Hospitality and service start with the way we support and treat each other. Our relationships with our teammates and staff in other departments set the tone for how we behave toward our patients and visitors. We will not be able to provide outstanding patient care if we do not support each other as UF Health colleagues.

Health care can be a very high-stress environment. Working cooperatively with our colleagues in a supportive team environment is critical to our ability to provide safe, quality care and attentive service.

Every day, our individual actions contribute to our team’s morale, performance and accomplishments.

RESPECTFUL AND SUPPORTIVE INTERACTIONS

• Treat colleagues with professional courtesy and respect. Demonstrate the same hospitality and friendly, customer-focused behaviors we use with patients.
• Offer your attention and a friendly greeting and say “please” and “thank you” when interacting with one another.
• Understand that everyone has skills and talents he or she brings to the table.
• Appreciate the diversity within our workforce and customer base, and accept people’s differences. Relate to everyone with respect and fairness, regardless of his or her age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, belief system or role within the organization.
• Support and assist colleagues in your department and across the organization to succeed; don’t let them fail. Share information and available resources to help others do their jobs and excel.
• Do not tolerate inappropriate behavior in the workplace, including verbal and physical abuse. If a confrontation cannot be safely managed, immediately report it to a supervisor and/or security.

RECOGNITION

• Show appreciation and acknowledge when a colleague demonstrates our standards of behavior and provides outstanding service.
• “Manage up” — build each other up in the eyes of others. Openly recognize and praise co-workers’ accomplishments — even when they are not present. Do this when talking with other co-workers, and also with patients and visitors. Let patients know they are in good hands at UF Health.
• Celebrate each other’s successes on behalf of the team.
• Celebrate when colleagues make extraordinary efforts and go “above and beyond” to provide exceptional care and compassionate service.
• Do not point fingers or place blame on others when things do not go as planned.