Service with a smile is more than a statement to Jane Bateman, it’s a way of life. Bateman’s compassion and dedication to her job as a concierge at Keck Medicine of USC has garnered her one of the prestigious USC Choi Family Awards for Excellence in Patient-Centered Care. The awards recognize health care professionals who consistently demonstrate the ideals of patient-centered care, compassion and excellence and make a positive contribution to the service culture of Keck Medicine of USC. The awards are part of the USC Choi Family Excellence in Patient-Centered Care Endowment established in 2016 by Keck Medicine of USC through a generous gift from the Choi family.

Bateman, an eight-year employee of Keck Medicine of USC, takes pride in being the first face patients and families see at the Keck Hospital of USC concierge desk. She said she never knows what a patient is facing when they walk in, so she approaches each day by putting herself in their shoes.

“I treat the patients and their families how I would want my family to be treated,” Bateman said. “I try to put them at ease. The most rewarding part of my job is having the ability to help, and let patients know we are going to take good care of them.”

Bateman received multiple nominations for the award, with one nominator saying her behaviors and actions represent the best of Keck Medicine of USC.

“She demonstrates empathy and compassion for each family she encounters,” explained Char Ryan, the patient experience and employee engagement officer at Keck Medicine of USC. “Her compassion with families is well known. She continually communicates the status of patients with their families and never misses a beat.”

Each awardee received $2,000, along with an additional $2,000 for their department to be used for programs, training and activities that support and foster excellence in patient-centered care. Bateman’s name, along with other award recipients, will be placed on a perpetual plaque located in the Keck Hospital Cardinal Lobby.

— L. Alexis Young