Friday, April 28, 2017

GBMC is Grateful for its Fabulous Community Support

Earlier this week, I attended our annual Donor Recognition Dinner and was honored to spend time with patients and their families, donors, members of the GBMC, Gilchrist and the Joseph Richey House boards, philanthropy committee members and volunteer auxiliary members. Their gifts of time and treasure is truly invaluable to us.



During the dinner, I listened intently to the very powerful patient and family stories because they underlined all of the great work our system does for our patients and the community.  I am not just saying this just because I am proud, but because I truly believe that we have great physicians, nurses and other staff and volunteers who are always there to serve with their expertise and compassion to help patients and their families in bad times and celebrate with them in good times. Premiering at the dinner was also our “famous” Carpool Karaoke video. Click here to watch GBMC HealthCare team members performing with GBMC volunteer and former news anchor Don Scott. The video tells why these employees love working at GBMC HealthCare and also says thanks to our valuable donors.

I am very grateful that our donors have chosen to give financial assistance to support our mission. The programs and services, highlighted during the dinner, would not be possible without their gifts. Programs like SAFE (more below) and our child life program are entirely funded by donations. Gilchrist would not have been able to expand their programming to children and their families, or to the neediest in the inner city of Baltimore without donor support. The medical staff would not have unlimited access to the on-line evidence and decision support service, Up-to-Date, without their gifts.

I want to thank you all for investing not just financially, but supporting our team in other ways and allowing us to continue providing care during these challenging times as an independent, community owned and controlled healthcare system. We are grateful to all of you for being a part of the GBMC family and hope you will continue to make GBMC a philanthropic priority.

Thank You to Our Volunteers – National Volunteer Appreciation Week 2017
This week we are celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Week. As you may know, with more than 900 volunteers in the hospital and at Gilchrist Hospice Care, GBMC has one of the largest volunteer auxiliaries in Maryland. National Volunteer Week was created in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration focusing on the impact and power of volunteerism and service as an integral aspect of our civic leadership.

Over the last 51 years, our volunteers have donated approximately three million hours of service and raised more than 22 million dollars to support patient care at GBMC! Volunteering is an honorable choice that these special men and women have made for the GBMC HealthCare system. And so at this time of year, we’re proud to highlight our volunteers’ role in improving our patients’ care.

When you meet a GBMC or Gilchrist volunteer this week please take the time to say “thank you” for all they do.

…And it's Medical Laboratory Professionals Week!
This week is also Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. GBMC is so lucky to have the most highly reliable laboratory that I have ever seen. We are blessed with outstanding pathologists, technicians, phlebotomists, managers, administrative personnel and others on the Team. If you don’t believe me, click here to read the story on how one of our medical technologists was instrumental in saving the life of one our patients.  They are truly unsung heroes who we sometimes take for granted. Thanks to our lab personnel for all that they do!

Helping our SAFE & DV programs… 
I want to thank everyone who participated in our second Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®:  The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence. We had about 280 participants and we raised approximately $42,000 for our SAFE and Domestic Violence programs. Last Saturday, male and female participants walked a mile around GBMC’s campus in high heels (or red tennis shoes) to shed light on and show support for an extremely important issue for women and men of all ages.

Registered nurses in GBMC’s SAFE program are specifically trained and certified by the Maryland Board of Nursing to provide care for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence of all ages in a confidential, non-judgmental atmosphere. At no cost to the patient, these nurses focus on re-empowering survivors to begin the healing process, in addition to working toward ending Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence in the community.

We understand the necessity of our Walk a Mile event and I am proud that GBMC continues to be a leader in helping the victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and in educating the community to reduce these attacks. I want to thank the GBMC Foundation office, our Volunteer Auxiliary and all parties who worked together to make this year’s event another success!

GBMC Is Well Represented In This Year’s Daily Record’s Top 100 Women
I am proud to announce that four influential women in the GBMC family were honored by The Daily Record as Top 100 Women. Bonnie B. Stein, Dr. Robin Motter-Mast, Dr. Michele Shermak and Faith Thomas (pic. from left to right) were all honored for being exemplary citizens, for exhibiting a commitment to their community, and for actively participating in future leader mentoring. Dr. Motter-Mast is a primary care physician with our GBMA Hunt Manor Medical Group and the Medical Director of our Primary Care Group; Dr. Shermak is a board certified plastic surgeon and a member of the GBMC medical staff; Bonnie. Stein is the chairperson of the GBMC Board of Directors and Faith Thomas is a member of the GBMC Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee.  Bonnie was also inducted into the Daily Record’s Circle of Excellence, which means that she has achieved this award three separate times. Within the last year, Megan Maguire Priolo, Chief Operating Officer of GBHA, was selected as one of the publication’s Leading Women: Maryland’s Future. Congrats to all!

Nice Work!...
What an enjoyable afternoon we had this past Sunday at the first Spring Jazz Brunch to benefit Gilchrist Center Baltimore – Joseph Richey House.  Hosted at the Eubie Blake Jazz and Cultural Center in the city, 150 guests enjoyed good food and great jazz music provided by the Ian Sims quartet.  Most importantly, they learned the story of the Joseph Richey House and their dedication to serving the city’s most vulnerable residents.  We sold out this event and raised $65,000 which is critical funding for this 19-bed residential hospice.  I am grateful to everyone who supported the jazz brunch and helped us recognize the Joseph Richey House’s 30th year of service.




Thursday, April 20, 2017

Our Amazing Nurses Are Recognized..AGAIN!!!

Last week, I talked about our very own Laura Clary, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CFN, CPEN, clinical program manager of our Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) program, who cares for victims of sexual assault, child abuse, rape, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and domestic violence, and who was featured on the show The Doctors. Laura is ONE of FIVE finalists for the show’s and Prevention Magazine’s America’s Most Amazing Nurse.

This week, I am happy to announce that several members of the GBMC HealthCare's nursing staff have been named to Baltimore Magazine’s "Top Nurse" list as part of the magazine's annual Excellence in Nursing issue. I am proud to say that the GBMC family was well represented with SEVEN of our registered nurses being recognized by their peers for outstanding care in SIX of 19 different specialties.  Having such a high number of our nurses represented (14% of the winners!) on this list is evidence of what we already knew – our HealthCare system has the best nurses!


To compile the names for the city’s Top Nurses list, Baltimore Magazine had solicited nominations from peers, supervisors, and patients of registered nurses, who represent the finest in their field and we received an overwhelming response.

There were 19 nursing specialties for which the magazine accepted nominations in a process that took several months. The nominations were then tallied by the publication. The magazine was assisted by the Maryland Nurses Association and major local hospitals to create an impressive panel of R.N. advisors, who divvied up the specialties, reviewed the nominations and selected the winners.

Having such a high percentage of the winners be our nurses is a testament to their expertise and their commitment to our vision. This is truly great recognition for GBMC HealthCare and its exceptional nursing staff.  Please join me in congratulating the following nurses:

Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Educator: Chelsea Woodell
Intensive Care: Amanda Gdula and Brian Bardelman
Oncology: Karen Ulmer
Pediatrics, Neonatal: Hollie Krout
Women’s Health: Evelyn Kim

Gilchrist
Hospice/Home Health/Palliative Care: Ellen Metzger

The third annual “top nurses” issue hits the newsstands on Friday, Apr. 28. Don’t forget to pick up your copy!

Speaking of Baltimore Magazine: Physicians….It's that time again when Baltimore Magazine is collecting votes for its Top Doctors issue. Let’s see if we can make it two years in a row for a GBMC doctor to be the physician cover for this year’s issue. Docs, please vote for the colleagues you most respect! The survey may be found at: http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/about/top-doctors-survey



Way To Go Dr. Whiteford!!!


Kudos to Dr. Sarah Whiteford of GBMC’s Family Care Associates for being named as the “Best Family Physician” in The Baltimore Sun’s Best of Baltimore Readers’ Choice poll. Honestly, I am not surprised as Dr. Whiteford truly epitomizes our mantra of better health and better care for our community and our commitment to the neighborhoods we serve that is echoed through the work our primary care teams do each day. We are truly honored to have Baltimore put their trust in us and we praise Dr. Whiteford on her selection.


Tree of Life at GBMC
On Wednesday, we unveiled a new artwork installation, the ‘Tree of Life', during a special commemorative event to remember and honor the lives of those that have given the ultimate gift of themselves and to celebrate the new lives of those who were the beneficiaries of that priceless gift.

We often hear about organ and tissue donation in terms of statistics and numbers. Currently, there are over 120,000 people nationally who are waiting for a life-saving organ and each day 110 people are added to the national waiting list. One tissue donor has the potential to enhance over 50 lives and one organ donor has the potential to save eight lives.

Organ donation has saved countless lives and improved many others, and those gifts will be forever celebrated at the GBMC HealthCare system. For the 16 individuals who are now memorialized with their own leaves on our tree of life, their impact can never truly be measured by stats or figures.

Current and future donor families will receive a 3D leaf with their loved one’s name on it.
We are grateful to those who have donated their organs and tissues. We are also grateful to their families for their strength and courage in allowing us to share your loved one’s name in the hope that it may inspire others to do the same. Please note that if you are interested in registering to become an organ donor, the ‘Tree of Life’ includes a kiosk where anyone can sign up to be a donor.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Mourning The Passing Of One Of Our Leaders

Over the weekend, I was saddened to learn of the passing of our Chair of the GBMC HealthCare Philanthropy Committee, Mr. Samuel Heffner. 

Sam was a successful commercial developer of properties throughout the region and he was known as a bold and determined leader, with a passion for philanthropy and the Baltimore community. His high standards along with his focus and commitment to charity led him to be named Chair of the GBMC HealthCare Philanthropy Committee.With Sam’s guidance, our GBMC Philanthropy team has had consecutive record-breaking years for fundraising. Sam moved the Committee to a sub-committee model and got many members in action generating gifts. 

On a personal note, Sam was very helpful to me and taught me a lot about the role of the CEO in engaging the community in giving to GBMC. I will miss him.   

GBMC HealthCare is thankful for Sam Heffner’s leadership, steadfast confidence and belief in our vision of providing the care we would want for our own loved ones. We will remain deeply indebted to him for his guidance and support.

Make Sure Your Voice Is Heard 
Please complete our annual Employee Engagement Survey. The survey is open through Monday, May 1 and can easily be accessed through the icon (on the right) on any GBMC desktop computer or click here. It will only take a few minutes to complete and it will provide valuable information on how we can make our company an even better place to work. 

The survey is completely CONFIDENTIAL, and your individual responses to the questions will not be shared! If you do, however, choose to include additional comments, these will be shared with your manager but your name will not be given. The survey is administered by Press Ganey, who compiles the survey data for us. We at GBMC never see individual responses.  All employees will receive feedback on the survey results and action plans will be developed on the basis of your responses. Please be assured that we will respond constructively to employee concerns and suggestions.

If you have any questions about the survey, please call your Human Resource Business Partner.

Please complete the survey. Thanks!

The Doctors
Back in November 2016, it was announced that Prevention Magazine and the TV Show The Doctors were joining efforts in a search across the country to find America’s Most Amazing Nurse. Each entrant or nominee had to have an active RN license or advanced nursing credential and must currently be working in the nursing field. Other qualifications include: exceeds the standards for excellence in nursing care, education, or research, viewed as a role model and/or mentor in their workplace or community and has used their nursing skills to serve their country, volunteer for a non-profit organization, or otherwise provide care to those in need.


Tune in to The Doctors this Thursday, April 13 at 9 a.m. on WMAR-TV (ABC—Balt.) to see GBMC's own Laura Clary, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CFN, CPEN, as she talks about her work as the Clinical Program Manager of our Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) program. We think you'll be excited to find out why she's being featured!

Please check your local cable and satellite TV provider for channel designation.

Happy Holidays
Finally, this is a week of religious reflection and celebration.  The GBMC HealthCare family sends its best wishes to our Christian staff members celebrating Easter this Sunday and our Jewish staff members observing the eight-day festival of Passover.

Friday, April 7, 2017

What if this were your daughter?

The GBMC Healthcare System is always working toward our vision of treating everyone, every time the way that we would want our own loved ones treated.

We discuss what this means frequently. It is clear that everyone wants their loved one to get better. This requires us to use the best evidence in our care. GBMC is improving on every measure of health outcome so we are moving closer to this aim.

But the second most important thing we want is the best possible care experience and this is much harder. We want our loved ones to be well informed by people who care; we don’t want long waits and delays; and we want the care in a clean, respectful environment. It is hard to always be kind and to look out for the emotional needs of every one of our patients. We get busy and we are focused on the evidence-based care and sometimes we don’t give the best experience. Well, let me tell you about an episode at GBMC that was marked by kindness and the patient’s mother took to social media to inform the community!

The mother of a three-year-old patient, who had surgery here last week, posted on her Facebook page what a great experience she and her daughter had. She attributed their positive experience to the kindness and caring shown by Francoise “Frannie” St. Juste, one of our Nursing Support Technicians (NST) in pre-op. The mother wrote that Frannie had been “amazing” with her daughter and had gone “way above and beyond” and that she would be “forever grateful.” Just look at the photos that the mom included in her post demonstrating the kindness of Frannie as she distracted the little girl from the fear of having surgery! According to her supervisor, Ginyse Braddy, “she (Frannie) always goes above and beyond with her patients and truly is a valuable team member.”

I want to thank all of the GBMC family for improving the care experience for every one of our patients. It often starts with kindness and Frannie clearly demonstrated this to one little girl and her mother.

Thank you for your hard work and please let me know what you think.