Inside STAT: In hospitals, housekeepers are truly the 'keepers of the house'

(ALEX HOGAN/STAT)

Housekeepers in hospitals usually pass through corridors and elevators unnoticed, but they can make important contributions to patient care. Some bring meal tickets to patients who can’t afford food, while others share home-cooked meals with patients and their families. Still others provide support and encouragement, often in patients’ native languages. And these compassionate gestures don’t get enough appreciation from physicians, write two doctors at Duke in a new First Opinion for STAT. The duo first organized a focus group to learn more about housekeepers’ stories at the large medical center where they work, which then grew into a 15-minute documentary. As one housekeeper put it, “I don’t call myself a housekeeper. I am the keeper of the house.” Read more here.