HIGHLAND
Highlights A Highland Hospital employee newsletter.
April/May 2018
Hospital Veteran Leaves a Legacy
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Longtime Highland Hospital Director of Social Work, Mike Sullivan, will retire on June 29, 2018. With an open heart and attentive ear, Mike has confidently served Highland’s patients for over 25 years. When he was hired in 1993, Sullivan led five social workers and, as Sullivan explained, “If we had 80 patients, we were thrilled.” Sullivan set out to enhance the Highland Social Work team by adding services, acquiring responsibilities including clergy, transportation contract, HELP program, care management, and hiring staff in response to the growing patient volume over the past two decades. Sullivan’s contributions throughout the 1990s ensured that Highland was prepared to serve new patients with Highland’s hallmark patient- and family-centered care while preserving continuity for patients during a vulnerable period in Rochester health care history. Sullivan’s department now sees an average of 275 patients per day across eight departmental groups, with 56 employees serving as social workers, patient placement coordinators, ASL interpreters, clergy, and nurse navigators. He chairs the Highland Hospital Ethics Committee and is an active board member serving Catholic Family Center and Monroe Community Hospital.
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1. M ike Sullivan gets the ePARC spirit during a pre-meeting launch during 2017. 2. Sullivan supports Highland runners alongside staff at the Lilac Run. 3. Sullivan climbs the Wayna Picchu Mountain in Peru and the “Stairs of Death”, during a trip in April. 4. Mike Sullivan and Scott Schwabe serve ice cream to employees during a Promise Week 2017 Ice Cream Social. 5. Chin-Lin Ching M.D., Bilal Ahmed M.D., Lauren DeCaporale M.D. Bottom: Mike Sullivan and Don Marlar celebrate ICARE Rounds kickoff Jan. 2014. 4
When asked what he sees as the most daunting challenge facing social work today, Mike explained, “The breakdown in today’s family dynamic combined with medical complexity in society is easily the most challenging issue. It will continue to become a bigger problem as baby boomers age and unfortunately, I don’t see the state and our social structure preparing to meet the challenge of an aging America. The responsibility will continue to fall to social workers, caregivers, and institutions to meet the challenge.” As Mike moves on to the next chapter in his life, he will pursue a full-time love of climbing, hiking, wood turning, and he will be searching for a new way he can help others as he has so many at Highland. He will be sorely missed and we thank him for his leadership, kindness, and service while providing support to patients in need of care. 5