A Well-Deserved Recognition

Earlier this week, I met with a few staff members from the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) and talked about some of the major issues facing our state’s healthcare system. Toward the end of our conversation, one of the MHA employees congratulated me on all the transformation work that the GBMC HealthCare System is doing. We talked about many specific redesigns like our patient-centered medical homes and our most recent opening at the Helping Up Mission, as well as our Elder Care in the Home program and Gilchrist Center Baltimore. The MHA staff was particularly interested in learning about our Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and Domestic Violence (DV) program. I told our colleagues how proud I was of this team and how much their work means to our community.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Our domestic violence program, led by Valerie Weir, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, CMSRN, Domestic Violence Coordinator, provides 24/7 in-house victim advocacy and serves more than 350 patients annually. Under the leadership of Laura Clary, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CFN, CPEN, our SAFE program is also a key resource for victims of sexual assault and survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). At no cost to the patient, our SAFE and DV nurses focus on empowering survivors to begin the healing process, in addition to working toward ending sexual assault and IPV in the community.

Last week, several members of the GBMC SAFE and DV program presented at the 13th Annual Baltimore County In Plain Sight Domestic Violence Conference. This year’s event had approximately 250 attendees, which included representatives from several county offices, along with the Baltimore County Office of the States Attorney, Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County, and the Baltimore County Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee. Joining Valerie at this conference were her colleagues Roz Berkowitz, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, Lisa Brengle, BSN, RN, FNE A/P, Evelyn Kim, BSN, RN, FNE A/P, SANE-A, and Ashley McAree, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A. They presented on the topics of the neurobiology of trauma, non-fatal strangulation, and forensic nursing and human trafficking.

Let me thank them for their hard work and expertise, and for educating our community. Their work is being noticed and held up as an example for others to follow.

Another Great Legacy Chase

The 19th running of The Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs last weekend was a major success. Nice weather, beautiful horses, a scenic countryside setting, and many family and friends – there were more than 6,000 attendees this year – coming together created a spectacular event.

It was all for a good cause, as the more than $225,000 raised will go toward Oncology Support Services at the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute.

I thank all who attended and all who donated time or treasure. Special thanks to the GBMC Philanthropy and Marketing Departments, which worked so hard in putting the event together.

Congratulations, Dr. Ioannou!
I am proud to announce that JoAnn Ioannou, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, our Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, was recently named a 2019 Woman to Watch by The Baltimore Sun.

Dr. Ioannou was one of 25 women selected by the newspaper. She was chosen because she has “positioned GBMC HealthCare at the forefront of a nursing revolution in which we celebrate nursing as an art form — the art of science, knowledge, and caring – and because of her passion for nursing.” Congrats JoAnn!