Enhancing the Experience of Our Workforce Family

There’s been a lot of work going on to make GBMC HealthCare a top employer in Baltimore. Thanks to the incredible work of our leaders, employee turnover rates are decreasing, we are using far fewer agency nurses as we have more nurses on-staff as part of the GBMC HealthCare family, and our employee engagement scores have risen year-over-year. 

One way we are continuing to improve our employees' experiences is by implementing Workday. This enterprise resource planning (ERP) software brings together many business programs that have historically functioned within separate systems. With Workday, we will manage and streamline various aspects of day-to-day business activities, such as human resources, finance, payroll, and supply chain. 

For our staff, this means that rather than going to multiple different systems to view their paystubs or complete common tasks such as performance reviews or required learnings, they can easily access within one system. Gone are the days of needing to remember multiple passwords for multiple platforms. 

Workday is just one example of the many ways we are investing in enhancing employee experience. We are excited that we’re rapidly approaching our launch date of February 1. As a reminder, I encourage all staff to stay up to date with their emails, as we are sending many communications with helpful tips and action steps to prepare for Workday. I’d like to thank Robert Schmollinger, Internal Audit Director, for his leadership of the implementation, as well as the multidisciplinary teams within HR, finance, payroll, and supply chain for the very detailed planning and effort taken to make this complex improvement possible. 

Our New Garage Is Opening! 

We’ve officially passed our inspections, and I’m excited to announce that the brand new ~400 space Berman garage is opening for patients and visitors on Tuesday, January 30 at 7 a.m.! This is a long-awaited enhancement to campus that will help alleviate many of our recent parking challenges. 

Let’s Go Ravens! 

It’s an exciting time for our Baltimore Ravens! Let’s go Ravens this weekend as they take on the Chiefs for the AFC Championship. And for all those Taylor Swift fans out there, I hope you get a sighting of Taylor watching from the stands too! 

Honoring the Legacy of the Late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to come together to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This year’s theme was “Remembering the Dream, Creating Equity for the Generations to Come,” and
we had the pleasure of hosting guest speaker Chrissy M. Thornton, President and CEO of Associated Black Charities. Mrs. Thornton gave a wonderful and thought-provoking talk that contrasted equity versus equality. To sum up the difference, equality means everyone gets the same thing, while equity means everyone gets what they need to be successful, addressing individual differences and promoting fairness. 

We recognize the importance of equity at GBMC HealthCare – one notable example (which I know I’ve discussed many times recently) is our work in Jonestown. We didn’t just physically put a primary care practice in an underserved part of Baltimore City and then say our work was done. Instead, we also looked at social determinants of health and barriers to accessing care at that practice. We worked with local partners to get patients to and from appointments, get healthy groceries, critical medications like insulin, and more. We are providing the additional resources needed to address individual needs and ensure true health equity. It is this approach to equitable care that has helped us reduce our rate of uncontrolled diabetes in our Jonestown practice by 50%. This data really strikes me, as just yesterday I was listening to an NPR report noting that the number of amputations due to uncontrolled diabetes is on the rise nationally. Our work in advanced primary care and health equity is a part of the solution. 

I’m grateful for the work and sacrifices of people like Martin Luther King, Jr., who stood up so boldly for the marginalized people in our society. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a city as diverse as Baltimore but recognize the harsh reality that there is much work that needs to be done to reach equality (and even more to guarantee equity). We still live in a divisive time, and it so important that we rally around each other as a society, recognizing our differences as strengths, and embracing all people of goodwill. 

Spirit of King Awards 
I would be remiss if I didn’t also recognize our employees and volunteers who were nominated for our annual Spirit of King Award for their service in the local community and for embodying the spirit and life’s work of Dr. King. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Deborah Cole, Gilchrist Chaplain, who was honored for her work with Living Classrooms. And kudos to each of this year’s nominees: 

Martine Bell, Clinical Manager - Advanced Practitioners 
Eyerusalem Hagos, Eligibility Coordinator - Gilchrist 
Devin Hopwood, Quality Assurance Administrator 
William “Bill” Hill, Volunteer - Gilchrist We Care 
Wayman Scott, Associate Director of DEI and Community Relations 

Honoring Dr. Kuldip S. Uberoi 

Last night, we gathered to honor Dr. Kuldip Uberoi, who passed away in November 2022. Dr. Uberoi performed general surgery at GBMC for many years and was highly regarded. Thank you to his colleagues and loved ones who came together in celebration of him, his long career, and the legacy he left through all those he influenced. We are grateful to Dr. Uberoi for the time he dedicated to patients. 

Art of Nursing Awards 
We’re collecting Art of Nursing Award nominations through Tuesday, January 30! I encourage all members of the GBMC HealthCare staff – whether you work in the hospital, GBMC Health Partners, or Gilchrist – to nominate a nursing staff member for one of the awards. It’s a great opportunity to recognize their outstanding skill and commitment to patients. Click here to learn more about each award or to nominate your nursing colleagues. 

An Update on COVID-19 (and Respiratory Viruses in General)

As locally and nationally we hear more about cases of COVID-19 (and a plethora of other respiratory viruses including RSV and the flu) rising, it felt like a good time to share an update on COVID on behalf of GBMC. 

Although we all tend to get a little worried when we hear about increased cases of COVID-19, it is important to note that we are in a different scenario than when this was a brand-new virus. Back in 2020, none of us had immunity to COVID-19 since it was novel. Now, years later, most of us have built some level of immunity to it through either having gotten the virus or through being vaccinated against it, or both. That means that if we do get infected with COVID-19, our immune system will get in action and we will probably experience it as we do other respiratory tract infections, with relatively minor symptoms and a full recovery. Those with certain risk factors may still experience more severe symptoms if they get COVID (or other viruses, for that matter). 

With that said, it is never a bad idea to wear a mask to help prevent the spread of the numerous respiratory viruses currently circulating in the community. This is a simple measure anyone can take to protect themselves and to help protect those who are more susceptible to complications from respiratory illness. And of course, the importance of vaccination is paramount. I encourage all people get their flu shots, COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters as recommended, and RSV vaccines as appropriate. If you haven’t yet received your vaccinations, I encourage you to talk to your primary care physician. These vaccines are available at each of our GBMC Health Partners primary care practices. 

GBMC is carefully monitoring the situation, paying special attention to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health, to make decisions about any necessary protective measures – such as masking in certain situations – that need to be taken. Currently, we have not re-instituted universal masking, but we are recommending that staff wear a mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illness when caring for a patient and when in patient-facing settings. We will keep everyone updated if our recommendations or requirements change.

An Update on the Construction of Our New Cancer Center

We finished phase 1 of our Promise Project with the grand opening of the Louis and Phyllis Friedman Building last year. Now, we look ahead to phase 2 – the opening of the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion and garage. I wanted to share a brief update on where we stand with phase 2 of the project. 

First, I’m excited that we’re on track to open the new ~400-space garage at the end of January. This will certainly help to alleviate some of our campus parking difficulties – but please remember the valet and shuttle services we offer to help make patients’ visits a little less stressful. 

Construction of the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion is running according to schedule, with expected building completion at the end of 2024 and welcoming of first patients in early 2025. The Berman Pavilion will be the new home of our Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. Cancer care is critical now more than ever as we consider our aging population and the increase in cancer diagnoses that occur with age. While the demand for cancer care increases, we are grateful to be able to not only meet the needs of our cancer patients but also consolidate all cancer care services for their convenience in this state-of-the-art facility. 

Over the years, our multidisciplinary oncology teams have been great collaborators, but often had to do so while physically separated. The new pavilion with teams co-located will enhance this collaboration. In addition to a more cohesive approach to healthcare, the new pavilion will help make treatment easier for patients. For example, virtual focus groups were held during design planning to provide insight on what patients wanted in the new Infusion Center. Some desire more privacy, while others prefer open spaces for treatment, so the GBMC team designed a center with 10 private rooms, two isolations rooms, and 14 infusion stations in more open areas. This allows for greater flexibility when patients need or want to be separated from other patients during their treatment. 

I look forward to sharing Berman Pavilion progress updates and photos with you throughout the year.

If you’re curious, click here to view renderings to better visualize what is to come. 

Welcoming a New Leader 

I am thrilled to announce the newest member of our executive team, Carl S. Jean-Baptiste, J.D., who will be joining the GBMC HealthCare System as General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Services. With a remarkable career spanning over two decades in the healthcare legal sector, Carl brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and leadership to GBMC. 

Carl has an impressive track record in healthcare, law, and in the community. His experience in legal affairs, strategic planning, and corporate governance will be invaluable as we navigate the complexities of Maryland’s unique healthcare environment. Please join me in warmly welcoming Carl to the GBMC family! 

I would also like to thank Allyson J. Abernathy, J.D., for assuming the role of Interim General Counsel over the last several months. Ally has been an excellent member of the senior team, and I look forward to her continued contributions to GBMC HealthCare.