. Being new to Smyrna, Georgia, she just didn’t have any idea about doctors in the area and she didn’t want to take the time out of her busy school and work schedule to find one.
One day while sitting in class, she thought the itching was about to make her jump out of her skin. She knew the time had come to seek medical treatment for the rash and left class early. She found Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna listed in the Smyrna area on the internet and recognized the Emory name as offering excellent health care. She decided she would make a trip to the Emergency Department right then.
She had always been skeptical of emergency departments because she knew the wait time could be extremely long and her past experience had made her feel like just another number. When she entered the Emory-Adventist Hospital Emergency Department, she was warmly welcomed and the registrar promptly took all of her information. Wow, she was already pleasantly surprised! Nena seated herself in the waiting room and pulled out her computer to settle in for what she thought would be a long wait. She would make the most of her wait time by getting some school work done. Before she could even boot up her computer, a nurse came out to give her a patient band and escort her to a treatment room.
Within just a few minutes, Sandra Wiley, a physician assistant, came in to care for her. Nena was amazed at how friendly and concerned Ms. Wiley was for her. Nena said, “She talked to me and treated me like a human being.” She had rarely experienced this type of medical care before. Wiley could tell how concerned Nena was about her condition and reassured her. She said, “Don’t worry, we will fix you.” Wiley diagnosed her condition and prescribed some medication. Nena said that the P.A. was very considerate of the fact that she was a college student and ordered medication that was affordable for her.
After Nena was treated, a friendly financial counselor came in to talk with her. The counselor worked out a payment plan that was realistic for someone working their way through college. From Nena’s past experience this was a difficult process at other facilities but Emory-Adventist Hospital had made this part of the visit less uncomfortable. She felt the hospital was concerned about treating her and not just about collecting money.
Nena said the entire visit to the Emergency Department offered, “Customer attention that you just don’t get anymore.” She felt that everyone had been consistently concerned and nice throughout her visit. Within 35 minutes, Nena was in and out of the Emergency Department and on her way to getting well.
Nena Speed had such a good feeling about Emory-Adventist Hospital that she decided to check out the hospital’s website for employment opportunities that same day. She was fortunate enough to get an interview. During her interview process, the recruiter began to explain the expectations for hospital employees. Before the recruiter could even begin, Nena said, “Wait, I have to tell you, I know the expectations!” She began to describe in detail her visit to the Emergency Department.
Just a few weeks later, Nena was hired as a part-time Emergency Department Unit Secretary. It must have been love at first……visit. Why else would she go in as a patient and then find her place as an employee at Emory-Adventist Hospital?