Left to right, Corpsman Ester Williams, Nurse Theresa Fulton, Lt. Cdr. Carol Haddock and Corpsman Michelle Ellwood stand in the Yokosuka Navalk Hospital pediatrics examination room, which recently received a face-lift. (Jim Schulz / S&S)
Left to right, Corpsman Ester Williams, Nurse Theresa Fulton, Lt. Cdr. Carol Haddock and Corpsman Michelle Ellwood stand in the Yokosuka Navalk Hospital pediatrics examination room, which recently received a face-lift. (Jim Schulz / S&S)
Corpsman Tasha Stevenson, right, plays with, from right to left, Lily Johnson, Cynthia Rogers and Audrey Johnson in the pediatrics waiting room before their appointments at Yokosuka Naval Hospital. (Jim Schulz / S&S)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Patients receiving treatment at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka see a bright new environment inside these days. But there’s more to the improvements than a perky face lift.
Recent renovation efforts are intended to change the look of several departments and slash patients’ waiting time, said hospital spokesman Bill Doughty.
In the Immunization Clinic, large numbers of patients in need of vaccines often would bottleneck, causing waits sometimes of almost an hour.
“The waits now average less than 10 minutes, and I believe often less than five minutes,” he said.
The Pediatric Clinic’s waiting area and exam rooms were renovated to appeal to children, who might be anxious about visiting the hospital.
“We put in beanbag chairs and climbing furniture and lots and lots of books,” he said. “It’s wonderful. And no one has complained about the TV being gone.”
Also, the pediatric exam rooms now boast bright, colorful rugs.
“All these changes and upgrades are being done with a focus on improving the experience of coming to the hospital for our customers,” said Doughty. “Recently, a mom was there with a crying baby … and when the mother and child went into the exam room, while still crying, the child saw this colorful rug which has a farming theme to it. On the spot, the child stopped crying and broke into song with an ‘Ee-i-ee-i-o!’”
