St. Luke's Helps International Patients Feel "at Home"

Arwa Alneyadi was in serious need of expert medical care when she came to St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in July. Suffering from a leaky aortic valve, she found breathing and fluid retention to be considerable challenges. Doctors in her native country, the United Arab Emirates, couldn't treat her and knew she must seek cardiology care at a "center of excellence."

So, they referred Alneyadi to Dr. Sayed Feghali at St. Luke's. As if she didn't already have enough challenges, Alneyadi then faced the daunting task of flying to the other side of the world for her medical care.

"It was a tough decision to make considering the kind of shape I was in," Alneyadi said. "But there really was no choice. I needed the kind of care that only world-renowned experts can provide."

Little did she know that St. Luke's International Services would make things as easy as possible for her and her family. Tania Matar, Middle East liaison at St. Luke's, made most of the arrangements for the Alneyadis. Matar made the hospital appointment, booked flights and made nearby accommodations for Alneyadi and her family. But, more importantly, Matar tailored the hospital visit to Alneyadi's needs, such as arranging for her to be served foods native to her country. In addition, Matar, as well as Dr. Feghali, both speak Alneyadi's native Arabic.

"Speaking my language was very important, but the little things should not be overlooked," Alneyadi said. "Everyone here really took the time to try and make me feel at home."

Knowing an international patient's culture is essential to providing quality care, and St. Luke's strives to be a leader in transcultural patient care. One of every 20 patients at St. Luke's comes from abroad. In fact, St. Luke's cared for several thousand patients from more than 80 different countries last year. St. Luke's International Services employees and volunteers speak 30 different languages, and its multilingual staff physicians have 30 years of combined experience in caring for international patients. Additionally, patients' doctors are involved in their day-to-day care, rather than turning over the job to hospital staff.

"Globalization is affecting all businesses, and health care is certainly no exception," said Warren Whitehead, assistant vice president of St. Luke's International Services. "At St. Luke's, we are always prepared to face the challenge of dealing with the wide variety of cultures that are represented by those who come through our doors. Whether it's getting them their home newspaper or arranging outings for family members during their stay, we make a concerted effort to make our international patients feel at home. In the long run, this helps to lessen their anxiety, and it may help them to recover with better success."

Dr. Feghali agrees. "I am very pleased with the progress Ms. Alneyadi has made," he said. "International patients have unique needs, and it's great that we can provide these services so that people like Ms. Alneyadi can receive care and, at the same time, feel right at home."

St. Luke's International Services assists patients and their families with every aspect of their hospital stay. Special services include scheduling appointments, providing translations, assisting with hotel reservations and/or long-term housing, coordinating transportation, and supplying information about city attractions as well as local restaurant and shopping information. St. Luke's International Services also provides business services such as banking, as well as phone, fax, Internet and e-mail access. The combination of all these things makes a positive difference, according to Alneyadi.

"I would recommend St. Luke's to anyone with my kind of complex situation," she said. "Not only was my surgery a success, but my four-week stay here was also very pleasant and comfortable."

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/03_01_01/page_10.html