Winnie Palmer’s Five-Star Hospital Concierge Service

Given the importance of word of mouth in healthcare consumer decision making—and that word of mouth is largely driven by the patient and visitor experience—healthcare marketers around the country have long coveted the Five-Star Hotel model of guest and concierge services. Many have gone down the road of trying to create hybrid services that are brought to life by volunteers, and perhaps, limited paid staff. Few have succeeded in putting together a service that rivals what is a standard part of all premium or even full-service hotel brands.

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida, is one BIG exception to the rule, which is exactly why we’re featuring their story in this week’s post.

Attached to the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is an aesthetically beautiful facility that welcomes, on average, 12,500 new lives into the community each year. Additionally, they feature one of the busiest NICUs in the country, with 120 beds routinely averaging near capacity census. As a result, there are a lot of moms, babies and visitors to keep track of in a hyper-security environment. Winnie Palmer not only does it, but they do it with the panache of a Five-Star Hotel.

The program’s architect is Winnie Palmer’s Jenna Stallard, Manager of Customer Relations. Jenna honed her customer service skills with Marriott and has taken the Winnie Palmer program from Kathy Swanson’s, President of Winnie Palmer, vision to a successful reality featuring guest amenities delivered by an engaged, professionally uniformed staff who greet patients, families and visitors with a smile and a friendly message of, “how can I help you get started with your experience at Winnie Palmer?”

"Every room at Winnie Palmer Hospital is a private room offering floor to ceiling windows and a Murphy bed for loved ones,” said Jenna. “While every patient benefits from a beautifully appointed room, our Concierge offers additional amenities to enhance their stay.” Upgrades include spa inspired robes, slippers, Gilchrist and Soames Toiletries, upgraded linens, celebratory gourmet meals and in-room spa services. Complimentary Concierge services include movie rentals, accommodations for hospitality, house and hotel reservations, maps and directions, gift arrangement, wrapping and delivery, business services, and assistance with scheduling Winnie Palmer Hospital OB tours and maternal education classes. Concierge hours are from 7am to 10:30pm.

As a separate function, Jenna’s Guest Services staff mans the main Information Desk, along with the Labor & Delivery, NICU and Surgery waiting areas. They also handle the important security function of visitor badging over 1,000 guests per day.

When Jenna set out to build Winnie Palmer’s Concierge & Guest Services Programs, she really couldn’t find another hospital to benchmark, so she created one. And in the process, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies became the benchmark that other hospitals can aspire to be.

Jenna Stallard can be reached at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida.

Visit Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies

-Scott Boie is Chief Healthcare Strategist at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at scottboie@tomsheehan.com.