Customer Service

Our Patient Advocates

Keith Zeigler
Supervisory Patient Advocate
Room 2A-245

Jo Leonard
Patient Advocate
Room 2A-245

Patricia Krauter
Patient Advocate
Room 2A-243

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital strives to always provide the highest quality of care to the veterans of our nation who call the Tampa Bay area home. We recognize there may be times when a patient or family member has an issue which requires our attention. Because the best time to let us know of any concern or question is at the time it happens — so we can resolve it as quickly as possible. It is the policy of the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital & Clinics to be responsive and sensitive to the needs of our patients and to resolve concerns or complaints in a positive and timely manner at the lowest possible level of responsibility and authority.

Follow these easy Steps to Resolve Your Concerns:

• Share your concern with a member of your treatment team
• If your concern is not addressed to your satisfaction, a supervisor will be contacted
• If your concern needs further clarification a Section and/or Service Chief will be notified
• The Patient Advocate is available to address concerns with the patient, family and appropriate staff if necessary.

Patient Advocates

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital has on staff three highly-skilled Patient Advocates who are eager to help you with your concern in a timely manner. The Patient Advocates:

• serve as liaisons between patients and the medical center Administration.
• act on the patient's behalf
• help patients understand their rights and responsibilities

Our Patient Advocates are located on the second floor in room 2A-243 and 2A-245 between the ATM machine and the rear elevators.

Pictures and contact information for the Patient Advocates are featured to the right.

Advocates are available via telephone at (813)978-5856 or from the hospital room; extension 5856.

Gold Star Program

The Gold Star Reward & Recognition Program has awarded more than 18,000 Gold Stars since its inception in 1999. The program was developed in response to hospital employee surveys in which employees said recognition of their customer service accomplishments was important to them. The program provides for recognition of external customer service (patients/ visitors recognizing an employee) or internal customer service (employee to employee recognition). Over the years, the program has remained popular with patients, their families, visitors and employees. The program was published in the "Veterans Health Service Best Practice Source Book" as a Best Practice in 2001. It was also nominated for the 2001 VHA Human Resources Management Innovations Award.

Gold Star boxes are located in the elevator lobby on each floor for your convenience.

Your feedback about the care and services you receive while in the medical center provides you an opportunity give a compliment to the employee you have recognized as "going the extra mile".

Survey of Healthcare Experience of Patients

After your visit you may receive a confidential questionnaire in the mail asking you about your most recent outpatient or inpatient treatment at our medical center.

Please use the survey to let us know of any concerns, complaints or questions you have about your care, so that we can resolve them. We also appreciate compliments about what we are doing right.