A Salute to Our Nurses

When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 2020 would be the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, no one realized just how appropriate it would be. The work of nurses in the battle against COVID-19 has been extraordinary this year. The pandemic has shined a spotlight on their selfless efforts. Another reason to celebrate in 2020 is that Tuesday, May 12, marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

This week is National Nurses Week, a time to thank the many talented nurses throughout the GBMC HealthCare System for their tireless dedication to serving others. Their expertise, hard work, and caring drives us closer to our vision every day. Please join me in extending a special thanks and warm wishes to all of our nurses who continue to live our mission of health, healing and hope for the community. Our nurses make a difference!

Cheering and Applauding
To kick off National Nurses Week, many of our employees joined together (with appropriate social distancing, of course!) to honor our nurses and to celebrate them for all that they do for our patients, especially during this time of crisis.

I want to thank all my colleagues who stood with me to recognize our nurses by applauding, cheering, and holding signs as they arrived for their shifts at the hospital.

If you would like to honor a GBMC nurse, you can participate in our Nurses Week Food Drive to help the many people experiencing food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis. Please consider donating non-perishable food items at the main hospital screening stations (Main entrance, Bus Loop - closest to Einstein's, Bluebell Park, OB, ED/Lily Garage) until Wednesday, May 13. All collected food items will then be delivered to the Maryland Food Bank.

GBMC HealthCare on the “new radio”
Our Marketing department has done an excellent job in promoting the GBMC HealthCare System in unique ways. They have used social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and created partnerships with media outlets like WMAR-TV and WBAL AM radio.

Now, the Marketing team has taken us to one of the hottest media platforms in America – podcasting. Earlier this year, “To Your Health,” previously a Facebook Live show, was transitioned into a monthly podcast that can be heard here and on podcast networks such as iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

I think now is the appropriate time to mention this podcast as the latest edition focuses on the nursing profession and gives insight on how treating patients has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angie Feurer, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Critical Care, Emergency Services, and Medicine at GBMC, who is featured on the program, does an excellent job explaining what has changed in nursing over the last few months and what it’s like to be a nurse working in a hospital during these unprecedented times.

Give it a listen! I think you will find it interesting and informative.

Way to go, Cate!

This year in celebration of National Nurses Week, The Baltimore Sun profiled nurses from various hospitals in our region. I am proud to say that our hospital was very well represented by Cate O’Connor-Devlin, BSN, RN, our Performance Improvement and Patient Experience Administrator. If interested you can read Cate’s profile in The Sun here.

Those who know Cate are aware that she is not one to welcome the spotlight and prefers to do what she loves without any fanfare. I’ve heard her say many times, “it’s no big deal, I am just doing my job.” On the contrary, Cate lives our vision phrase of treating every patient, every time, the way we would want for our own loved ones. Thanks for your commitment, Cate, and congrats on your recognition.

I also want to extend my kudos to Kristin Metzger, one of our nurses at Gilchrist, for also being highlighted by The Sun.

Congratulations!!!
Earlier this week, The Daily Record announced their “2020 Health Care Heroes” winners and I am proud to announce that two members of the GBMC family were honored.

These awards highlight individuals who have played a major role in improving the quality of healthcare in Maryland. They are recognized for “professional achievements, community involvement, and inspiring change.”

I want to congratulate Dr. Tony Riley, Chief Medical Officer of Gilchrist, for being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Beverly Ruiz, MS, CRNP, team lead for the Elder Medical Care Home Program, who was selected for the Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award.

Congratulations to all our colleagues for their hard work and for getting the acknowledgement they so rightfully deserve!