360°--Sept-Oct 2013

F O R T H E E M P L O Y E E S O F C I N C I N N AT I C H I L D R E N ’ S

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

RESPECT EVERYONE

WHAT’S INSIDE

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PPEC Tackles the Elephant in the Room

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Debby Mason: Reflections on a Nursing Career

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Redefining Respect in a Complicated World: Why It Matters

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Safe to Be Yourself: EQUAL Advocates for LGBTQ

RESPECT EVERYONE. In this issue, we delve into our most foundational core value—respect.

It’s a sensitive subject. Ironically, no one wants to appear disrespectful by shining a light on some of their coworkers’ less-than-professional behavior. As I spoke with numerous individuals about this issue’s theme, the comments I got ranged from “You’re going to open that can of worms?” to “Put your pen down. You can’t say that in your article.”

Yes, Cincinnati Children’s, like every other healthcare institution, has problems related to a lack of respect and professionalism. And as you read this, you may have your own war story to share. But the wind is shifting.

The world of healthcare is changing rapidly, growing more complex. Whether you’re a clinician, a researcher or in a support role, it’s more important than ever that we approach our challenges collaboratively, capitalizing on the strengths each of us brings to the table.

Cincinnati Children’s is taking a long, hard look at how we treat each other—as individuals, as coworkers, as partners and affiliates, as neighbors in this community. We have singled out professionalism and respect as a strategic focus area for 2014, and we are going to hold ourselves accountable for improving our behavior via our performance evaluations.

We won’t see dramatic changes overnight, but we have taken the first important step by naming that which shall not be named. We, as an institution, have never claimed to be perfect. But we are determined to be the best at getting better. Check out a few of our stories here to see how we’re doing so far.

Cindy Duesing, Editor

Volume 1, Issue 3 | 360° is an employee

To give us your feedback or request additional

Editor: Cindy Duesing

publication of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

or fewer copies of this newsletter, email us at

Contributor: Kar yn Enzweiler

Medical Center, produced by the Department

360@cchmc.org.

Senior Art Director: Anna Diederichs Designers: Elyse Balster and Gina Johnston

of Marketing and Communications, MLC 9012, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,

ON THE COVER:

Design Intern: Jessica Kaising

3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH

The proverbial “elephant in the room”

Contributing Photographers: Cindy Duesing,

won’t loom so large as we acknowledge its

Cathy Lyons and Mark Lyons

45229-3039, 513-636-4420.

presence and deal with issues of respect and professionalism more transparently.

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theknow P R O T O N T H E R A P Y, M O R E I N P AT I E N T B E D S COMING TO LIBERT Y CAMPUS

Cincinnati Children’s will begin construction on two major projects at Liber ty Campus over the next 12 months.

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The first is building a new facility to house a proton therapy and research center for cancer treatment.

Construction is slated to begin before the end of this year. It will take three years to complete construction.

Total cost of the project is estimated at $118 million.

The second is to add 30 – 40 new pediatric inpatient beds, which will be accomplished by adding a fourth floor to the existing three-story structure at the Liberty Campus. Construction will begin during the winter of 2014 and be completed in the summer of 2015. Total cost of the project is estimated at $44 million.

Proton therapy is an innovative form of radiation treatment for pediatric cancers. A major advantage of proton therapy over other forms of treatment is its ability to deliver highly focused radiation therapy to a tumor with remarkable precision. This approach avoids radiation exposure to healthy surrounding tissue in patients, significantly reducing the risks for long-term complications and potentially improving tumor control, which makes it par ticularly beneficial for the care of children.

The beds planned for Liber ty Campus will add new capacity for patients receiving proton therapy, other types of cancer care, as well as other general and specialized pediatric care.

director of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation and Chief Medical Of ficer, ef fective June 30, 2014.

Strauss joined Cincinnati Children’s in May 2007, as construction of Location S was nearing completion. He successfully recruited over 330 depar tmental faculty, including 17 new division directors. He also helped establish the medical center’s three institutes and strengthened our relationship with the UC College of Medicine. He’s been instrumental in forging educational and research partnerships globally, including several in China. In this era of tightening NIH budgets, he has been a strong advocate for funding for pediatric research. Over the last two years, he has guided the planning of the clinical sciences building, which is now under construction.

Cincinnati Children’s and the UC College of Medicine will conduct an intensive international search for Strauss’ replacement. After stepping down as chair, Strauss will remain as a member of the Cardiology faculty, involved in clinical and research activities. He will also continue to advise on the completion of the new research building and on a range of other projects and initiatives.

C I N C I N N AT I C H I L D R E N ’ S T O K I C K O F F U N I T E D W AY C A M P A I G N

The United Way campaign at Cincinnati Children’s begins on Oct. 7 and runs through Oct. 31. You’ll have an opportunity to participate by volunteering—either in the community or during an in-house event on Friday, Oct. 11, from 10 to 11 am, in the Sabin Auditorium—and by making your pledge via the ePledge link in the Opportunities for Giving box on CenterLink.

To learn more about some of the 148 non-profit agencies supported by United Way, plan to take part in one of several 30-minute Walk a Mile in My Shoes events: • Thursday, Oct. 17—Burnet Campus, 8 am, 11:30 am and 4 pm • Wednesday, Oct. 23 —Vernon Manor, 11:30 am

An architect’s rendering of the proposed expansion at Liberty Campus. Some of the new support services required as a result of adding inpatient beds include a full-service cafeteria, a blood bank, and an expanded pharmacy.

STR AUSS TO STEP DOWN AS CHAIR OF PEDIATRICS

Arnold Strauss, MD, will be stepping down as Rachford Professor and chair of the Depar tment of Pediatrics,

Earn up to 75 MyHealthPath points for giving, advocating (walking) and volunteering (25 points for each).

Last year, the medical center raised $1,125,000, but we received $2.7 million back in United Way funding for Every Child Succeeds and the Aaron W. Perlman Center. You can designate your United Way contribution to support either of these two programs, or choose any one of the other agencies whose cause is close to your heart. See the CenterLink home page for more information.

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P P E C TA C K L E S T H E

IN THE ROOM

What you permit, you promote—it’s as simple as that, says Ellis Arjmand, MD, MMM, PhD, chair of the Professional Practice Evaluation Committee (PPEC) and professor of Otolaryngology.

He’s talking about unprofessional behavior—specifically the behavior of care providers on the medical staff here.

This includes physicians (employed and in the community), dentists, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants and advanced practice nurses.

It’s no secret that some members of our medical staff behave badly—usually to other staff—screaming, cursing, ignoring rules, expecting coworkers to do menial tasks and refusing to apologize or acknowledge mistakes.

“There is a long histor y in healthcare of tolerance for unprofessional behavior,” says Arjmand, “par ticularly regarding those who are considered essential to the hospital. I grew up in a medical family. My father was an anesthesiologist, and my mother was an OR nurse.

I heard these dinner conversations all the time.”

But we’re entering a new era. The dots have been connected between professional conduct and patient outcomes, and one thing is clear—we achieve the best

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results for our patients when the medical team functions in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

TA K I N G A N H O N E S T L O O K

To support medical staff members in working harmoniously with others, Cincinnati Children’s established the PPEC in December 2011. The committee consists of 12 medical staff members who participate voluntarily and who meet monthly. They work with division directors to help them develop and improve measures for ongoing provider performance evaluations (OPPE), which are used when medical staf f members are up for their two-year reappointment. The committee also reviews concerns about an individual’s conduct and professional behavior that are brought forward by employees, other medical staff members or family members.

“PPEC is neutral regarding a person’s employer and position,” says Arjmand. “There’s no difference in how we evaluate a division director, a busy practitioner who brings in a lot of revenue, or a junior faculty member. It doesn’t matter if you work for Cincinnati Children’s, UC or a private practice. We focus on the behavior and how we can resolve the situation.”

“PPEC is neutral regarding a person’s employer and position. There’s no difference in how we evaluate a division director, a busy practitioner who brings in a lot of revenue, or a junior faculty member.”

—Ellis Arjmand, MD, MMM, PhD

When a concern is brought to the committee, two PPEC members will talk to the individuals involved to get an understanding of what’s going on and why. Then they report back to the larger committee. Every attempt is made to de-identify the individual in question to preserve confidentiality and to eliminate any bias on the par t of the committee.

“This is our honest attempt at giving ever yone a fair evaluation with a standardized process. Although sometimes anonymity is hard to maintain, especially if the case involves a small division or the behavior is widely known, the committee adheres to a policy of confidentiality,” says Arjmand. “This is a peer review.

Our process is separate from the employment file. We are not a punitive body. We have no authority to take disciplinary action. We are here to assist people who are behaving unprofessionally, who may not even realize how their behavior is affecting others.”

S T R E S S TA K E S A T O L L

Physicians and other medical staff members are under a lot of pressure. Most academic physicians are expected to publish, teach, treat patients and balance their clinical work and research. They may also be dealing with financial worries, health issues, fatigue or family stress.

They must keep up with best practices, new technologies and changing regulations. Sometimes, priorities are conflicting, e.g., to be safe while ef ficiently getting through the patient schedule. It’s hard to juggle ever ything successfully.

Some individuals who come to the attention of the PPEC are relieved to talk about what’s going on in their lives.

“It’s hard sometimes to have this conversation with your division director,” says Arjmand. “That’s a complicated relationship. The director is your friend, your boss, your mentor. Then there are other factors, like the financial strength of your program and the unique skills you bring to the table. We’re not here to judge. We are concerned about your performance, and we want to work with you on a plan to improve it.”

In some cases, a physician will put the blame on everyone else—the staff don’t know what they’re doing, the room is never ready, etc. Says Arjmand, “Sometimes that’s true, and sometimes it’s not. But we inter view their coworkers to get a well-rounded view. We document our discussions in a letter to the individual, detailing the follow-up steps that need to happen. If we reach a voluntary agreement, no further action is needed. If we

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can’t reach an agreement, the concern could be escalated to the Medical Executive Committee, which has the authority to take disciplinary action.”

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE

PPEC isn’t concerned so much with the occasional bad day all of us have. They look specifically for patterns of behavior that signal a deeper problem.

“In the past, there was no central body handling complaints and concerns,” says Arjmand. “Someone may have gone to the department chair, and someone else may have complained to HR. Maybe another person contacted Family Relations. Each time, the person on the receiving end may have heard it as a first-time complaint. No one was putting it all together. PPEC provides a way to track patterns of disruptive behavior.”

Arjmand sees the focus on respect and professionalism as transformational. “For the past 10 to 15 years, Cincinnati Children’s has been doing fantastic work to improve safety and outcomes for patients. Much of the emphasis has been on process improvement and on addressing system errors.

But now we are paying increased attention to individual performance. We all have personal accountability for our behavior and adhering to best practices.”

It’s ultimately in the physician’s best interest to treat others with respect. “Any member of the healthcare team can help you and your patient by voicing a concern, and you need to be open to that, because if you dismiss them or yell at them, you could be losing out on an important piece of information that’s vital to the patient’s safety.

Certainly, they have a responsibility to speak up, but if they hesitate because you’ve made it difficult, that’s a problem.”

Debby Mason: Reflections on a Nursing Career

Arjmand sees points of conflict as opportunities to build relationships. “There’s tremendous power in an apology,” he says.

Systematically educating residents is also impor tant.

“Residents learn by watching, and they can be strongly influenced by rule-breakers,” he explains. “When someone breaks the rules and gets away with it, they establish themselves as holding power, as a person who is above it all. It sends the wrong message.”

The vast majority of the medical staf f work hard and embody professional standards, but PPEC has proven to be a valuable channel to address problems when they arise. If you have a concern or would like more information, Arjmand invites you to contact him at Ellis.Arjmand@cchmc.org.

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“There is nothing harder than working with sick children,” says Debby Mason, APRN. “So at the very least, we need to be nice to each other.”

Mason, an advanced practice nurse and education specialist in the Center for Professional Excellence, is retiring from Cincinnati Children’s in September after 33 years of ser vice. She is a treasure-trove of wisdom, experience and clinical knowledge. She has a deep passion for pediatric nursing, and she clearly loves the people she’s worked with at the medical center and the children and families she’s cared for.

During her lengthy career, she’s seen a lot of changes— most of them good—and experienced some of the bumps in the road. On the topic of respect and professionalism, she has a lot to say.

“We each have our own definition of professionalism,” she begins. “For many of us, it’s the hear t and soul of our discipline, a daily expression of what attracted us to our profession in the first place, which is to care for others and provide the highest quality care possible.”

Today’s definition has evolved from autonomy to accountability, from exper t opinion to evidence-based practice and from self-interest to teamwork and shared responsibility. It’s no longer acceptable to justify a process or behavior by saying, “We’ve always done it that way.”

“The CARES standards are critical to the work, but it’s not enough to be cour teous,” she says. “Competence is a huge par t of respect and professionalism. If you don’t know how to do what you need to do, being nice doesn’t cut it.”

The principles of nursing professionalism include: • Dedication to ser ving the best interest of the patient and family • Respecting patients’ and colleagues’ autonomy and empowering them to make informed decisions in keeping with ethical practice • Helping to promote equality in the distribution of healthcare resources • Focus on the work For Mason, respect and professionalism begin with the individual.

“First, you have to respect yourself and accept personal responsibility,” she says. “That means dressing appropriately at work and being on time. It means understanding your limits, as well as your professional boundaries. This includes upholding confidentiality, leaving emotional baggage at the door and communicating clearly. It also means taking care of yourself, maintaining the right balance between work and your personal life and taking a break when you become frustrated.”

MORE OPPORTUNITIES

The focus on professionalism in the last decade has opened up opportunities for nurses at Cincinnati Children’s.

Shared governance gives nurses more of a voice in decision-making and problem-solving, including setting goals for safety. There’s been an increase in recognizing nurses who achieve certification in their specialty, as well as more suppor t and resources for evidencebased practice.

Nurses can par ticipate in quality improvement (RCIC, the Point of Care Scholar program, I 2S2, etc.), evidencebased practice and research. They can design lifelong learning plans or coach others as preceptors and mentors. They can also join a cohort to earn a bachelor’s or advanced practice nursing degree and develop competencies in a skills lab.

Says Mason, “You can join professional organizations that provide oppor tunities to speak and present all around the world. How far you want to go in your development is really up to you.”

ALL ABOUT THE KIDS

When Mason speaks to new nursing staff at orientation, she outlines three gifts they will receive when working at Cincinnati Children’s.

“You get to take care of children who see the world like no one else,” she says. “You become part of a family’s stor y, and you make friends who will understand you in a way others can’t. When you work together cleaning up after a sick child or holding a parent’s hand, you form a lifelong bond.”

In an atmosphere like this, where so much is at stake, respect and professionalism keep the lines of communication open, ensuring that those who need to be heard are heard. It fosters an environment where leaders empower staf f by giving them the tools they need and letting them build on their strengths. And most importantly, it helps everyone stay focused on the reason all of us are here—the patient.

“Patients and families deser ve our ver y best—our best knowledge, our best skill, our best behavior,” says Mason.

“When we fail to be respectful and professional, we not only let ourselves down, we let them down at a time when they need us the most.”

After 33 years as a Cincinnati Children’s nurse, Mason can retire knowing she more than held up her end of the deal.

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Redefining Respect in a Complicated World:

WHY IT MATTERS Barry Morris tells it like it is. And it’s a good thing. The assistant vice president of Learning and Development was hired last year to facilitate changes in our culture that will help sustain all the progress we have made well into the future. This requires a lot of straight talk and a willingness to nudge people out of their comfort zones.

But he always operates out of a place of respect.

“Respect is a critical element of all our Core Values,” he says. “If you’re not telling the truth and if you’re not functioning as a team, you’re not respecting each other.

It’s more relevant now than it ever was before, because healthcare and our own operations are becoming more and more complex, demanding that we listen to and respect the contributions of ever y employee.”

Respect—and professionalism—is so important to the success of our mission and vision that it is one of the FY14 strategic focus areas. Michael Fisher, president and CEO, emphasized this at the July 15 Management Council meeting and declared Cincinnati Children’s commitment to “actively addressing issues associated with over t, cover t and institutional disrespect in identified areas.”

That language comes from Lucian Leape, MD, an internationally recognized leader of the patient safety movement and one of the founders of the National Patient Safety Foundation. Leape visited Cincinnati Children’s earlier this year to talk about the need to take disrespect out of the healthcare world.

Says Morris, “It’s not unique to us. It’s everywhere. But the changes in healthcare require collaboration among all the disciplines—nurses, doctors, allied health. We have

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to respect the views and the value of everyone on the team to make it work. When we disrespect people, we shut them down. We can’t do that anymore, especially when we are serving children and families who put themselves in our care.”

THE CHALLENGES

Most of us have been taught from an early age to be respectful. But often, says Morris, the definition of respect we learned from well-intentioned adults was to keep quiet, to not contradict and do what we’re told, which tends to discourage independent thinking and behavior. While there are many scenarios in healthcare where leadership and management must exercise control, we must be careful that we don’t inadvertently create an environment in which it doesn’t feel safe to speak up or to act in a way that serves the needs of our patients.

Over the last 15 years, Cincinnati Children’s has grown tremendously in the number of beds, employees, patients served, and services provided. In addition, we are no longer a local/regional hospital. We now have a national and international footprint. And we’re still growing. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on staff to keep up their skills while safely handling a greater patient load and managing resources as efficiently as possible.

“We have to re-think our definition of respect and professionalism,” says Morris. “It’s ironic that we have the courage to tell parents difficult news, like their child has a terminal illness, but we have such a hard time giving our coworkers honest feedback about their job performance.”

MAKING CHANGES

Morris and his team have a strategy to empower employees.

“We’re working on creating a dialogue among staff, from the frontlines to the top, to put issues on the table,” he explains. “I believe in naming things, because we can’t get better if we don’t name our obstacles, our sticking points. Our goal is to give people permission to talk about what’s wrong—not as complainers but as problem-solvers. We must focus on the positives to continually recognize and reinforce what is working.”

An example of this is the Operational Excellence work that is being piloted on the inpatient units.

“Operational excellence is about how we manage our day-to-day issues, how we meet our goals while dealing with the variability that happens from one moment to the next,” says Morris. “We’ve done an outstanding job of improving the patient experience. Now we’re increasing our focus on the employee experience.”

Leadership development is another important piece of the puzzle.

“We’re all leaders within our own functions,” says Morris.

“Leadership is everyone’s responsibility—to be accountable and responsible people who own their work. If each of us develops our own leadership skills, then the nurse in the OR will know it’s her job to speak up if something isn’t right, the maintenance person will know not to mop one side of the hall where a patient is taking his first steps after surgery.”

Cincinnati Children’s as an institution has a responsibility too—to establish policies that empower employees to do what’s right and to provide the infrastructure and support so staff can perform successfully.

“Senior leadership recognizes that employees are being asked to do a lot,’” says Morris. “We’ve managed to perform very well, but we have to work to insure it’s sustainable for the long term. We need a healthy balance between the required work and the resources to get it done. To achieve that, we must listen to and empower line staff who are in a position to understand and address the management of our priorities.

WHERE WE’RE HEADED

Cincinnati Children’s aims to create an environment where employees feel their work is meaningful and that they’re making a difference.

Says Morris, “If we are getting regular feedback from the work itself and from our managers, if we are being treated as responsible, accountable adults, then work/life balance becomes less of an issue, because we will love what we do. Safety will improve, too. How do we create that environment? Respect is a big part of it.”

Forgiveness is also a key component.

“Just because we’ve committed to a culture of respect and professionalism doesn’t mean we have the skills to get it right out of the gate,” Morris says. “It’s a journey, and we’re all learning as we go. But when we make mistakes, don’t think, ‘well, they didn’t mean it.’ We have to have enough respect for each other to admit when we’re wrong and have the courage to ask, ‘How can we fix this?’”

O pe ra tio n a l E xce ll e n ce If you haven’t heard the term “Operational Excellence” already, you will soon. Operational Excellence is a teambased approach to building the best outcomes, experience and value for employees, patients and families. Aimed at better managing an increasingly complex healthcare environment, the initial focus of this effort will be on the inpatient unit to help us improve in critical areas of safety, as well as patient flow and experience.

Developing empowered and accountable unit leaders is critical, since the partnership between the physician and

nursing directors for each unit forms the foundation of Operational Excellence. They will be responsible for a partnered approach to unit-level strategic thinking and planning, communication, improvement and safety—all with the goal to define priorities and build a culture of engagement and ownership.

Operational Excellence is evolving and will reach other sites of care. A CenterLink site will be launched soon.

Meanwhile, if you have questions or comments, send them to OperationalExcellence@cchmc.org.

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Safe to Be Yourself: EQUAL Advocates for

LGBTQ Employees Jason Butler (l) and Zach Bellman co-chair the EQUAL employee resource group.

Zach Bellman remembers the first time he attended an EQUAL meeting. The deskside suppor t analyst in Information Services stood outside the conference room door on the second floor of Location D and deliberately dropped his pencil. Then as discreetly as possible, he bent down, picked it up and slipped into the room, hoping no one else saw him.

everyone identifies as gay. ‘Queer’ is the umbrella term more commonly used now to cover a broad spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations. It’s important to recognize the breadth of diversity there. We tend to compartmentalize others so they’re easier to deal with.

But everyone’s experience is unique.”

EQUAL is an employee resource group for those who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) spectrum. The group ser ves employees and patients and focuses on building relationships with the community at large. Membership is open to allies, as well—straight employees who suppor t their LGBTQ colleagues.

Cincinnati Children’s has been recognized as a leader via the Human Rights Campaign’s Health Equality Index, which named us as the best healthcare facility for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients and families last year.

In 2012, we were the only Tri-State hospital to receive this honor. This year, we are one of four to earn this distinction.

IMPROVING THE COMFORT LEVEL

But what does it feel like to be an LGBTQ employee here?

Much has changed since Bellman’s first meeting. For one thing, he is now co-chair of the group, along with Jason Butler, an administrator of client systems in Information Services. They took on their roles last spring.

“EQUAL is a resource for employees who are out or coming out,” says Butler. “We offer support, focus on career advancement and serve as a reference and liaison between Cincinnati Children’s and members of the group. We help shape medical center policies and coordinate volunteer opportunities in the community. We also host social activities for fun.”

Bellman and Butler have a broader vision for the group— to educate employees about the LGBTQ experience and facilitate open, honest dialogue about issues that are often uncomfortable.

Says Butler, “First, we need to use the right words. Gender identity and sexual identity are two different things. Not

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“I don’t have any reason to hide who I am,” says Bellman, “but I don’t see any benefit in being out. It doesn’t inhibit my career, but I don’t need the interpersonal drama that comes with it. Some individuals don’t want to be educated.

Others have no idea how to support me. They feel like they have to tiptoe around really basic things.”

Butler agrees. “Organizationally, it feels safe to be out.

On a peer level, it’s not entirely comfortable. We need to continue educating others about how to create safe space for LGBTQ employees, patients and families.”

Both Bellman and Butler have clear ideas of what respect and professionalism are.

Says Bellman, “Respect is mostly about honesty—in every interaction. Professionalism is about doing everything genuinely and with purpose.”

Adds Butler, “I picture it as always listening from the heart and speaking from the heart. If you do that, it’s impossible to be disrespectful.”

Employees who want to support their LGBTQ coworkers are welcome to attend meetings and ask questions.

“Unfortunately, even employees who are queer don’t know our group exists,” says Butler, “or they want nothing to do with it. They don’t want the exposure yet.”

When dealing with disrespectful coworkers, Bellman tries to use the moment as an opportunity to educate. “I always assume positive intent,” he says. “I approach the person in private and let them know they were offensive and why.

Most of the time, they don’t realize it.”

He hopes employees who feel discriminated against will use EQUAL as a safe channel to work toward a satisfactor y resolution.

MORE WORK TO DO

Bellman and Butler are proud of Cincinnati Children’s for its leadership in supporting LGBTQ employees, but there are many opportunities for improvement.

“The costs for transgender employees who choose to medically transition are considerable,” says Butler. “It’s already an emotionally weighted time, and when you add that financial burden, it’s a lot to deal with. A few employers in the area are covering those costs. Cincinnati Children’s could be a leader on this front in providing more comprehensive healthcare coverage for these services.”

Being a designated leader in LGBTQ healthcare by the Human Rights Campaign means Cincinnati Children’s has inclusive policies, e.g., patient bills of rights inclusive of LGBTQ patients, families and employees; equal visitation; policies including the terms sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, and provides training that is LGBTQ patient-centered.

According to the 2010 US census, 17 percent of Ohio

Healthcare coverage for same-sex couples has also been inequitable. Until now, the medical center was restricted by state and federal laws from making family-level contributions to health savings accounts for domestic partners because they were not tax-eligible dependents.

Says Bellman, “We are actively working with our HRIS group on making access to coverage comparable to that of heterosexual married couples in light of changes to federal tax law that went into effect on September 16, 2013.”

Our communications also signal inclusiveness. Having staff wear rainbow pins demonstrates that Cincinnati Children’s is a safe place to come out, if you want to.

Using gender-neutral language on forms (referring to parents as “parent 1” and “parent 2” instead of “mother” and “father” also promotes a welcoming environment. The EQUAL group would like to see an “other” option listed in addition to the “male” and “female” designations.

“LGBTQ patients have specific healthcare needs,” says Bellman. “Letting your doctor know how you identif y gives him or her impor tant context to provide the best treatment.”

To learn more about EQUAL, search for their webpage on CenterLink. A meeting schedule is posted there, along with a list of internal and community resources. You can also follow the group on Facebook and Twitter. Contact them at equal@cchmc.org to be added to their email list.

In 2012, Cincinnati Children’s was the first hospital in the Tri-State area to receive the HEI Leader status.

In 2013, Cincinnati Children’s was one of two free-standing pediatric hospital listed on the Human Rights Campaign website as an HEI Healthcare institution resource.

Fifty-seven percent of LGBTQ individuals say they would use quality rankings (e.g., HEI award) to compare doctors and hospitals in their community.

same-sex couples, 18 percent of Kentucky same-sex couples and 19 percent of Indiana same-sex couples are raising children.

Seventy-eight percent of LGBTQ individuals say they would

Sixty-seven percent of LGBTQ parents say ‘if a company

‘switch brands’ to a firm or organization that had gay-friendly policies and practices.

impresses me, I will make a point of telling my friends about it.” (Community Marketing, Inc. report, 2012)

Purchasing power of the LGBTQ community is projected to be $759 billion.

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snapshots

Department B5/Critical Care Role Health unit coordinator I/ Maggie Montgomery Award winner What I love most about what I do is using my customer service skills to help people in an environment where some not-so-good things happen.

When I’m not here, you can usually find me watching reality TV or teaching bible education in people’s homes.

A phrase that describes me Bubbly What I love about CCHMC is that we aim to be the best.

I was born in Panama. I was also born to shop.

The guiding principle of my life is I believe the world is going to be a better place. My spirituality gets me through the rough times.

Person I admire most My mother—she came to the US not knowing the language so her children could have a better life.

People would never guess that I went to kindergarten through second grade in West Germany.

What’s on my bucket list to travel the world and visit ever y beach there is.

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Department Reproductive Sciences Role Research fellow studying the role of Xist RNA and chromatin modif ication e nz yme s What I love most about what I do is knowing that my work contributes to a better medical outcome for children. I hope to get more into translational research someday.

When I’m not here, you can usually find me at a Reds game. I have season tickets.

A phrase that describes me I work hard, but I take time to play.

What I love about CCHMC The people are very nice, and it’s a great environment to work in.

I was born in Miki, Japan.

The guiding principle of my life is Live life to the fullest.

Person I admire most Suguru Yonezawa, my pathology professor at Kagashima University. He is very smart, but gentle and humble.

People would never guess that I play jazz saxophone. I’m taking lessons now at UC. What’s on my bucket list I want to go skydiving, bungee jumping and travel around the world.

Department Food Services Role Chef/Guru of the Grill What I love most about what I do is giving people good customer service.

When I’m not here, you can usually find me bowling with my husband. I have my own ball, my own shoes—it’s serious.

A phrase that describes me Very outgoing.

What I love about CCHMC is the continuous opportunity to learn and grow and move forward.

I was born a chef.

The guiding principle of my life is to treat others as I want to be treated.

Person I admire most My mom—she was courageous and hard-working, with a lot of personality.

People would never guess that I went to nursing school for two years.

What’s on my bucket list I’d like to be on the TV show Master Chef and to finish school at the Midwest Culinary Institute.

Department Guest Services Role Associate/fun-finder extraordinaire What I love most about what I do is making people smile by making the unexpected happen.

When I’m not here, you can usually find me at home with my family.

A phrase that describes me I’m a storyteller. No one is a stranger.

What I love about CCHMC is the personal connection we establish with families and how we make them feel while they’re here.

I was born to care for others.

The guiding principle of my life is Make the most of every situation.

Person I admire most My mom and dad (that’s two, I know, but it’s a tie).

People would never guess that I do really good voice impressions.

What’s on my bucket list I’d like to visit wine countr y and travel overseas.

insidescoop Do you have a burning question about some aspect of Cincinnati Children’s you’ve always wanted to know the answer to but weren’t sure whom to ask? Send it to the Inside Scoop at 360@cchmc.org. We will print as many questions as space allows.

Q

When CCHMC locations are closed for holidays, why do we have to save PTO to cover it? Most places give paid holidays plus PTO without the worry of having enough time to cover Christmas or an emergency if you take a week off for vacation. I’ve not heard of a company that has you cover holidays with your own PTO, and since CCHMC is one of the top places to work, I’m curious as to why it’s done this way.

—Angie Carmack, scheduling agent, Scheduling Center

A

According to Michael Stuart, director of benefits, our Paid Time Off program is specifically designed to pool all available time off to allow flexibility for those who may work on a standard holiday. The PTO hours accrual is a combination of vacation, short-term sick, personal time, and holidays.

For example: Full-time employees who accrue 24 days (192 hours) of PTO earn the equivalent of 10 days of vacation (80 hours), five days short-term sick (40 hours), one personal day (eight hours), and eight holidays (64 hours).

Segregating these hours would afford less flexibility in how people are able to use their time off based on their unique situations.

Q

Why is there not a member of Employee Health over at the main hospital to see employees who have been injured? Some of my injured staff have been asked to take a shuttle over to Employee Health to be assessed prior to seeking medical care. This seems to be risky.

—Kate O’Donnell, MSW, LISW-S, clinical manager Social Services

A

The decision for the location of Employee Health is influenced by the space-planning team, as space is needed at Burnet Ave for clinical operations. In addition, Employee Health is strategically located at Vernon Place with Employment so that new hires need only come to one location for inter views, new-hire drug testing, immunizations and badging.

Terri Thrasher, RN, senior director, HR Professional Ser vice, says the plan is to move all of HR together to Lincoln next year. It remains advantageous to keep Employee Health and Employment together. However, injury management may stay at Vernon Place. There might also be a primary care clinic at the Vernon Place location, but this is all still being decided.

feedback Correction In the July/August Snapshots profile of Gurjit Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, we published the wrong response to the prompt “What I love most about what I do.” The answer should have read: “is having the opportunity to make a difference for our patients.”

Send your feedback to 360@cchmc.org.

We apologize for the error.

13

thebuzz “I smile at everyone.”

Megan Taylor, Environmental Services

“I try to treat everybody the same.

Say please and thank

HOW DO YOU

you—common things your

SHOW RESPECT

parents taught you when you

IN YOUR ROLE AT CCHMC?

“Listening is probably the biggest piece of showing respect to coworkers and patients.

were growing up.”

Ian Lewkowich, PhD, assistant professor, Cellular and Molecular Immunology

It’s about being on time and being attentive, trying to address all concerns.”

Kevin Downes, MD, clinical fellow, Infectious Diseases analyst, Asthma Research

“I treat the entire patient, not just the symptoms. I relate to them as if they were my child.”

“I always explain the test

Tracy Cronin, LPN, Adolescent Medicine

“I always ask others for

in detail to the patient and

their opinion. Communication

family and give them a chance

is the big key.”

to ask questions before proceeding.”

Becky Barth, MRI tech, Kenwood

360°

Karen Dean, RRT, respiratory therapist, Respiratory Care

milestones

Congratulations to the following employees who celebrate milestone ser vice anniversaries in S E P T E M B E R and O C T O B E R !

40 Wayne Williams, Facilities Management

Bill Osterhage, Building Maintenance Janet Sander, Otolaryngology Kathy Sandman, RN, Burnet Urgent Care Arlene Schutte, RN, Radiology

35

Kahne Springborn, RN, Operating Room Karen Van Zile, RN, Anderson Urgent Care Susan Wagner, RN, GI Transplant

Regena Alexander, Microbiology Bernadette Dunklin, B4/Newborn Intensive Care Unit Linda Polman, A5 Central Janet Schultz, PhD, Behavioral Medicine/Clinical Psychology Marcia Shepherd, RN, Orthopaedics Center

20 Wilma Anthony, RN, College Hill Jennifer Badinghaus, RN, Outpatient Services

30

Denise Bellman, Bone Marrow Transplantation Jacqueline Berr y, House Staff Michelle Bierman, RN, Oncology

Mar ybeth Burns, RN, Rheumatology

Barbara Boat, PhD, Childhood Trust

Marianne Dammer t, RN, Diabetes/Endocrinology/Clinical

Jamie Brauley, Social Services

Translational Research Center

Anna Weber Byars, PhD, Neurology

Barbara Dilber t, RN, Same Day Surgery

Paula Chambers, College Hill

Darcy Doellman, RN, Vascular Access Team

Joyce Compton, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology

Charles Finklea, Operating Room

Kimberly Dietrich, RN, GI Transplant

Peggy Kaiser, RN-CNP, Advanced Practice Nurses

James Doellman, Information Services

Kathy Kirschner, RN, Same Day Surgery

Tessie Duncan-Por ter, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Craig McManiman, Social Services

Robyn Feazell, Early Education and Care

Brenda Monroe, RN, Liberty Campus/Surgery

Jacqueline Felthaus, Otolaryngology

Yvonne Stepter, Social Services

Karen Hudson, Pathology Timothy Keyser, RPh, Pharmacy Sarah McCar tney, RN, Infectious Diseases Shelly Playle, RPh, Pharmacy

25

Howard Saal, MD, Human Genetics Tracy Tiller, MD, General and Community Pediatrics Theresia Tuttle, RRT, Respiratory Care

Laura Bahar, RN, Ambulatory Services-Pediatric Surgery

Eric Wall, MD, Orthopaedics

Susan Capuano, RN-CNP, Pre-anesthesia Consultation Clinic Pamela Daniels, RN, Epic Kevin Ferguson, Clinical Engineering Wayne Geers, Epic Stephan Glasser, PhD, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology Robin Hamilton, RN, Outpatient Services Mar y Haygood, RN, Vascular Access Team Keith Hazlewood, Epic Geraldine Hennies, RN, GI Transplant Mike Louder, Clinical Engineering

See a complete list of milestone service anniversaries online in this week’s edition of CenterNews.

15

3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 9012 Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026

Why am I here?

Kate Kenner

Growing up, I watched my brother, and in tandem, my entire family suffer alongside epilepsy. My parents spent countless sleepless nights at Cincinnati Children’s. Although we lived two hours away from Cincinnati, due to the number of admissions my brother required, I too spent time following the multi-colored feet to the different testing areas of the hospital.

Walking behind my brother’s wheelchair, each staff that walked past us cheerfully smiled, making us all feel important. I watched the staff celebrate my brother’s improvement and tear fully grieve when his hospital roommate passed away. Many times, a staff member sat with my mother and just listened to her anxious concerns.

Years later, I became employed in social services, which often required me to work jointly with Cincinnati Children’s staff. With each visit to the facility, I noticed the same energy in the employees I’d experienced as a child.

Cincinnati Children’s mission of improving children’s health through balanced integration was attractive to me. Its warm facility was inviting. The most outstanding feature that drew me to its team, however, was its staff. I wanted to be surrounded by and part of the contagious energy that makes Cincinnati’s Children’s unique: personified care.

Currently, I am a mental health specialist in Psychiatr y here. Constantly, the staff challenges me to be a better person. I work alongside managers who believe in the difference I make each day. The enthusiasm spills onto each family I have the privilege to work with, as now I find myself understanding those smiling nurses I encountered so many years ago.

—Kate Kenner, BIS, BSN, MHS, Psychiatry

a moment in history Edward L . Pratt, MD, was the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics from 1963 to 1979. During his tenure, pediatric hospital care in Cincinnati was consolidated at Cincinnati Children’s, and af filiated pediatric services were brought onto campus. Pediatric units at the General, Good Samaritan and Jewish Hospitals were closed so that patients could be cared for in a setting where subspecialists were always available, and their pediatric residency programs moved to Cincinnati Children’s.

These changes resulted in Cincinnati Children’s becoming a comprehensive medical center.

1960s