Experience Week: Shoutouts from Our Patient Families

Summary

Our patient families are singing the praises of the care they received here at Cook Children's.

Our patient families are asked to fill out a Press Ganey survey about their experience at Cook Children's. So many of them have heartfelt compliments about how well they were treated while they were here. They describe how their positive interactions with our staff members made their child's experience more comfortable and less scary and helped parents feel more confident and less stress.

We chose some comments from the survey to give you an idea of how some of our families answered when prompted: "Is there anyone you would like to recognize?”

Marissa and Lori are amazing nurses! They each took the time to get to know us and our child. They really personalized our stay and tailored it to our needs. They DID NOT make us feel like a number but part of the Cook Children’s family. Lori helped with pain management as we were ready to leave and (patient) started crying that her ear hurt. We did not feel rushed and instead we were allowed to leave when we felt comfortable. They are great assets to the surgical center team and their love for their job is shown through their heartfelt actions! Keep up the great work!

I believe her name was Denise. She was the nurse that helped my daughter right after the surgery and she walked us down to our car. She was so sweet and my daughter talked about how nice she was after she woke up. I also want to recognize Kelly. She was the nurse we first dealt with during prep. She was fun to talk to and very informative. Cliff and Robert were both great as well. I think it is amazing that they take the time to come help out. The anesthesiologist was so informative and so down to earth. And I can't forget Dr. Combs. She was so friendly and informative and explained everything so clearly to me. I can't remember the names of everyone we encountered but everyone was great (even in the cafeteria, they were so nice). I have never experienced that before. I definitely would recommend anyone to bring their child to your facility and I am so grateful that we came to Fort Worth for the procedure.

Lauren RN for Emergency Department. She was incredibly kind and it was easy to tell how much she cared. She was willing to go the extra mile for us and it was so appreciated. She made sure we understood the plan clearly and that we were ok with the plan. I would love to thank her.

We were so humbled by the level of care and support Cook Children’s provides. We were never alone wondering how we would possibly take the next step forward after our son's diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. We had nurses, doctors, therapists, and educational resources at our disposal Immediately and even after leaving the hospital. The cleanliness of the facilities, the design of the building, the play areas, the cafeteria, the visits from the chaplain, the Nerf gift from the child care specialist, the visits with the diabetes educators, the communication between departments, the patience of answering and explaining the same answer over and over again, the provision of coffee and water, the joy of the staff, and on and on. Thank you for being there for us.

I loved how there was a team of different providers present during this visit and it made me feel like the team was going above and beyond to be collaborative in the plan for my child. Dr. Mayfield answered all of my questions but also all of my daughter's questions. He always takes as much time as necessary. Mary, the physical therapist, was especially amazing. After hearing discouraging information from other providers (outside Cook Children's), Mary gave us hope. I felt like she took extra time with us and went above and beyond to make sure my daughter got what she needed. The entire team collaborated flawlessly and I felt as if we all shared the same vision for my daughter. The wait for my appointment (both to get called back to an exam room and to see a provider) was amazing. I don't think I've ever experienced such a short wait. You guys are doing an amazing job.

Fabi! She was amazing, from scheduling our first appointment, to guiding me to do the e-check-in a day before my appointment, to after my daughter’s visit. She was so kind and willing to help with scheduling her next well-child visit. She was kind enough to help with the doctor’s note for my child’s return to school and offered a lollipop and sticker for shots. My daughter loved how kind she was. We need more people like FabiI!

Gennie, his nurse prior to surgery. She went out of her way to calm him, know his preference, and gain his trust. She even stopped by after his procedure because she saw his name still on the board. She went over and beyond. She was patient and explained things. The person who put his IV in was so great with him and made sure he made a connection with him. Michelle and Gennie sang to him to calm him and stated they would not move him until he was calm.

The Cook's Children's Hospital security went above and beyond to help me. When I left to take my oldest daughter home while my wife stayed with our youngest daughter, not only did they give me directions to the Seventh Avenue parking garage, they had a security guard drive me there.

Dr. Parikh was amazing with our son. After the visit, he had a huge smile and said, "That was a very good visit! Dr. Parikh is funny! She saw a frog in my mouth!" He's just under age three and was nervous before the visit. He still talks about how wonderful and funny she is. I also felt heard and supported as a parent. My concerns were addressed, and I felt better and more at ease after speaking with her.

The gentleman that did (patient's) MRI was fantastic! I wish I could remember his name. He was so patient with her. She had a lot of anxiety about the procedure and he explained everything step by step, he was funny and made her laugh and put her at ease. He even showed her a model of the MRI machine. She's 17 but it really helped.

The nurses were fabulous and made it a great experience. I also loved the volunteers that sit with your child so you can grab food or whatever. Deena sat in with (patient) a few times so I could get food and drinks and she was so kind and understanding and did such a great job keeping her entertained

We went to the Hurst Urgent Care after my 3-year-old shoved cotton swabs in her ears and was screaming in pain. Even though they were appointment-only and we did not have an appointment, they saw her anyway. They got her back quickly and examined her and we were sent home with peace of mind that she didn't do any major damage. I cannot even express how thankful I am for how caring and attentive the staff was during a chaotic moment. They didn't even have to see us, but they did and they went above and beyond. And throughout our visit, they patiently talked to her sister and just showed so much care and attention to both of my kids. I'm incredibly grateful that such an amazing staff is at a location close to us. I will forever recommend this location to anyone looking for care.

We had a great experience with everyone there. The Child Life staff was so great with the siblings as well. Heather and Sydney were thoughtful and so helpful in helping the siblings deal with their sister's prognosis. The Build-A-Bear staff were so friendly and thoughtful as they helped the kids make bears with a sound of their sister in them. Thank you so much.

Dr. Jou, our anesthesiologist, was so sweet and kind. (Patient) just loved her and she is in the height of her "stranger danger" phase, so for (Patient) to go right to her was so comforting to us! She made us so comfortable about the anesthesia process, which is what I was most nervous about! We were so thankful to her. Everyone was wonderful!

Abby Richardson, a nurse anesthetist, went above and beyond the call of duty. She knew how worried we were and she made special arrangements to be there for us. She greeted (the patient) with a special gift to comfort him, and provided a coffee card for my husband and me to get a coffee while our baby was out of our arms. She promised to be with him the whole time and she was. She truly provided whole patient care, and care to us as his parents. We couldn't have let him go through this without Abby. She is a gem and should be recognized as such. We will forever choose to drive from Colorado to Cook Children’s for all of our kid's needs, because of people like Abby.

Everyone we had contact with was amazing! The doctor made sure that my daughter felt seen. She didn't just talk about the injury, she told her she was beautiful and asked to spend time with her. I have no words for the team that came in and performed the closure. The care and attention each one gave went above my expectations. The child specialist didn't ignore her because she was a child. Instead she acknowledged and talked her through her feelings, explained the steps before anything was done, and answered all questions my daughter had. The assisting nurse took extra care even in giving the shot. They made sure that my daughter felt nothing. After the painful part was over she even noticed my daughter's tears had fallen into her ears. She then took the time to dry all of her tears. The technician’s energy, speed, and willingness to explain everything were more than I could've ever hoped for. She even sat with my daughter as she explained the after-care procedures. She listened to my concerns and went over any questions I had. This team made a bad situation a complete walk in the park. Their care took away all stress and anxiety of being there. I couldn't tell those women thank you enough.

This was our first visit to an endocrinology specialist at Cook Children’s. This was among the best experiences I've had as a parent with the Cook Children’s system since 2007! We had literally no wait upon checking in to getting into the exam room, then got to meet Shante who was so happy and immediately put me and my daughter at ease! Dr. Thomas was a terrific referral, as well. That we didn't have to wait too long to get my daughter an appointment was of high importance to me. I found Dr. Thomas to be very great with teen girls, and answering moms’ questions. The scheduling coordinator was able to get (the patient) in at the Hurst location sooner, even though we live closer to Denton. Dr. Thomas was very accommodating about her NP and the other female MD colleague out of the Denton office about (patient's) follow-ups during so we don't have to travel so far, and she spoke very highly of both. I also appreciated how thorough she was in (patient's) appointment and took her time. Nothing felt rushed, she took all the time we needed and made sure before we left that we had all of our questions answered and knew how to reach her if we had any other questions arise.

Meghan would play my son’s favorite Christian song while he was intubated in the PICU. Hannah was the best. She made us feel so loved and took awesome care of us. Lauren helped me in one of the hardest times of my life. Katie cared for my son multiple times and did awesome. Bailey rocked my son when he needed to be comforted and I wasn't there. Dr. Perez is hands down the best rheumatologist around. She explained things in an easy way. She took care of my 5-year-old son just like she would her own child.

Our surgeon, Dr. Interiano, was amazing. He was so empathetic and took his time to talk to us and quell our fears. He was also very thorough in his explanations of the end result of our son's surgery. Child life specialists were both amazing. I wish I could remember their names. The child life specialist upon admission was just - wow! - she had a name like Mary Beth or a similar double name. The amount of patience, empathy and understanding she demonstrated for our son was astronomical. She was so very kind and just absolutely wonderful. The next day, the child life specialist who helped our son get past his fears of IV removal was also very nice and empathetic. And finally, the nurses. Wow! Every single one of them is amazing! They were kind, attentive, and responsive. Every question and request was answered. Every need was met. It felt like being with family. Thank you, Cook Children's, for gifting us with such an amazing care experience. If I had to do it again (which I hope I don't), I would not hesitate to spend a night in your hospital again.

Bryan in Nuclear Medicine was so nice and thoroughly explained the procedure my child was having. It was super scary because my baby is only four-months-old but he reassured me and went over the process a second time to make sure I understood and he kept asking if I had any questions before we started to make sure I was comfortable. Also, the lady that did my son's X-ray was the same exact way. She explained everything and asked if I had any questions and made sure I was comfortable with everything, but I forgot her name.

The gentleman who came in and put the splint on my daughter was awesome! I can't remember his name and I apologize for that but I believe he said he was an orthopedic tech. He communicated with our daughter about what he was doing and spoke with her about her nails and things that would interest her while keeping her little mind at ease for such a scary situation. The entire team was very attentive and reassuring, and we're very grateful for that because she was scared because she thought she would be given shots. (She received shots two weeks ago and was a little traumatized by that experience.) But this gentleman stood out from the rest of the team! Thank you, sir, for being awesome!