Construction

I've learned to tolerate hospital construction. Whether it has to do with California laws about earthquake retrofitting or the desire for academic medical centers to continually expand, both UCSF and Stanford are in a constant state of construction. I've gotten used to the sight of scaffolding, the detours, even the hammering (like the Wings of Zock in Samuel Shem's House of God). But the recent changes to Stanford's access has been dramatic as we prepare to build a whole new hospital. Although the grumbling by physicians and staff is tolerable, I worry about the patient experience. Simply parking and getting to the hospital or clinics is now an ordeal. Despite the signage, volunteers, and shuttles, I feel that the construction of the new hospital is really harming the patient's perception of care even before they get to the door. Hospitals ought to treat their patients like businesses treat customers, and I think we could have done a better job here.