Harvey Picker

Harvey Picker ( born December 8, 1915 in New York City; † March 22, 2008 in Camden, Maine ) was an American businessman, teacher, inventor and philanthropist. In 1987 he founded the non-profit Picker Institute in Boston, USA, with the aim to promote patient-centered health care.

Life

After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1938, Picker went into his father's company. The X-ray machine manufacturer Picker X - Ray was founded in 1918 by James Picker and 1981 by General Electric Co. Ltd.. taken. Harvey Picker remained until 1971 at Picker X -Ray and was instrumental in the company's success by developing, among others, medical technology for radiotherapy and for diagnostic ultrasound.

From 1972 to 1982, Picker devoted a teaching position at Columbia University, to spread his knowledge in the field of international business management.

Jean Picker, Pickers wife played a central and probably the most important role in his private and professional life. It influenced his perception, attitude and dedication, not least because of their heavy, infectious and incurable disease, she died in 1990.

While he lived through many years of medical treatment of his wife, grew Pickers social interest in a more intensive involvement of the patient perspective in the treatment process. In order to promote patient- centered care, Picker founded together with his wife in 1987, the Picker Institute in Camden, Maine.

The Institute developed the first questionnaire for the systematic measurement of patient satisfaction in hospitals. Picker surveys were henceforth to the standard measure for the collection of patient satisfaction worldwide. In 1994, Picker itself the management and remained at the Institute until shortly before his death worked.

1998 were founded with the Picker Institute Europe offices in Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland.

In his spare time spent Picker happy with his wife while sailing on the east coast of America. The greatest pleasure it was for him, according to his own statement, to empower people by teaching something that they move ahead in life.