We seem to be swimming in a sea of "excellence" lately. Restaurants, hotels, automobile showrooms, and now hospitals use the word "excellent." Gone are the days of "very good" or "great."

Are we now to repeat the word in conversations with our patients and hope they will begin to believe we really are excellent?

We need to do more than get our patients to say the word "excellent." We need to earn their trust and respect. We need to create an environment where excellence grows and thrives. We all hear about medical errors, hospital-related infections, and accidental deaths. There is a great deal of (justified) public anxiety about being a patient in a hospital. Our patients and the health care system rely on each of us to do our best. So let's simply be excellent-and let our patients describe us with whatever words they find appropriate.

Glenn Marks, BSN, RN

Sedona, AZ