Nearly every time I walk to/from a different building on the SFGH campus, I am asked by at least one patient for directions.  While I don’t mind walking patients to their destinations as per Service Excellence training, I have been late to meetings (and almost a couple of interviews for prospective staff) by doing this.  Also, I do not always have the expertise to know which patient appointments are in which buildings/floors/etc. or to be able to decipher whatever paperwork the patient is showing me.  It would be great if we could have many trained Patient Navigators posted at various locations throughout campus, including the red brick buildings.  These Navigators could help walk patients to their destinations so that patients do not get lost, hence decreasing frustration and potentially wasted clinic time (since some patients would otherwise have arrived late to their appointment).  This would be a huge boon for patient satisfaction, as patients are always very grateful and appreciative when I or one of my colleagues assists them in this way.  When patient satisfaction scores (HCAHPS/CHCAHPS) at SFGH increase, our monetary incentive payments will increase through the Value-Based Purchasing program. 

Additionally, this is a patient safety issue, as many of the patients who enlist my help are trying to get to the 3M surgery clinic, the Emergency Department, or Urgent Care; often they are not in the best condition and probably should not be wandering around by themselves.  Patient Navigators would help alleviate confusion and irritation while simultaneously promoting patient safety- potentially averting accidents that could be very painful and costly for both the patient and the hospital.