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In This Issue:
Unique to many other employers, as one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, BWH is a 24-hour organization. The doors on Francis Street never close, so the pulse of activity carries on around the clock, demanding a workforce of more than 11,000. The league of dedicated workers with the breadth of experience, backgrounds, skills and talents necessary to continually move the institution forward in every area of patient care, teaching and research, brings out a synergy that is unmatched in many workplaces. As 2003 draws to a close, and we look forward to a new year of opportunity and achievement, BWH Bulletin salutes the men and women of BWH, who are responsible for the outstanding daily effort that continually makes this institution one of the leading hospitals in the country.
Ann Haley: Special Delivery Imagine being a daily mail carrier for 11,000 households? Ann Haley, manager of Office Services, which oversees the mailroom and audiovisual services, is entrusted with that vital service every day. A 34-year BWH employee, Ann makes sure individual and departmental mail articles are processed efficiently and effectively. The number of letters and parcels that she and her team process on a monthly basis consistently totals more than one million. In addition, Ann and her team handle all the specific audiovisual needs across the hospital. “Everyone loves her,” says Therese Breen, Ann’s supervisor in Materials Management. “Rarely does Ann not have a solution to customers’ problems. And, when she doesn’t, she points them in the right direction.” Breen says that she receives countless letters from various departments about how helpful Ann and her staff are. “If it wasn’t for Ann keeping up with the latest technology and implementing it in the mailroom, there is no way the hospital could handle its ever-escalating amount of mail,” added Breen.As many departments move locations on-site, or move off-site all together, Ann is on top of such changes, making sure the mail flow to and from those departments is uninterrupted. Special mailings associated with many key initiatives are frequent, and Ann is there to help the departmental managers get the word out. Ann’s skills, talents and institutional knowledge are pivotal to the success of the Materials Management Department at BWH. “Ann’s professionalism and attitude amaze me on a daily basis,” added Andrew Madden, director, Materials Management.
Luis Hernandez: Service with a SmileDid you ever wonder who is the nice gentleman that greets you each and every day at 15 Francis Street? Meet Luis Hernandez, valet manager at 15 and 75 Francis Street. Luis provides services with a smile, consistently. Luis’ personality and charm are his forte. Because parking is limited throughout the Longwood Medical Area, this can be an area of concern for patients and families trying to make a scheduled appointment or visit a relative or friend. It is important to have employees like Luis to greet hospital visitors in a pleasant and helpful fashion. His main post is at 15 Francis Street, but he also assists at 75 Francis Street each morning. Luis is often the first person patients encounter, as they arrive at 75 Francis Street for their morning surgeries. Luis is right there to greet them and handle their vehicle, all the while providing the patient with ease and hospitality. “Luis’ attitude and customer service are legendary,” said Kevin Leary of Valet Park New England (VPNE). “Whenever I’m with Luis at 15 Francis Street, I’m told by customers how special he is. We at VPNE and those in BWH’s Security and Parking appreciate Luis for his dedication, professionalism and fantastic attitude.” “Being late is not an option for Luis,” said Leary. A couple of years ago when the Governor declared a snow emergency, Luis was sure not to be late. He left his home at 3 a.m. and walked to work to ensure he was not tardy. It is this dedication that shines when he is greeting visitors, patients, employees and other guests at BWH.
Patricia Gleason-Claydon: A Personal TouchEvery time you attend an event at BWH, you experience first-hand the hard work and dedication of Catering Services. Part of the Department of Food Services, the six-person Catering team, along with support from BWH Cafeteria staff, works around the clock, providing insight and expertise into the successful planning and running of anywhere from 150 to 170 BWH events a week. Whether it be a casual coffee for two or a black-tie dinner for 600, Manager of Catering Services Patricia Gleason-Claydon, MS, RD provides each and every event with a personal touch. Pat works closely with internal clients to carefully plan every last detail of an event. After 26 years of service to BWH, Pat still goes above and beyond to make each event special, with her expertise and commitment making all the difference. “I receive several letters and emails complimenting Pat and her staff for a job well done,” said Karen Purdy-Reilly, director, Department of Food Services and Pat’s supervisor. “Pat is always willing to follow through with her clients, which really shows in the superb quality of her work.”
Margarita Dubrovina: Organization is Key
Reducing length of stay continues to be a priority at BWH. One such initiative to accomplish this has been to move up the time the blood draws occur on Hematology/Oncology patients in the Tower. The goal was to have those draws begin at 5 a.m. and completed by 6 a.m., so samples could be processed and results delivered by 7:30 a.m. This required a shift in protocol. Margarita Dubrovina was a helpful leader to ensure such change. Margarita was the team leader for the team of eight phlebotomists, who were originally a part of this new initiative. Ensuring the scheduling and logistics to make the 5 a.m. draws happen consistently was a challenge, but a success in the end. Now that the project is fully underway and making progress, Margarita is one of three rotating team leaders handling the growing number of phlebotomists working on early blood draws.“Margarita was a key player in this initiative,” said Maureen Samson, technical director of Lab Control and Phlebotomy Services. “The success and reorganization can definitely be attributed in large part to Margarita.”Thanks to Margarita and the team of phlebotomists, Hem/Onc discharges on the fifth and sixth floors of the Tower occur earlier in the day, those patients are able to go home with their family members sooner, and BWH is better prepared to admit new patients earlier in the day.
Carl Kelso: The Jack-of-All-Trades
From responding to a variety of essential maintenance needs to installing the 75 Francis Street lobby display, the task is ultimately designated for the talented and capable hands of a BWH carpenter. The Department of Engineering employs six full-time carpenters, who serve as the “go-to” people for just about every facilities repair or maintenance need on campus.As the lead carpenter, Carl Kelso is often the first-responder when someone calls for a carpenter. A self-proclaimed “Mr. Fix-it,” Carl has been with the hospital since 1988 and explains that the wonderful variety in his work is what has kept him going all of these years. He has certainly had some humorous moments, describing a time when he was soaked to the bone while attempting to find a temporary solution to a leak in the roof of one of the lab buildings. “Carl is incredibly dependable. He’s the guy I often call on first because I know he will take care of things quickly and correctly,” said Charlie Eschback, Carl’s supervisor in the Department of Engineering. “He is very well-liked among his coworkers and his work has been a positive influence on the department and the hospital overall.”
Sheree Brandt, RN: A Resourceful Night OwlBWH is a different place in the overnight hours overseen by little more than 1,000 employees, who are regularly scheduled to work the third shift. Sheree Brandt is one of them.
Sheree could be considered nocturnal, working the overnight shift to provide nursing services to new moms and infants.While others are fast asleep, Sheree works five days a week from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., providing a sense of consistency for the overnight shift on the eighth floor of the Connors Center. Spending 15 years on the same shift and floor, Sheree’s expertise is often sought by colleagues, especially new nurses and patient care assistants.
“Sheree is very helpful facilitating communication on the night shift and is a strong advocate for effective communication between all shifts,” said Julianne Mazzawi, nurse manager, Connors Center-8. According to Mazzawi, Sheree’s many strengths include her mastering of new patient care delivery protocols and her skill in helping to implement change. Mazzawi explains that Sheree was particularly helpful when all post-partum floors adopted a new lactation model.“Sheree’s leadership, mentorship and resourcefulness is invaluable on our floor during the overnight shift,” added Mazzawi, who explained that Sheree has received many letters from patients complimenting her care and guidance. “Sheree’s ability to deliver individual, family-centered care is appreciated by the many patients she cares for in the middle of the night,” said Mazzawi.
Jaylyn Olivo: A Second Set of Eyes
As the second largest recipient of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding for nine consecutive years, BWH’s research community knows first-hand how much time and effort goes into grant proposals, journal articles and medical books. And so does the BWH Editorial Service.
In operation since 1990 and free to all hospital staff, the Editorial Service serves as an extra pair of eyes, reviewing manuscripts to detect whatever errors may have been overlooked. In 2002 alone, the Editorial Service completed 332 projects for 114 internal clients spanning 29 BWH departments. The team, housed in the Channing Laboratory, handles a variety of editorial needs, expertly employing their more than 40 years of combined experience to help the research community submit their best work possible.A co-founder of the service with Julie McCoy and 14-year employee of the hospital, Jaylyn Olivo works behind the scenes, making sense of the words and ironing out the ideas to put each manuscript into its most powerful format. Jaylyn regrets that the computer age has limited her face-time with clients, who in the past would submit hardcopies of manuscripts in-person. Today, they simply email them. “Jaylyn is in a unique position in that she has the opportunity to put a personal imprint on many of the grant proposals, journal articles and books that down the road, make heroes of the researchers and staff that wrote them,” said Norman Stein, administrator, Channing Laboratory. “Jaylyn and the Editorial Service are truly an asset to the BWH research community.”
George Ruiz, MD: The Role Model
BWH prides itself on its ability to attract the brightest medical students across the nation and works hard to train these young physicians to be the next generation of trailblazing clinicians and scientists. George Ruiz, MD, chief resident, Internal Medicine, has had a hand in helping both of these goals along. Ruiz and a team of other physicians travel to various medical schools to talk to minority students in their sophomore and junior years, hoping that sharing their own accounts of how they came to BWH, will inspire a diverse wave of future residents. In addition, as a chief resident, he is one of the go-to individuals for his younger colleagues. Filling this leadership role apparently comes very natural for George. “George exemplifies the term ‘physician leader,’” said Robert Goldszer, MD, associate chief medical officer at BWH. “He continually thinks of new and better ways to teach and care for our patients.”In addition to a great sense of humor, colleagues applaud George’s ability to properly analyze a situation, involve others and then make a decision. His work ethic is impeccable, and his push to work smarter is even more impressive. “George is open and approachable. He knows and is known by staff at all levels, strengthening his capacity to build effective teams. He is a role model for physicians in training and a valuable colleague to the more experienced ones,” said Joel Katz, MD, director, Medical Residency Program.George’s collaborative nature is seen throughout the organization. This year, he was integral in planning the hospital’s first annual General Medicine/Nursing Orientation, bringing together medical residents and nurses to tackle issues such as communication improvement and discharge planning improvement. “George’s compassion does not end with his patients, as it carries over to his colleagues and other staff. We are very fortunate to have a chief resident of his caliber,” added Goldszer.
Karen Griffin: Perfecting Privacy
Since its implementation in April of 2003, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been on the minds of health care workers across the nation. HIPAA ensures patient privacy by protecting medical records and other individually identifiable health information, whether it is on paper, in computers or communicated orally. Every BWH employee is responsible for maintaining patient confidentiality. And no department knows this better, on a day-to-day basis, than Health Information Services.As the correspondence manager for Health Information Services, Karen Griffin oversees processing an average of 3,700 releases of protected health information each month, in addition to overseeing all on-site payer audits. Karen interfaces with insurance companies, attorneys, courts of law, and of course, the patients themselves, on a daily basis, working diligently to ensure the appropriate release of information on a timely basis. She describes her work as challenging yet rewarding, explaining how she once worked on an international release of information, which culminated in an open invitation to visit Korea. A resident of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Karen wakes up every morning at 3:15 a.m. in order to start her day at the hospital by 6 a.m. but says her job is certainly well-worth the commute.“Karen’s unique customer service skills, knowledge and professionalism are exemplary,” said Jackie Raymond, site director for Health Information Services and Karen’s supervisor. “Patients frequently comment on how helpful she is regarding requests for copies of medical records. Staff from BWH and Partners HealthCare have also noted her timeliness and expertise on projects and daily work. She is a tremendous asset to the department.”