On June 16 2021 I went to the Siteman Center of the BJC hospital with my wife
for her third course of chemothrapy. The parking sticker marked parking time as
10:29 am to .
After she sat, along with a very close friend in college who madde a special trip from Minneapolis to support her at my home, sat in the registration area for awhile, my wife went to ask the registration clerk to get some ideas about the waiting time for checking into the hospital room. She was given a recommendation that she wait in the lounge in the second floor. Three of us went upstair to find the lounge.
The lounge was not visible from the hallway except a door that was closed. Nothing and bobody was visible through the glass door. A sign indicate that visitors need to nock and wait for the conceirge to open the door.
A very friendly lady came to the door shortly after knocking. She opened the door and took us through a brief of the whole facility.
After we went into a quite room where 12 reclingers we avaibale I walk out to see the whole facility again.
There were books, newspaper, and magines for reading. There were automatic coffee machine and some fruits. The seatings were separaed in two areas for reading while eating was next to a kitchen. A seperate section was for several computers and a printer. There was a restroom and a loundary room with several washers inside. There were three shower room. The quiteroom has a cabinet full of cledan tower. Ms. Getsick brough in laundered blankets to keep in the cabiet, twice. I happened to see some plastic containers next to a wall and I opened them to see some trousers in sealed plastic bag with waist size marked. I went to the lady who let me in the showed me around asking what the trousers are for. She showed me a closet nearby and explained to me those clothings were for the patients who are discharged without proper clothese to wear. She went to to explain that the hospital is serving as a city hospital where people might be admitted unprepared without family members.
I was deeply surprised and impressed.
She, looked into my eyes and keep asking me where and when I came from and what I did for a living. This was very unuaual to me. I gradually told her that I went through three different jobs. I added one later on. Now I realized that I missed the first ones before I picked up the job after I left Washington University.
Then another lady showed up and joined the conversation. She turned out to be the first one who started the services and setup everything including the operational instructions, she pulled out and showed me from a shelf. From here I learned that the service concept was copied from the concerge services of Carroton Ritz hotel where she worked before. I should have find out how she was invited to start one, and the first one in a hopital.
It was a very special day for me because it was a special prividge and honour to meet someone who started a new field of professional services.
.....
When we drove to the stop sign before entering Kingshighway, I took a picture with timestamp. It reads 20:42:27, Shortly after we got home, It was 21:30. It was approximately 11 hours for admitting into a hospital room.
