My success is really the team behind the system."
"I will do everything I can as if it's my own family. "I want to look into a person's eyes like it's my own family," Fisfis said. Today his motto is simple: The patient and their family always come first. McNulty was a nursing administrator at NCH in 2004 when a human resources director asked her if Fisfis ever considered coming out of retirement. He was true to his retirement plan for four years. "He is one unique individual and I mean it in a very special way," Dutcher said.įisfis ran his own food service company for 34 years in Philadelphia when he and McNulty, his fiancée, relocated to Naples in 2000. Many hospitals have employees or volunteers at front desks who help visitors but they can't compare, said Phil Dutcher, chief operating officer of NCH. That's welcome news to hospital executives. "I have no plans to go anywhere but here," he said.
"I walk between 15,000 and 22,000 steps a day during season," he said, relying on a digital tracker to offer his tally each day.Įven though he turned 65 in October, he is not abandoning his post at the hospital, offers from the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, or wherever be damned. Little did Fisfis imagine he would wear out shoes in this manner when he retired to Naples in 2000 from Philadelphia. "They watched him for a while and saw he was doing this (greeting) to everybody and when they wrapped up, they mentioned what a good job he was doing and how welcoming he is." When consultants with Press Ganey Inc., which works with hospitals, were on site a few years ago, they thought Fisfis was staged for their visit, Weiss said. "He's very active and has a lot of energy." Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of NCH. "He really wants to help people," said Dr. He helps keep order behind the scenes, which includes letting housekeeping know within minutes when a room becomes vacant to reduce lags in admissions. "Some people don't know about a concierge, but they know Peter the Greeter."įisfis has taken a job that began as a "welcome" position and transformed it into a full-fledged concierge role. "Peter the Greeter was his roots, people know that," she said. It's rare to walk in a local restaurant where he is not recognized, his fiancée, Denise McNulty, said. "They all know me as Peter the Greeter," he said. Of course, he downplays his celebrity among employees and hospital visitors. He greets all who cross the double-glass door threshold, lifting spirits and offering assistance. He is always impeccable in his trademark navy blazer and tie with "NCH" embroidered on the breast pocket. In between his safety rounds, Fisfis is a can't-miss fixture in the lobby. That's where the comings and goings of a busy hospital, where the joy and sadness of real life, unfold every day. When all is to his satisfaction, he heads back to his concierge desk at the main entrance. "I do safety rounds," said Peter Fisfis, the iconic NCH concierge.
It's easy to imagine "Peter the Greeter" donning a white glove and running his forefinger along picture frames on any of the six floors at the crack of dawn.
Somebody has to make sure waiting room chairs are lined up perfectly, free of scraps of paper or any crumbs that slip by housekeeping. The NCH Downtown Naples Hospital is like a big house.