One of the most incredible initiatives in terms of organizational transformation I've ever seen is the one carried out by groups all over the world like Pallapuas (hospital clowns). They challenge hyper-traditional medical institutions, help build an expanded vision around health with a more human and holistic approach, give medical professionals a more meaningful sense of their labor reconnecting them with their "patients-goals", humanize the language of "health business", take "work" out of work and enable an expanded "performance mesures" for health services.
Pallapupas is a non-profit organization that works with health institutions at Barcelona, improving life quality of primarily infant patients with several diseases, focusing on specific hurting medical processes.
Pallapupas humanize health services, taking into account the social dimension of diseases. This is not a medical nor an entertainment service, but a care services one.
This are some of the institutions among those that they work with:
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu d'Esplugues de Llobregat
- CS Parc Taulí de Sabadell
- CSMIJ Garraf (Vilanova i la Geltrú)
- CSMIJ Mollet (Mollet del Vallès)
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
- Centre Socio Sanitari Dolors Aleu
- Clínica Barceloneta de Barcelona
The issues triggering something like Pallapupas are far from new. They are part of a global intent to humanize health institutions, that usually overestimates the power of industrial-hyperrational therapies, ignoring patients emotions and suffering, thus reducing their recovering possibilities.
From a management standpoint, it's important to see that Pallapupas (or Hospital clowns) are not part of a corporate initiative, or some sort of transformation programe, although they're trying to improve health (outcome) in collaboration with current institutions (yes, I prefer this term rather than organizations in this 'cold' case), using completely innovative practices (considered from the medical perspective).
This kind of work started 40 years ago, and as I see, is fully integrated with current institutions, and represent a very good example of the kind of 'radical different things' that 'modern corporations' could accept with no fear of dissagregation.
I watch this funny video where a couple of medical staff from l'Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, recognize the expanded value provided by Pallapupas, not only for patients but also for their families and the hospital staff.
All the credit for the inspirational work of Pallapupas, Patch Adamns and The Big Apple Circus!!
Francisco, I'm intrigued. I'm not familiar with the work of Pallapuas. Can you tell us more about how this initiative came about, the organizations that employ these clowns, how they actually interact with the institutions and various people (whether medical professionals, administrators or patients)—AND, most importantly, how this has changed the way these organizations work? Thanks!
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I tried to push further on my post with more information and reference links. Regarding the most important question about 'how this has changed the way these organizations work', let me tell you that though they challenge the basic relationship patient-institution (which is a lot already), they also complete and significantly improve the health service with new possibilities that would never came up from an industrial health institution...
Let me know I you need further information. Thanks!
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Francisco -
Great story! Can you share some specific examples showing how Pallapupas work? How are they accepted by hospitals?
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