Summertime, Family Gatherings and Our Annual Employee and Volunteer Barbecue

I was on vacation last week and we had a Fourth of July barbecue. We invited many family members who we don’t see more than once or at most twice per year. One of my nephews who was “a little boy” the last time I remember seeing him was now as tall as I am. Everyone updated everyone else at the barbecue with the new things in their lives. This type of gathering is good for families to reminisce, support and celebrate.

The GBMC Family is having a barbecue this week as well. Last summer, during our 50th anniversary year, the barbecue was such a huge success, we decided to make it an annual event. This family, too, needs time to celebrate each other and have some fun outside of work  ̶  More Joy for those providing and supporting the care is one of our four aims. During our hectic work day, it is difficult to find time to display our joy. The barbecue gives us some time to do just that.  With all the terrible things going on in the world that are pulling the human family apart, I look forward to celebrating with all of my GBMC brothers and sisters at the barbecue.

I woke up in the middle of the night a few nights ago and began thinking about karaoke. Our communications team believes that I need to do a karaoke song to bring joy to our people (I guess they haven’t listened to my singing voice or maybe they have?) I have to come up with a song. Many people know that I am a big fan of Steely Dan, although many of our people don’t know who Steely Dan is. Should I sing another Steely Dan song or should I try to find something that more people will know? It’s good to focus on silly things when you spend so much time dealing with issues like clinical computer systems, the budget and making sure that everyone gets treated the way we want our own loved ones treated.

The barbecue comes in the middle of GBMC Spirit Week, a time for us all to show the pride we have in our organization and our caring about each other. I am honored to be a part of this family of caregivers and I am so proud that we are building a better system of care and are working hard to keep people out of the hospital. I am very grateful for all that our people do and I am delighted to show my spirit. I’m especially impressed with Family Care Associates (FCA), the winner of our cheer contest. FCA is a patient-centered medical home that is delivering advanced primary care with extended hours and sophisticated care management. FCA is a great example of how GBMC is different in the health care marketplace. It’s easy to tell when every member of a team is truly engaged, and FCA’s spirit is a true testament to our vision of the best health outcomes with the best care experience and the least waste of resources. And now that they have won the cheer contest….the most joy! Thank you, Family Care Associates and all of my GBMC HealthCare colleagues for your enthusiasm and hard work bringing us closer to our vision.

What brings you More Joy at work? For me, it’s getting a chance to show my appreciation and recognize the great work each and every one of you is doing. To celebrate, please join me at the Employee and Volunteer Appreciation BBQ today in the parking lot across from PPNorth from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both time slots will include food, music, karaoke, and games as a way to say ‘thank you’ for your commitment.

New Physician Titans of Care

It is with great honor and gratitude that GBMC HealthCare announced the selection of three new Physician Titans of Care at last night's Medical Staff meeting:

-Rudiger Breitenecker, MD

-John E. Savage, MD

-Claire Weitz, MD

We salute their exemplary contributions to the growth and success of our organization, as well as to the ongoing evolution of the practice of medicine. We applaud their outstanding skills, service and commitment, and thank them for their instrumental roles in building GBMC HealthCare’s reputation in our community and beyond.