University of Michigan Health System (UMHS)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) is a large academic medical center and health care system located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center includes four hospitals housing 2200 beds, 190 ambulatory care clinics, and an extensive home care operation. UMHS is home to more than 47,000 faculty, staff, students, trainees, and volunteers. UMHS has 4.1 million patient visits and 1.3 million patients cared for. Seventy percent of patients travel from communities or regional hospitals outside of the Ann Arbor area. The University of Michigan Health System has expanded over the last 5 years collaborating with Mid-Michigan and Sparrow to care for patients regionally.
For more than a decade, Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) has been the cornerstone of policies, programs, services, and design at UMHS. PFCC principles guide decision-making by engaging and empowering family presence, participation, and partnership at all levels from individual patient care to organizational decision-making. In 2016 the Office of Patient Experience department was developed that leads the PFCC and Engagement operations for UMHS. As evidence of their Patient- and Family-Centered vision, UMHS has more than 32 advisory councils; advisor membership on hospital and ambulatory committees including executive-level, operations, facility design, ethics, and adverse event review groups; more than 30 peer mentor programs; dozens of educational venues; and an active e-advisor group with over 1000 patient and family advisors.
In 2008, UMHS C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital successfully transitioned from a "Visitation Policy" to a "Family Presence Policy." For years prior to this change, staff made exceptions to the restrictive "Visitation Policy" on a case-by-case basis. Given the inconsistent application of the policy and the consistent need to make exceptions, it became clear that it was time to change the policy.
The Family Presence policy was developed and adopted system-wide in 2013. It was comprehensive and addressed family presence overnight, in trauma bays, during codes and procedures, and during shift-change and medical rounds. Patients and families define their family, which can include "two or more persons who are related in any way—biologically, legally, or emotionally." Currently, the visitation policy can be viewed at Visitor Guidelines | University of Michigan Health (uofmhealth.org) The policy outlines the importance family and visitors play in the healing process. During COVID, changes were made to prevent the spread of infection and promote safety.
In 2023, the visitation and family presence policy was revised to include at least one adult family member at the beside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Family presence promotes communication and helps to meet cognitive and emotional needs of the patient and family. The visitation and family presence policy was developed by multi-disciplinary staff/faculty across the system and included the feedback of several advisors and Patient Family Advisory Councils.
COVID brought various challenges to the ability to allow safe visitation for UMHS and there were times when it wasn’t possible for family to be present with the patient. With the knowledge that family presence plays a significant role in the healing of the patient, Michigan Medicine made it a priority to limit the time visitation was restricted during COVID. Post-COVID Michigan Medicine returned to a more patient- and family-centered policy of allowing one adult family member 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All family and visitors are health screened and at many locations have to receive a badge upon entering UMHS. The screening provides a safe, healthy environment for all.