So onto the bus I went. As we drove up to the front of the hospital I couldn’t help but notice that it looked pretty much like any regular hospital (albeit slightly sexier and with newer construction). However things changed quickly from there. We were dropped off in a circular drive and had there been a valet to open the door and ask about luggage, I might have thought I was entering a hotel. The lobby did feel more hotel-like than hospital. There were huge ceilings with windows top to bottom. It was light, with attractive lounge areas that were tastefully and expensively appointed and straight ahead of me two concierge areas. Also, some nice art. Our group was greeted by friendly staff members who gave us an overview and answered some of our questions. Then they divided us into smaller groups for a tour of the hospital.- The hospital was just 9 months old and currently already at 100% capacity. This place is popular!
- It didn’t seem busy at all.
- Their CEO, who greeted us explained that, “their goal was to not make health care a hassle.”
- They are as much as possible a green facility.
- Their goal is to provide a true healing environment.
- 4 expansions are planned. Next phase will have woman’s services including aesthetic and spa.
- Security is taken seriously. They attract VIP’s.
- Almost no wait for check in.
- Patients don’t wander down halls aimlessly. They are always accompanied.
- A point of pride – very short waiting periods in their emergency room. In fact the wait time is noted on their website and on a roadside bulletin board. (see photo)
- You can check in bedside.
- Rooms are spacious, home-like, bathrooms larger, beds have thick and expensive mattresses.
- Wifi throughout hospital.
- Computers in each room for doctors and nursing staff to access patient records and to input information.
- They have the latest technical equipment including electronic record keeping, video monitoring for all surgery, a planned daVinci Robotic Surgical System where a surgeon can operate sitting at a console away from the patient away.
- Each new mother upon leaving receives a video of her special birthing day all put to music.
- Nurses carry cell phones so that their patients can reach them at any time.
- Cabinets of supplies are accessed by fingerprint ID’s and when a staff member takes something off the shelf or out of the supply cabinet, it is automatically recorded and charged to the appropriate patient. (Sort of like the mini bar system in hotel rooms.)
- Hiring policies include an elaborate interview and selection process for all staff. It includes psychological testing and peer interviews.The key trait? Flexibility. As a hospital of the future, things change quickly and so they want all staff to be able to be cool with that. No dogmatic or argumentative types.
- They used a hospitality training company to train their staff (instead of having training from the medical side.)
- Attracting wealthy medical tourists from Mexico to San Antonio has everything to do with shopping- and in particular cowboy boots! Fashion shows are a successful recruitment tool. Who knew?
- Companions and friends are put in a hotel – the location of which is all about proximity to the good shopping malls.
- The head of international patients mentioned to me that in addition to shopping options, they are going to be making a list of great spas in the area.
Final Thoughts The hospital was impressive for many reasons but it wasn’t the physical aspects that impressed me the most. Rather, it was the kindness, caring and even lighthearted atmosphere that was created by the people who worked there. In my opinion their greatest move was to carefully select staff with exactly the qualities they wanted – flexibility, likability, caring and nurturing. This hospital had the luxury to be selective because so many people want to work there. What’s the future for this hospital-of-the-future? Apparently spa, aesthetic services and complimentary and alternative medicine are on the drawing board for the next phase. I hope they continue the same hiring and training criteria. In addition I hope they engage a seasoned spa consultant who will assist them in creating the kind of atmosphere that will make their healing environment even more so. It is about hardware and software – and in particular the software is what sets this hospital apart. If I lived in San Antonio, I would have them put me on the waiting list. ** Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/susieellis ** If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much! ** To reference or re post any content please add website link in the text to this blog post or to http://www.spafinder.com/
My twitter address: @susieellis
WOW!
Is there a waiting list to get in? (you mention it at the end).
It is amazing that people invest and build hospitals when average hospital is losing money.
My recollection from my last hospital visit when my daughter was sick – intensive care was really great. General hospital – not so much. The main difference? Quality of people working there
The closest thing to a medical spa in Santa Monica is Tikkun Holistic Spa. They provide spa services which include a healing physical environment (far infra-red heated rooms constructed of healing minerals), alternative health practitioners, detoxification programs, as well as effective therapeutic massage techniques. The program in under the direction of my husband,Charles Schwarz MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Holistic Medical practitioner.
I think you’re wrong, and here’s why…
It’s been interesting to read the spa industry press over the past year. After initially denying the recession was going to impact upon Spa-World (we’re about de-stressing… people will always need to de-stress in a recession…) there’s been a gradual albeit begrudging acceptance that spas have been hit, and hit hard.
This is good. An industry shake up was long overdue. For too long, the spa industry press has been offering excessive column inches to those who verged on the fraudulent in the claims they made for many of their therapies. The few who cried out at conferences for an evidence base relating to spa therapies were derided as ‘ill-informed’ or ‘too technical’. And now, as potential clients clamour for information about precisely what health benefits they’re going to receive from their $80 massage, the industry press is making noises about developing ‘an evidence base’ and beginning to dismiss the more esoteric spa treatments as ‘not serious’. It’s all rather gratifying. But let’s not spend too long saying ‘I told you so’, let’s move onwards…
Spa has two strengths, strengths which industry experts have chosen to ignore. Firstly, a good solely-papering spa works, and it works well. To be successful it simply has to be very high-end and without comparable competition in the immediate vicinity. Potential spa owners have to learn that placing two high-end spas close together doesn’t increase their market, it just dilutes the market share for each spa by 50%. It’s so stupid it’s almost actionable, and people who behave in this manner should be ridiculed and marginalised by the industry.
Secondly, spa can be neatly aligned with preventive medicine. Note I didn’t say ‘aligned with medical tourism’. Spa and medical tourism are apples and turnips, not a natural combination. Medical tourism has its place, and that place is not alongside spa, yet there is evidence of a worrying trend amongst spa luminaries to encourage this inappropriate link. Spas’ natural bedfellow is preventive medicine, and its amazing that so few industry experts seems to have noticed this.
Litigation is the elephant in the massage room of spas based in medical tourism facilities. At present, clients who experience what they consider to be a poor or damaging spa treatment have very little opportunity to seek redress through the legal systems in Southeast Asia, but that will change. Spas who are unable to offer a robust defence of their therapies or staff training and monitoring protocols will find themselves open to expensive claims, especially if they’re selling themselves as part of the medical tourism industry. Clients in this field are backed by the considerable power of international medical insurance companies and if things go wrong, sue they will.
The requirement for professional indemnity insurance for spa therapist and spa operators may be some way in the distance, but it’s getting nearer by the day. And with it will come true professionalization of the industry, not a moment too soon.
Aligning spa with preventive medicine makes complete sense. It supports those elements medicine wishes to remove from the drug regime – relaxation and stress management – and it offers the opportunity to support a healthy dietary and exercise regime by providing treatments which assist with weight management, improve flexibility, provide post-workout massage, and generally make individuals more aware of, and bring about improvements in, their self image.
‘The times’ as Mr Dylan so memorably put it, ‘are a-changing’
-A medical doctor.
Dear Medical Doctor,
who exactly is wrong? I am not sure I understand based on your comments.
Yes, I agree, there is a place for high end "get-away relaxation", or even low-end fluff and buff, however, too much fluff , buff, hype and love for the big bucks is spoiling the pond. "Spa" has been devalued as a simple amenity or cheap quick fix …, how sad.
True, preventive medicine and "real" spa is logical, an ancient Yin and Yang, makes perfect sense.
Born and raised in Germany, with it's "Kur's", prescribed by physicians and practiced by degreed therapists, preventive and rehabilitative therapy is "normal" to me …
Quality, results and genuine care will prevail in the new economy. Awareness that one has to take responsibility, be pro-active and start their own "preventive health and wellness" program will permeate the american culture. True "Spa Culture" - going to the waters – has become a mere slogan and profit center, a "drive through" – wham bam thank you Mam phenomenon.". "Results oriented" treatments with highly trained, passionate individual practitioners and dedicated professionals, however, will prevail in the long run and reshape, recapture the "spa profession". Consumers who are able to enjoy the services at high end luxury spa resorts will ask for no less.
Yes, the times they are a changing, and it is about time …
I think it’s brilliant, to have new ways to think about hospitals of the future. As a client, it’s been almost ten years for my sister to live with a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, she receives treatments from conventional to alternative medicine in high-end hospitals to small private clinics offering traditional medicine (include medical tourism). Her condition brings awareness to the whole family and now been studying integrative Western and Chinese medicine myself, who goes to spa and do pilates regularly, I truly believe lifestyle management is the future of health care and integration of spa (the atmosphere, holistic approach), medicine (science & technology) and hospitality (people skills, quality service) offer a wonderful environment to promote it. The point is to improve through practical application and get better, one thing at a time. I agree with Catharina, it is about time, perhaps an evolution of healthcare industry?
[...] Ellis from Spafinder and Susie’s Spa Blog recently wrote about her recent visit to tour the brand new Methodist Stone Oak Hospital that had opened in San Antonio, Texas in Spring [...]