Ideas That Work: Send Patients Home With Souvenirs of Surgery

Patients who underwent surgery at Hunterdon Center for Surgery in Flemington, N.J., used to store their street clothes in non descript plastic bags. But then leadership saw an opportunity to improve on the practice — and market its facility to boot. Patients now keep their clothes in custom garment bags emblazoned with the Hunterdon logo and address. After surgery, patients change back into their clothes, roll up the bag and take it home. “We got the idea from my former director and found a vendor that does custom imprinting,” says Lisa York, MSN, RN, CASC, CAIP, the facility’s executive director. The bags are made of a cloth-like fabric, are very durable and cost about $2.50 each. That relatively minor upfront expense is more than made up for by the benefits the bags provide, according to Ms. York. “Patients love them and, because our logo is prominent, they’re great marketing tools,” she says. OSM