HONOLULU -- (September 15, 2017) No visit to the hospital is a great one. However, Tripler Army Medical Center, also known as TAMC, is trying to make the experience as enjoyable as it possibly can be.

TAMC is an old building and over time, improvements have to be made to stay up to date with the best options for care. Within the last year TAMC has updated and rebuilt three major clinics, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Progressive Care Unit and most recently, the Pediatric Specialty clinic.

These renovations improve the quality of care for patients, but also for the family members. Rooms have been made larger to accommodate family members staying with the patients. There are also a Family reflection rooms in each of the areas where family members can go to take a break.

Another major change going on at TAMC is the installation of WiFi throughout the hospital. With the hospital being so large and made of concrete, many parts of the hospital are blocked from receiving a cellular signal. Coming summer of 2018, patients will no longer be cut off from the outside world because the free TAMC WiFi system will be available to all patients entering our doors.

"It's about focusing on our core competencies; communication, professionalism and environment," said Col. Parnell Mattison, Deputy Commander of Medical Services.

Recently the TAMC staff has begun conducting leader rounds a few times every week to ensure that the patients don't need anything. White boards have been installed in every room to make sure that the patient and their family members know what exactly is going on with current care. The white board also serves as a tracker for the nurses and doctors as they change shifts so there isn't a misunderstanding between care.

Lastly, a new quiet hour's program has been initiated in these wards to allow patients to get sufficient rest. Many times, doctors and nurses would be making multiple stops into a patient's room throughout the night to perform certain checks on the patient. With proper care and safety being the most important thing, this program schedules before 10 p.m. and after 6 a.m. to allow the patient to sleep through the night if they are able to do so.

"I think that with a happier patient experience, the patient is somewhat forming an alliance with the care giving team, said Mattison." "This will improve the quality of care and improve the healing because you have created a team focused on healing and that is ultimately what we are here for, providing the best care possible for our patients."