The Values of Saint Thomas West

The Values of St Thomas West

The Values of Saint Thomas West

In September of this year, we traveled to Nashville so that my wife could have heart surgery at St. Thomas West hospital. While the experience is NOT one I would wish on anyone, if you must go through this, that IS the place to get it done. There were several aspects about how they do things that struck me as very different from the other hospitals with which I’ve had dealings. And I believe the core values of the institution had a great deal to do with those differences.

• Service of the Poor
• Integrity
• Creativity
• Reverence
• Wisdom
• Dedication

The sign above is from the hallway connecting the hospital with the parking deck that was most frequently used by the patients and staff, so I saw it many times while I was there. What really struck me about this is not only are these outstanding values in a general sense, but they don’t include “enhancing shareholder value” or “making a profit.” Even though St Thomas West is very definitely a successful business, they never came across as focused on the money — they focused on these values and truly delivered exceptional service.

I only wish that more health care facilities did the same.

This post was prompted by the Publish in 10 Minutes Per Day article seen recently on Butterfly Mind .