The Look

You know that look people get when they’re lost?

They look down one hallway, then another, trying to figure out where on earth they’re supposed to go.

At GBMC, it is an understandable look. Our campus is built into the side of a hill, which means there seems to be an entrance to the outside on almost every floor. You walk through our main entrance on the third floor, go up two flights of stairs, and suddenly you’re on the fifth floor. Our garages are named after flowers, which probably helps some people, but I have to admit that flowers are not exactly my area of expertise.

When I first came to GBMC, I had a hard time learning my way around. Every time I looked lost, someone stopped and showed me where to go. At our volunteer celebration last year, I even joked that people needed to let me look lost once in a while so I could finally learn the campus.

I may not know every hallway yet, but I have learned to recognize the look.

Recently, I noticed a woman who clearly had it. I stopped and asked if she needed help. She told me she had left the area where she had an appointment to get a cup of coffee and could not figure out how to get back.

So, I offered to walk her there.

As we walked, she told me that she had needed to come to GBMC more frequently over the past three or four months while being treated for an illness. During that time, many members of our team had noticed when she needed help and walked her where she needed to go.

She asked what I did at GBMC, and I told her I was the president. She seemed a little surprised and became a little teary. Then she thanked me for creating a culture where people cared enough to do that.

I had to correct her.

I told her this culture was here long before I arrived. In fact, when I first came to GBMC and frequently looked lost myself, our team members did exactly the same thing for me. They stopped, asked if I needed help, and showed me where to go.

I did not create this culture. The people of GBMC taught it to me.

Over time, I have learned not only how to find my way around our campus, but also how to recognize when someone else needs help. I learned that from all of you.

How cool is that?

That made my day. Not because of anything I had done, but because she had experienced that same kindness repeatedly from so many members of our team. That is our culture, and we should be proud of it.

Think about our mission: At every stage of life, we provide the care that we would want for our loved ones.

Imagine it is your mom or dad coming to GBMC for an appointment, or your grown son or daughter navigating healthcare on their own. Maybe they parked farther away than they realized, entered on a floor they were not expecting, or could not remember which flower garage they used. Wouldn’t you want someone to notice and take a little extra time to help?

I know I would.

We talk a lot about Frictionless Access as part of our strategy, Care Built Around You. Usually, we mean making it easier to schedule an appointment, receive care, and navigate the healthcare system without unnecessary hurdles.

But sometimes Frictionless Access is simply noticing that someone looks lost and walking with them.

You do not have to be a physician, nurse, or someone directly involved in clinical care to deliver Care Built Around You. Every person who works here has a role in how patients and families experience GBMC. You may never provide a treatment or enter a patient room, but you can still make someone feel seen, supported, and cared for.

That is our mission, our values, and Care Built Around You brought to life in a very simple way.

Across our hospital, practices, Gilchrist, and affiliates, I see people going out of their way to make someone else’s day a little easier. We spend a great deal of time working on the big things that make healthcare better. But the small things matter, too.

To the many team members who take the time to notice when someone needs help, thank you. You may think you are simply walking someone to an appointment. But to that person, you may have made the most stressful part of their day a whole lot easier.

So, the next time you see the look, ask.

That is the kind of care I would want for my family. And it is the kind of care I am proud to see across GBMC HealthCare.