By Jay Juffre
When I was young (and before they stopped their shows in 2017 after 100+ years), my parents would often take my younger brothers and me to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. As a kid I remember the spectacle of the three rings and must admit, my brothers and I, for the most part, were like, ‘eh…it is ok’. Then I counter that with the first time I saw Cirque de Sole as an adult. I was literally blown away. That show is something that is hard to take your eyes off of. What does it mean to fascinate someone? It is more difficult to describe than it seems. Fascination is one of those, we know it when we see it things. It is also difficult to pick up on why something we see, or experience resonates more than others in this category. When Ringling ceased its performances, they cited every excuse in the books. People don’t like animal acts anymore. It’s too expensive to put on a circus. We can’t fill the seats like we used to. And so on. Meanwhile Cirque continued to gain popularity around the world and sells out night after night. When it comes to patient care, look to give people an experience like no one else. Avoid falling into the same traps that others do by looking to be different in a good way. Believe it or not there are things you and your team can do that will leave your patients and their families looking to come back again and again. It doesn’t have to be over the top. If you look at Cirque, they did simple things better: live music, more artistry, themes, and no aisle concessions to name a few. After a six year hiatus to regroup, Ringling Brothers announced they would resume shows in the fall of 2023 – minus the animals. Something tells me that won’t be enough. Avoid your organization going the way of the circus. Look to fascinate your patient experience every day!
Jay Juffre is Executive Vice President, ImageFIRST. For more information on ImageFIRST, call 1-800-932-7472 or visit www.imagefirst.com.
