Sharp Coronado Hospital is establishing service rules that other organizations will want to copy. Does this sound too good to be true?

• The difference at Sharp Hospital starts the moment you walk in. The clinical coldness that characterizes most hospitals just isn’t there. Instead, you enter the unit through a moderately-lit entry that has fresh flowers and a water feature. Standard partitions between patients and staff have been replaced by open, airy workspaces.
•  Visiting hours are unrestricted. Family members are encouraged to be around as much as they want to help patients avoid loneliness and isolation. Sharp’s philosophy is that having loved ones around gives patients a reason to get better.
• Children are welcome and families are encouraged to prepare their patient’s favorite meals.
• Instead of wearing the embarrassing gown with the slit down the back, patients are encouraged to wear their own pajamas and display photos of loved ones where they can be conveniently seen.
• Can you imagine a hospital where patients are encouraged to read their own medical charts daily, ask questions, and engage in a dialogue that welcomes their participation in decisions affecting their care? Patients are also encouraged to document their observations about their experiences and these notes become a permanent part of their medical records as well.
• Can you imagine a hospital that empowers patients, in appropriate cases, to take their own medications, read up on drug-to-drug or drug-to-food interactions, and chart when their meds are taken while they are hospitalized? Sharp believes that patients who are able to assume responsibility for doing this while they are in the hospital will be much more successful in managing their medications once they leave.
• Can you imagine a hospital where you can watch humorous videos, listen to music prior to anesthesia or even play the piano for entertainment? Where you can enjoy (and smell) fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies or receive therapeutic massage and Healing Touch treatments before going through an MRI?
• How about a hospital that opens its doors to the community and offers health screenings, “Ask the Physician” sessions, and Teddy Bear clinics for children to take their stuffed “friends” through the Emergency Room experience.

If one of your loved ones was in need, would you admit them to this hospital?

The difference you can make by choosing service over self-interest can be far-reaching and profound!