Providing More Resources to Help You Find Your Way

At the beginning of this week, we reopened the former main corridor, which had been closed for some time due to construction, and the difference is amazing! While it is bright, open, and beautiful, it also looks unfamiliar because it is so new, and that adds to navigation challenges we already face. 

Recognizing that this evolution will continue as we fully open the Louis and Phyllis Friedman building in the next couple of weeks, we’re taking action to make it easier for patients and visitors to get to where they need to be. 

First, we’ve already stepped up our in-person wayfinding efforts. Additional staff and volunteers are stationed in the main hospital during peak hours to answer questions and help people to and from their destinations. And don’t forget that in advance of your visit, you can also download the GBMC wayfinding app by clicking here. 

I’m also pleased to share that beginning November 9, GBMC will offer a patient and visitor shuttle as well as additional valet services to assist in campus transportation and wayfinding. We hope these services will be helpful to all patients and visitors, especially those with appointments in Physicians Pavilion West (PPW) since they can no longer park in Daffodil, which was much more convenient than current options. 

Valet services will be available Monday through Friday at the following times and locations: 

• 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building entrance, Maternal Newborn Health (MNH) at the Yaggy Atrium, the Bus Loop outside Einstein Bros. Bagels (Note: Valet service at this location will end once the Berman garage opens for patient and visitor parking later this year.)  
• 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.: PPW 

GBMC will provide shuttle services on a continuous loop Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. The shuttle can accommodate 4 passengers at a time and will pick up from the Friedman Building entrance, PPW, and the bus loop. 

We also know that these solutions are temporary fixes. As our campus dramatically changes, we are taking a fresh look at our signage and approach to helping people navigate. We look forward to working with our Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC) to get feedback on what would be most helpful in the long term. 

Congratulations to Dr. Melvin Blanchard! 

Dr. Melvin Blanchard, our Chair of Medicine, has been honored with the prestigious title of Master of the American College of Physicians (MACP) by the ACP Board of Regents. This accolade is among the highest recognitions in the field of Internal Medicine, granted to individuals who have demonstrated remarkable accomplishments in practice, leadership, research, and other medical-related pursuits. It celebrates those who have made significant contributions to the science and art of medicine through their integrity, positions of honor, and positive impact on their communities. 

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Blanchard on this honor! 

Celebrating Our Teams 

October 23-29 is National Respiratory Care Week. A simple 'thank you' will never be enough for the life-changing and lifesaving work our respiratory therapists do every day at GBMC. Please take a moment to thank our fabulous respiratory team for their dedication! In addition, we are observing National Health Care Facilities and Engineering Week. Though I’m always grateful to our facilities team and engineering professionals across the health system for their central role in ensuring a safe and efficient environment for all patients, residents, visitors, and staff of the GBMC HealthCare system, I’m especially thankful for all they have accomplished (and have yet to accomplish) through our Promise Project. It is also Pastoral & Spiritual Care Week. Thank you to our Spiritual Support team, led by Reverend Saundra “Sandy” Rector, M.Div., BCC, CCISM, for their hard work and dedication to meeting the spiritual needs of our patients and staff. Our Spiritual Support team is always there to provide compassion and comfort to staff, patients and their families. 

Filipino American History Month 

On Tuesday, October 24, we celebrated Filipino American History Month, complete with incredible food, Pandanggo sa llaw and Bulaklakan dance, language education, and a panel interview with our own staff of Filipino heritage. Thanks once again to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion planning committee and all staff who were involved in planning this very entertaining and educational event! 

Honoring Baltimore City’s Fallen Firefighters 

Last week, a large rowhome fire in northwest Baltimore tragically resulted in the deaths of two courageous firefighters, EMT/firefighter Rodney W. Pitts, III, and Baltimore fire Lt. Dillon Rinaldo.  

Our thoughts are with their loved ones, fellow first responders and the entire community as we collectively reflect, grieve, and celebrate their lives. 

GBMC HealthCare is grateful to our fire protection and emergency medical service partners for their integral and courageous roles in maintaining the public health and safety of our community. 

Top Docs, Again, and Our New Building Is Becoming a Reality!

I’m proud to once again have the privilege of congratulating our physicians who were named “Top Docs” by Baltimore magazine. This year, more than 50 members of GBMC’s medical staff across 45 specialties have been recognized because they understand the power of not only treating what’s bothering their patients but also treating them as people. Click here to view GBMC medical staff who were included on the list. 

In addition to our Top Docs news, it’s also been a milestone week for GBMC, as we unveiled the first finished spaces within the Promise Project’s Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building! On Monday, we opened the doors of our wonderful gift shop – better known as The Corner Shop - in its new location. And on Tuesday, we introduced our brand-new Outpatient and Retail Pharmacy. Kudos to our Promise Project team, led by Russ Sadler, MS, MBA, Senior Director of Planning Design, and Energy Management, and to all those who played a part in these major accomplishments. 

The Corner Shop 

Congratulations to Patty Leaverton, gift shop manager, and her dedicated team of staff and
volunteers, on the opening of their beautiful and bright new shop! There is now more space, an expanded inventory, new greeting card lines, and even a dressing room to try on clothing before purchasing. There are really too many new features to list, so I hope you’ll stop in to see for yourself.  

For many years, Patty has been known for keeping The Corner Shop stocked with an impressive array of merchandise to cater to our patients, visitors, and staff alike. Whether you’re looking for flowers or a unique gift to brighten a loved one’s day, purchasing toiletries, or in need of a sweet treat, you can find it in this shop. I should know – I bought my favorite candy in the new location for the first time this week! 

To add to the vibrant new environment, the team that staffs the shop are second to none. I’m always in awe of their commitment to customer service, whether it’s through Patty compassionately guiding a caller to the perfect gift for a hospital patient or a helpful staff member providing complimentary gift wrapping after a purchase. 

Operating hours are 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, November 4 only, we’ll open a little earlier than usual at 10 a.m.  

The Outpatient and Retail Pharmacy 

GBMC’s new Outpatient and Retail Pharmacy is officially open in the Friedman Building and will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. We are thrilled to finally have our very own retail pharmacy in addition to our specialty pharmacy services. It’s a great convenience to patients as well as staff to have this option right on the main hospital campus. I hope you’ll stop by to see all the Pharmacy has to offer. 

In addition to over-the-counter and prescription medications, the new Pharmacy provides: 

• Medication management support 
• Medication delivery to patient rooms upon discharge 
• Access to specialty medications 
• Financial advocacy to help with out-of-pocket costs 

I’m grateful to Yuliya Klopouh, PharmD, Executive Director of Pharmacy Services, and her entire team for all the work they have done in planning the endeavor. Although it’s important to always appreciate our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for ensuring safe and effective medication use, it seems doubly fitting to honor them today as we celebrate National Pharmacy Week in addition to the introduction of our new Pharmacy. Thank you to our pharmacy team for all you do! 

Raising Awareness and Thanking our Teams 

October 15-21 is International Infection Prevention Week, and it’s a great time for all of us to reflect on the importance of preventing the spread of germs. Of course, in healthcare, we are always keenly aware of infection prevention and its key role in patient safety. I’d like to take a moment to thank our team of infection preventionists for ensuring that we always keep infection prevention top of mind to keep our patients (and staff) safe. 

Physician Assistant Week was October 6-12, and I'd like to recognize our PAs for their important roles on our healthcare teams across the system. We are so thankful for their dedication to providing the best care and enhancing patient experience. In addition, Medical Assistants Recognition Week is October 16-20. Thank you to all our medical assistants whose patient care skills, versatility, adaptability, and compassion ensure top-notch, efficient care. 

We’re Almost There: An Update on Our New Building

We’re quickly approaching the 1-month countdown of welcoming our first patients into the Promise Project’s Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building. I recently talked about ways our operational readiness team was preparing for the actual move of inpatients on November 14. On October 11, that team performed a mock drill to test how long it would take to move a patient from the old unit to the new unit in the Friedman Building (which took approximately 5 minutes, in case you’re curious). In addition to timing tasks such as transporting the patient, they practiced other duties of patient care, from orienting patients to their rooms to taking them to the physical/occupational therapy alcove on the unit. 

Teams and staff members who will work in the new space have begun their training and orientation, becoming acquainted with all the new state-of-the-art equipment and the location of important items within the rooms and throughout the unit. The education team has gone the extra mile to make this orientation interesting and interactive, with activities such as team scavenger hunts that allow staff to walk the floor while discovering key features. We have also started educating our leaders so they can become more familiar with all the new building has to offer. 

Additionally, I’m thrilled that next week we will open our very first spaces within the Friedman Building to the public!  

• The Corner Shop will open in its new location on Monday, October 16, with operating hours of 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon - 4 p.m. Saturday* and Sunday. *Note that hours for Saturday, November 4 are different than usual: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
• The Retail Pharmacy will open on Tuesday, October 17. It will be open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Stay tuned next week, when I’ll share more details about The Corner Shop and Retail Pharmacy. 

Hispanic Heritage Month 

On October 5, we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with an interactive event that featured delicious food, a cooking demonstration, dance instruction, and storytelling. Thank you to everyone who supported this memorable event, especially the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion planning committee led by Lisa Walker, Chief Diversity and Learning Officer, and Angela Wu, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Manager! 

Thanking Our Staff 

October is full of healthcare worker observance weeks, and I always appreciate the opportunity to recognize our incredible teams. Emergency Nurses Week is from October 8-14. I’m thankful for our Emergency Nurses for their year-round dedication to taking care of our patients in their time of critical need. Sterile Processing Professionals Week is also being observed this week. Our Central Sterile Processing (CSP) department processes instruments for over 40 departments across the hospital and Health Partners practices, and I'm grateful for their integral contributions to safe patient care. In recognition of National Case Management Week, I’d like to thank our Care Management team, consisting of care coordinators, social workers and nurse case managers who support our patients throughout the entire GBMC HealthCare system. 

Grieving for Israel 

Our hearts go out to Israel and all the innocent civilians physically impacted by tragic events happening in the Middle East. Our thoughts are especially with members of our GBMC HealthCare community who are connected to Israel in any way – through family, friends, loved ones, acquaintances or by heritage. We recognize that, for many, these acts of terror are painful reminders of prejudice, mistreatment, and inhumanity that has lasted for generations for Jewish people. To all who are hurting during these uncertain times, please know you have our support. 

Our Commitment to Equitable Care

I recently had the opportunity to participate in our annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit, where members across our health system came together to learn about our DEI efforts, share successes, and review our goals moving forward. 

I’m proud of the work all our GBMC HealthCare teams have been doing to prioritize health equity and ensure we have a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. 

Today, I would like to highlight two of our initiatives that are focused on our commitment to health equity. 

Maternal Newborn Health 

Racial disparities in maternal health are a nationwide concern, with studies revealing higher pregnancy-related mortality rates among black women compared to white women. I’m proud of our Maternal Newborn Health (MNH) team for taking proactive steps to address these disparities and attaching an equity component to every quality improvement initiative they undertake. 

At the core of their work is patient data, which they are analyzing to identify and reduce health disparities. In fiscal year 2023, they participated in a statewide collaborative focused on timely treatment of severe hypertension across races and also investigated our data on maternal morbidity. MNH is grateful to have engaged with a grant-funded collaborative called MDMOM to receive education, review cases of morbidity, and work on equity. Our MNH nurses and providers have completed an implicit bias module and received education on reducing bias in the care of patients with substance use disorder. MNH is also providing free BP cuffs through MDMOM to patients in need as part of the hypertension collaborative. 

Additionally, GBMC is participating in the Maryland Hospital Association Birth Outcomes Accountability Workgroup, which is providing implicit bias education to staff and providers who may care for pregnant and postpartum patients in the Emergency Department. 

This fiscal year, our goals are expanding to include identifying and decreasing C-section and postpartum hemorrhage rates. We look forward to learning ways we can improve patient experience through our new MNH Patient Family Advisory Council. As we look further into the future, the team hopes to tackle ways to improve health prior to pregnancy and/or during the prenatal period, well before they see us in Labor and Delivery. 

Thank you to the entire MNH department for following protocols that ensure equity and especially to Jodie Bell, MSN, RN, IBCLC, Assistant Director, for leading this important work. 

Managing Diabetes  

For several years, our GBMC Health Partners patient-centered medical homes throughout Baltimore and Harford counties have provided advanced primary care services focused on building relationships, managing chronic conditions, and keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. More recently, we opened GBMC Health Partners Jonestown to make our advanced primary care services accessible to underserved populations in Baltimore City. 

One of our aims since opening the practice was to reduce the percentage of our Jonestown patients with uncontrolled diabetes. That is, we want to make sure all our patients with diabetes have an A1C level lower than 9%. We do this work by committing to being accountable with our patients. Members of our team partner with patients, checking in between visits to make sure they have the insulin they need and that they are checking their glucose levels as prescribed. I’m thrilled to share that our percentage of patients with uncontrolled diabetes is almost half of what it was when we started! We’re going to continue working with our patients to improve this even more and are fortunate to have this opportunity to help improve the overall health of the community. 

Thank you to Gregory Small, MD, Medical Director of GBMC Health Partners - Primary Care, and Ericka Easley, Primary Care Service Line Administrator, for their leadership in expanding our advanced primary care services from the counties to communities in Baltimore City that didn’t have this level of access to care previously.

Our Thoughts Are with Morgan State 

We were devastated to hear about the violence that took place at Morgan State University earlier this week. Please know we stand with Morgan State as they grieve this upsetting and serious incident, and we recognize many of our employees, their family members and our patients are a part of this preeminent, longstanding institution in our community. For those within our workforce family who may be struggling following this incident, please remember we have resources to support you through our Employee Assistance Program, CARES program, and Spiritual Support Services. You can learn how to access these resources through your work email account and on the Infoweb. Gun violence is a public health issue, and we need understanding and unity so this does not continue to happen to our communities. 

Recognizing Our Teams 

This month is filled with many observances honoring specialties within healthcare, and I want to take a moment to thank several groups. October is Physical Therapy Month, and I’d like to thank the physical therapy teams that work hard to improve the lives of our patients. Thank you to our partners from Active Life Physical Therapy for being there for our community. Additionally, October 1-7 is National Health Care Supply Chain Week. Please join me in recognizing the important role our healthcare supply chain professionals play in patient care and the innovative ways they support GBMC patients and staff. October 5 was Vascular Access Specialty (VAS) Day, and I want to recognize our VAS team for the exceptional vascular access insertion, care, and maintenance with the intention of improved outcomes, enhanced safety, and improved patient satisfaction. 

And, finally, once again, LET’S GO O’s!!