“Dignified Healthcare” in the Emergency Department

You’re a name, not a number.

Like most hospitals, the emergency department at Johnson Memorial Health Services cares for patients with severe conditions and injuries. What’s different is its philosophy of dignified healthcare that stresses patient communication and treating people as individuals, not conditions.

“Patients are supposed to be involved in shared decision-making. It’s not a domineering approach,” says Ayaz Virji, M.D., FAAFP, JMHS’s medical director. “It’s very different when you’re taking care of Mr. Jones with chest pain, not the chest pain in room one,” says Virji.

Patients also benefit from an integrative approach. “It’s not uncommon that the provider you see in the ED is the one who will follow up with you in the hospital — providers you’ve known for the past 10 or 15 years. That makes a big difference in whole-person care, which is caring for patients with medical conditions, not medical conditions attached to patients,” says Virji.

The department is staffed by nine medical providers who are all Johnson Memorial employees. “We don’t use staffing agencies,” says Virji. The emergency department also uses advanced technology, like laryngoscopy and ultrasound equipment, that’s available at the bedside. “Patients can be comfortable they’re receiving the latest in evidence-based medicine, while being treated as a whole person.” he says. So, if you experience an emergency, you can count on the team at JMHS to care for you.