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.
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!
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.
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