Friday, May 15, 2020

It Takes a Big Team: Celebrating National Hospital Week

The GBMC HealthCare System is different from other systems because our vision is so tightly aligned with what our owners want. Who are our owners? They are the members of our community. We create systems to deliver what people need and we use our core competency of redesigning care to adapt our systems when those needs evolve.

We are very fortunate to have an excellent hospital as part of our system of care: Greater Baltimore Medical Center. I want to celebrate it and all those who work in it.

This week (May 10-16) is National Hospital Week, when America takes time to recognize and thank our hospital workers. The American Hospital Association has designated this year’s theme as “Where Health Comes First.”

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is particularly important for all members of the community reflect on the value of a hospital. We have certainly seen an outpouring of support for our clinicians and support staff over the last few months.

Celebrating National Hospital Week provides an opportunity to thank all the dedicated individuals – physicians, nurses, therapists, engineers, food service workers, volunteers, administrators, and so many more – for their contributions. I am very grateful for all that our hospital team does every day.

I also want to thank our community, GBMC’s owners, for the opportunity to provide them with the care that we would want for our own loved ones, especially during these difficult times.

It Wasn’t Easy, But We Did It!
Recently, it was announced that GBMC received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group.

The Leapfrog Group is a national hospital safety organization that grades hospitals, in a range from A through F, twice a year on how well they protect patients from errors, injuries, and infections. They rate over 2,600 general acute care hospitals across the country, including 40 in Maryland. The grades are meant to provide a measuring stick for choosing a hospital for care.

Earning an “A” is not easy – we are one of only 12 hospitals in the state to receive the highest mark. This validation is especially important now as many people are avoiding or delaying medical care out of fear of COVID-19. The public needs to know that GBMC is in an elite group of the safest hospitals in the state and we are doing everything we can to keep them safe. I am very proud of this honor and our team.

We will take a moment to celebrate, but we will not stop our improvement work until we achieve zero harm. I want to thank our entire clinical team, Laura Hines, RN, SCNR, Director of Clinical Quality Outcomes, and Carolyn Candiello, Vice President for Quality and Patient Safety, for their efforts in collecting the data for the survey. Great work, everyone!

Corvettes on Our Campus
On Wednesday, many of you saw a parade of Corvettes travelling across the GBMC campus.

To salute our doctors, nurses, other clinicians, and support staff, the NCRS Mason-Dixon Corvette Chapter conducted a “thank you” drive-through ending with a roar by the main entrance of the hospital. The thunderous sound from Corvette engines entertained the on-lookers and was greatly appreciated by our employees.

Over the last two weeks, COVID-19 responders, essential workers, and healthcare personnel across our state have been honored with tributes that included the deafening sounds of fighter jets during flyovers by the US Navy Blue Angels, US Air Force Thunderbirds, and the Maryland National Guard A10’s. This Corvette caravan was special in that it specifically recognized GBMC employees for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic.

I want to thank Steve and Eileen Lesser, along with all the members of the NCRS Mason-Dixon Corvette Chapter, for bringing joy to our staff with this thoughtful event.

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