|
|
“You can be sure your request for staff will receive the special attention you deserve.” |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
“Patient-first” motto makes a difference — even when tornadoes strike
The series of tornadoes that ripped through the upper Midwest brought out the best of Arcadia’s Jacksonville, Ill. office. The tornadoes destroyed dozens of homes and businesses and claimed several lives, causing widespread damage in several states.
While many people were caught off guard, Arcadia’s Jacksonville Location Manager, Sam Freitag, knew exactly what to do. He immediately sent his team into action to safeguard their patients.
Patients requiring oxygen and nebulizer-administered medication were particularly at risk. Those services require electricity — and electricity throughout the region was disrupted by the storms. For Freitag, ensuring the immediate safety of patients was the only priority.
“For the next two days our people worked hard to contact our patients and assess their needs,” said Freitag. “We understood that due to widespread electrical outages many of the oxygen units would be inoperable and those patients requiring nebulizers would require assistance in utilizing their portable equipment.”
Given the critical nature of some of their patients, Freitag began working to obtain large oxygen tanks that operate without electricity and deliver them directly to the homes of patients. He also worked with his staff to support the patients utilizing portable nebulizers to ensure they were able to operate them.
For Freitag, rapid response to the crisis is the right way to do business — by focusing on the patient — all the time. It is a measure of success that he is proud to have helped implement in the Jacksonville office.
The Jacksonville office, with Freitag as Manager, opened in March 2004 and became part of the Arcadia family in August 2004. A DME provider, the office has grown to become one of the leading suppliers of home oxygen equipment in the region. In two years, the office has grown from no oxygen patients to more than 160 today. C-pap patients have grown from zero to more than 180, and prescription medication delivery from none to more than 100.
According the Freitag, the reason for the growth and success of the office is its “patient-first” focus. “Everything we do revolves around our patients and their families — making sure we exceed their expectations in every way,” said Freitag. “We have a 24-hour hotline for patients who need assistance, and go above and beyond to address their needs and concerns day-in and day-out.
“Most of our growth is the result of word-of-mouth. Our patients and their families like to share their stories with friends, and their physicians. We receive a lot of referrals due to the high quality of patient care we provide.”
According to Freitag, that high level of quality of care applies in routine situations as well as extreme circumstances, including tornadoes.
Return to Top of Page
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
