Working at Griffin
97% Patient Satisfaction
*Average Griffin patient satisfaction 2001-2006
Imagine working in a place where your customers are this satisfied!
At Griffin, we believe the satisfaction of our patients and employees are one in the same. With our excellent healing environment combined with the Planetree model of care and a commitment to continually improving the health care experience, Griffin is where both employees and patients want to be.
We believe every employee is an equal player in creating a wonderful health care experience for our patients. Griffin Hospital has been named to Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America list for eight consecutive years -- ranking #21 overall in 2007 -- and we have been consistently cited for management's ability to listen to its employees' advice and share information.
Our goal at Griffin is to continually create an environment and hospital experience second to none. This means we must all, regardless of position or rank, take responsibility for ensuring that patients (and visitors) who come here have the most positive experience possible. We must excel in the performance of those things that have served to distinguish Griffin over the years: innovative, high quality services; unique, healing environment; Planetree philosophy of care; exceptional customer service; and patient and employee satisfaction.
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Our Planetree Model of Care
As a Planetree hospital, Griffin subscribes to the philosophy that we can best serve patients and the community by providing the latest in medical technology in a healing, nurturing environment which encourages their involvement and participation. We believe in peaceful, comfortable surroundings, warm and supportive caregivers and access to health information and education to help our patients get well faster and stay well longer
The Planetree or sycamore is the tree that Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, sat beneath when he began teaching his medical students many centuries ago. With this same commitment to education, Planetree at Griffin Hospital was created to support individuals who wish to learn more about healthcare and medicine. The Planetree model was founded on the belief that if patients have access to information regarding their illness and hospitalization they can become active participants in restoring their own health. Planetree hospitals maintain a policy of allowing patients to read their own charts at any time and ask questions of their physician and nurse about what they read. Patients are given a packet of information about their illness, may receive a Patient Pathway guide describing their care and treatment during their stay and within 48 hours of admission a patient care conference is held with the doctor and nurse. Patients may request additional materials and, upon discharge, may visit the Community Health Resource Center to learn more about their illness, diagnostic tests and medication.
To further foster education and communication, the unique design of patient care units on the North Wing places the primary nurse just outside the patient's door. There are no "restricted zones" and the traditional nurse station is replaced with an open workspace which anyone may use including patients and families. A consumer-centered environment is emphasized with patient/family lounges on each unit -- one, a quiet lounge features a salt water aquarium and the other, a music lounge, where patients and their visitors may enjoy the talents of the various musicians who staff the daily Arts and Entertainment Program year round. All patient care units feature residential kitchens and visitors are permitted around-the-clock.
Griffin Facts
Griffin Hospital is a full service, 160-bed, not-for-profit, acute care community hospital with a medical staff of more than 200 and with 1,200 full time, part-time and per-diem employees. Griffin Hospital has served the people of the Lower Naugatuck Valley since December 9, 1909, when the first patient was admitted to a 24-bed building.
In 1994, Griffin Hospital opened the first patient care building in the country designed and constructed to accommodate a Planetree care philosophy. Griffin Hospital is the model site and headquarters for the Planetree organization, which has grown from 13 to more than 100 member hospitals since becoming owned by Griffin in 1998.
Groups more than 500 hospitals around the world have visited Griffin to tour the North Wing and tap the expertise of Griffin staff. Griffin hosts four to six tour groups each month. The North Wing set a new standard for hospitals and architects alike. Griffin has won numerous prestigious awards for facility design and its customer focus and has been featured in countless newspapers, magazines, journals and other publications as well as on national TV and radio.
In addition to pioneering work in patient centered care, Griffin has introduced innovative treatment programs and services with leading edge technology (see our Service brochure). Griffin offers outstanding post-graduate medical education in internal and preventive medicine and is a teaching affiliate of Yale University, School of Medicine. Griffin is also home to the national Center for Disease Control-funded Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, the Griffin Center for 
Health and Human Rights, and the Women's Health Coordination Center which houses the Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health, the Valley Women's Health Access Program and the Yale Women's Health and Midwifery Practice.
Griffin offers a range of complementary therapies. Aromatherapy, which uses the natural extracts from plants (essential oils) to help mobilize the body's own healing properties, music therapy, massage therapy, meditation (an ancient spiritual practice of relaxing), therapeutic touch, Reiki, relaxation tapes and stress reduction and yoga are among the options available to patients and their families. A popular Griffin program is P.A.W.S. (People and Animals Working in Spirit) Therapy Dog Visitation Program, a means of providing comfort and companionship to patients, their friends and families, and to hospital staff.
Employee Programs
Orientation
Each employee of Griffin Hospital, including service, support, ancillary, nursing, medical and administrative, is required to attend a mandatory week-long orientation program prior to beginning work-related duties at the hospital. In addition to learning the Griffin philosophy as told by the CEO and Vice-President, new employees receive an in depth summary of items such as human resources, safety, standard precautions, legal issues, Planetree, as well as receiving a brief tour of the hospital.
Wellness Programs
Griffin Hospital also offers employees many in-house benefits. Our employees are encouraged to take advantage of free chair massages and relaxation sessions, both offered on a daily basis. Employees have use of a fitness center complete with Nautilus and cardio equipment. In addition, our Planetree Arts & Entertainment Program not only benefits patients and their families, but staff members as well.
Retreats
As part of new employee orientation, new employees are required to attend a mandatory 2-day Planetree retreat at a retreat center in Madison, Connecticut where they are given a course in the Planetree philosophy of care. The retreat is facilitated by the Vice President of Patient Care Services and includes numerous team building and personal exercises as role playing and information sharing.
I Take It Personally
Our employees are recognized monthly through the ITIP I Take It Personally Program. The hospital staff is divided into four divisions: nursing, service, support and ancillary, and one employee from each division is named Employee of the Month each month.
A celebration to recognize these four employees takes place each month in the Cafeteria hosted by the CEO and the reigning Employee of the Year. The program is designed to publicly recognize and reward employee behavior, which improves patient/client satisfaction.
Employee winners receive a bonus check for this distinction. A companion program is Department of the Quarter designed to single out departments that excel in meeting quarterly or annual objectives or go the extra mile in assisting patients, guests or fellow employees. The Annual Employee Service Awards are held each May to honor those employees with five or more years of service as well as to honor each monthly ITIP winner along with the Departments of the Quarter. The highlight of the evening is the selection of the Employee of the Year and Department of the Year.
Dare to Care
Employees are encouraged to attend monthly motivational Dare to Care programs held by our employees who have been taught by personal development expert Joe Tye. Monthly Dare to Care lectures cover issues such as Integrity, Perseverance and Authentication, and encourage Griffin employees to voice their concerns and opinions in a highly interactive forum. The program supports employee morale and encourages positive behavior from co-workers.
Success Rewards
Griffin also offers employees a monetary incentive to reach departmental and institutional goals. The Success Reward Program, established in 1999, pays out a quarterly bonus to those departments that meet monthly goals as well as for the entire staff if the hospital-wide goals for patient satisfaction and admissions are met.
Spot Recognition
Employees are also recognized "on the spot" with the Spot Recognition Program. This program recognizes employees who go above and beyond their duties with small tokens of appreciation such as movie passes, gift certificates, discounted coupons, free coffee/beverages, or just a card saying "Thanks." Managers and directors are encouraged to pull these items from special spot recognition "tool boxes" provided by administration.