Thank you!

This week, we were very fortunate to host nine examiners from the Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages the Baldrige National Quality Award. Over the past few years, GBMC has been using the Baldrige criteria to improve and to move us faster towards our vision. In the spring, we submitted a 50-page application responding to questions about our deployment of systems in the categories of leadership, strategy, customer, measurement and knowledge management, workforce, operations, and results. Out of the 26 organizations across multiple industries that applied (16 were in healthcare), only 12 received a site visit. GBMC was one of only 5 healthcare organizations that got chosen!

The examiners came to validate what we put in our application and they also looked for best practices to highlight on a national stage for others to follow. One example of an exceptional business practice at GBMC is Lean Daily Management (LDM).

There has been a buzz in the air all week. From the opening session, where we got to tell the examiners a bit about who we are and about our vision to become the community-based healthcare system where every patient gets the care we want for our own loved ones. There has been a tremendous sense of pride on display for all that we have accomplished.

The examiners visited all three of our work systems: Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Gilchrist, and GBMC Health Partners. Everyone went out of their way to tell them our story. I am so proud of all of you!

I cannot name all of those who worked so hard to make the examiners visit a huge success, but I would be remiss if I didn’t name a few. Carolyn Candiello, our Vice President for Quality and Patient Safety, and her whole team in the Quality Department worked tirelessly, as did Lisa Groff, RN, our Clinical Director of the Women and Children service line. Keith Poisson, our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and all our operational leaders did a fabulous job as well. Let me also thank the rest of the Senior Team and all my clinical colleagues and support staff in the hospital, at Gilchrist, and in our physician practices.

So now that the visit is over, the examiners will file a report that will be reviewed by the Baldrige judges, who will determine if we have achieved the award. We will learn of their decision before the end of the year and receive a thorough feedback report from which we will learn and continue to make our system even better than it is today! Regardless of the outcome, we have so much to be proud of and it really showed this week!

All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you! We will be doing some celebrating. Stay tuned.

Legacy Chase is this Saturday!
What better way to relieve the stress of the work week than by coming to this year’s Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs  THIS Saturday, September 28! Legacy Chase is our signature fundraising event benefiting Oncology Support Services at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute.

The Berman Cancer Institute is a comprehensive community cancer program certified with distinction by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. GBMC has invested in talent and technology to provide the best care for oncology patients. We care for more than 2,000 new cancer patients annually!

Make this year’s event a family affair and come to enjoy a day in the country. Don’t forget that GBMC employees and volunteers receive ONE FREE Founder's Hill parking pass for ONE carload of passengers! So, fill up your car with family and friends, pack a cooler and picnic basket and spend a day in the September sun. To obtain your free pass, click here - add the Founder's Hill parking pass to your cart and use promo code GBMC at checkout. I hope to see you there