Giving Thanks to the Unseen Angels Around Us 

How our patient experience department goes above and beyond

 In September, Isaiah Atuatasi, 24, underwent open heart surgery for a congenital heart disease. During his recovery in the ICU at Keck Hospital of USC, his care team learned that he was a former football player and a fan of Trojan football. As a Pacific Islander, Isaiah felt a special kinship with Hawaiian-born Trojan quarterback Jayden Maiava. 

Isaiah had months of recovery in front of him, and the patient experience and nursing teams knew how much the young patient needed a morale boost to push through the challenges facing him. They had already helped Isaiah’s large family throw him a 24th birthday party in a hospital conference room and decorated his ICU room, and now they swung into action to arrange for Jayden and Isaiah to meet. 

Due to their efforts, Jayden generously paid a visit to Isaiah and other patients in the ICU. Meeting Jayden lifted Isaiah’s spirits and gave him something to look forward to — an invitation to attend a Trojan football game as soon as he is well enough. 

Arranging for a patient to meet USC’s star quarterback is just one of the many ways the patient experience department goes above and beyond to focus on the needs of our patients and offer an extra layer of compassion and advocacy. Its aim is to help each patient feel heard, valued and cared for at every step of their health care journey. 

This invaluable service is offered at all four hospitals, the clinics at our health sciences campus and the new medical office building in Pasadena that opened in October.  

Hospital staff members provide fun “birthday boxes” filled with gifts for patients who spend their birthdays in one of our hospitals. Team members recognize patients’ anniversaries, graduations and have even arranged in-hospital weddings. And they provide companionship at the bedside for patients at the end of life when a loved one can’t be there.  

 Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital personally welcome newly admitted patients in their rooms and provide salon services for patients with extensive stays, including wig styling for those receiving chemotherapy. USC Norris Cancer Hospital also offers massage services by oncology-trained massage therapists to help promote relaxation for cancer patients. 

 The staff at USC Arcadia Hospital drop off an orchid or a stuffed animal to patients facing a challenge. And at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, team members circulate an art cart featuring local artists’ work in addition to beautiful images to bring some color into patients’ rooms.  

  The patient experience department also oversees pastoral care, hundreds of volunteers who perform vital functions such as welcoming and orienting patients, and patient data services, culling through thousands of patient surveys to solve any issues and improve service.  

 November is the season of gratitude, and I am thankful for those working in patient experience, whose kindness and advocacy go hand in hand with our compassionate and world-class medical care. As Isaiah and countless others can testify, their actions lift spirits, build morale and are an essential part of healing.  

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