Now available in 150 languages! To read in another language (Para verlo en español/Pou wè li an kreyòl ayisyen), click here.
The Year in Photos
If you’d like to submit a photo to This Month in Photos, email bwfhinfo@partners.org. We accept photos from all areas across BWFH, including individual or group celebrations and events. View the Gallery>
Joint Commission Preparedness Tip: In the event of a fire, remember R.A.C.E.
Are you prepared to speak with a Joint Commission surveyor during our anticipated accreditation survey? For help preparing, visit the Continuous Readiness page on Vitals.
New Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council blog post: Celebrating the New Year with soup joumou
In the Haitian tradition, soup joumou (pronounced “joo-moo”) is the centerpiece of the meal on New Year’s Day. It also happens to be the specialty of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council Co-Chair and 6 North Nurse Director Suzelle Saint-Eloi, MS, RN, who recently gathered a group of her Haitian colleagues from 6 North to talk about what soup joumou means to them. Read more.
Safety highlight of the month
Before starting a procedure, a time-out is completed by the surgical team including the nurse, fellow and the physician to verify the procedure site, side and confirm patient consent. Recently, a patient was scheduled for a LEFT Cervical Medial Branch Block (MBB) procedure for treatment of chronic neck pain. A time-out was completed for the Cervical MBB procedure verifying the LEFT side. After the procedure was completed, it was noted that the RIGHT MBB procedure was performed. To learn more about this event, read the latest edition of Last Month in Patient Safety.
BWFH welcomes new Security Operations Manager and Chief of Police
The Police, Security, Safety and Parking Department at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is pleased to welcome Paul Baker as its new Security Operations Manager and Chief of Police. In this role, Baker will work closely with Senior Director of Public Safety and Support Services Terrance Lassiter to provide a safe and secure environment for patients, visitors and staff. Read more.
6 North HAPI rounds improve care for patients with pressure injuries
Each year, as part of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s ongoing commitment to providing the safest, highest quality care to our patients, departments across the hospital are charged with developing and implementing their own Quality Assurance Process Improvement plan. This year, the 6 North team is piloting HAPI rounds in order to improve care for patients with pressure injuries. Read more.
BWFH Nursing Awards - Nominations accepted through February 17
Each year, during National Nurses Week, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital celebrates its nurses with awards recognizing excellence in critical thinking, commitment to patient teaching, continuing education, outstanding delivery of patient- and family-centered care with compassion and dignity and evidence-based practice, as well as the contributions of our support staff. Do you have a coworker who deserves one of these awards? To submit a nomination, click here. Nominations will be accepted through February 17.
Get the gift of health for the New Year with Path to Lifestyle Change
During the holidays, we face the challenges of eating more and moving less. This may not be the best for your health if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The Path to Lifestyle Change program has helped hundreds of people learn the skills to eat healthy, stay active, lose weight and prevent diabetes. Take this short quiz and if you score at least a 5, you may benefit from the program.
The Path to Lifestyle Change is conducted remotely by Mass General Diabetes Center dietitians. Offered by AllWays Health Partners, it is a covered benefit for AllWays members and family who are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
The next groups will begin in January on Tuesdays from 12 noon to 1 pm and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Call 617-724-0653 or email pathtolifestylechange@mgh.harvard.edu to start the enrollment process.
Join the All of Us Research Program this New Year and learn about your DNA
The All of Us Research Program has a simple mission: to help advance research so we can learn more about what makes us sick and what keeps us healthy. Participants are from different races and ethnicities, age groups and regions of the country. They are also diverse in gender identity, sexual orientation and health status.
All of Us aims to improve health for all by gathering health data from one million or more people to build one of the largest and most diverse health databases in history.
What participants receive:
All of Us participants can learn about their health, their DNA and receive other benefits. This includes information about:
Join All of Us
Everyone is invited to join All of Us (must be 18 years or older). Learn more about the program and how you can join by visiting JoinAllofUs.org/mgb.
New student loan repayment program for behavioral health, substance use disorder and primary care workers
The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers recently announced a new statewide student loan repayment program for individuals who work in the areas of behavioral health, substance use disorder or primary care. Mass General Brigham employees may be eligible for this loan repayment program based on their role and work location. The application deadline is January 30, 2023.
Eligible roles include, but are not limited to, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, primary care physicians, nurses, substance use recovery coaches and case managers who work at community health centers, community mental health centers, psychiatric units in acute care hospitals and inpatient psychiatric hospitals.
The program offers between $12,500 and $300,000 of educational loan repayment to eligible employees in exchange for a 4- to 5-year commitment in their current role or one at another eligible institution and is open to qualifying employees with a range of credentials. Learn more here.
Updates to the 2023 NIH Policy on Data Management and Sharing
The new National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Policy on Data Management and Sharing goes into effect on January 25, 2023. Information and resources are available on Mass General Brigham Navigator. Office hours with Mass General Brigham leaders in Digital, Research Management and Institutional Review Board will be available to researchers with questions about the policy on Monday, January 9, from 4 to 5 pm. Zoom details are here. Additional sessions will be scheduled.
2023 retirement contribution benefit limits set
The Internal Revenue Service has released the contribution benefit limits for 2023. The elective deferral limit will be $22,500 in 2023, up from $20,500 in 2022. If you will be age 50 or greater by December 31, 2023, the catch-up contributions are an additional $7,500 for a total maximum contribution of $30,000.
If you have questions, please contact the HR Support Center by submitting an online request via AskmyHR or calling 833-Ask-MyHR (833-275-6947). You also can visit Fidelity’s online site for Mass General Brigham employees to access resources that help make retirement planning easier, including videos and one-on-one consultations with retirement experts.
Register for the Online College Preparation Program by January 5
Have you thought about going back to school? Want to find out if online classes are a good fit for you? The free Online College Preparation Program (OCPP) can help, and space is available in the session that starts January 17.
The OCPP introduces employees to common terms associated with online learning, encourages connections among colleagues in a virtual learning environment and is a simulation of actual online courses. Employees will complete an assessment of their own strengths before moving on to further education.
The program is completed in four weeks and courses include:
Learn more and register by January 5 on AskmyHR.
U.S. Citizenship Preparation Class
Mass General Brigham Workforce Development, in partnership with Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), offers a free, four-week program to assist employees and their families or friends to obtain U.S. citizenship. The classes, facilitated by JVS staff, are once per week and will be held virtually via Zoom. To learn more and to register for the January, March or April sessions, please complete the Citizenship Course Interest Form, visit AskmyHR or contact JVS at jvscitizenship@jvs-boston.org or 617-399-3224.
Back to Basics: Better Writing in 8 Weeks - next session starts January 24
Does your email communication need improvement? Do you want to learn how to edit your own writing? In Back to Basics: Better Writing in 8 Weeks, you’ll learn how to avoid common grammar and punctuation errors, edit and correct mistakes in writing, create clear and concise emails, use professional language and formatting and respond appropriately to emails received.
|
Winter Session (January 24 to March 16) Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 7 pm Limited availability |
Spring Session (April 3 to June 15) Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 7 pm
|
All classes are held remotely over Zoom. Visit AskmyHR or contact Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield, Mass General Brigham Workforce Development Specialist, for more information and to register.
Town Hall with David McCready and Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA - January 24
Join us on Tuesday, January 24, at 12 noon in the Mary Ann Tynan Conference Center for a hospital-wide forum with Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital President David McCready and special guest President of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Executive Vice President for Mass General Brigham Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA. For those who cannot attend in person, watch the livestream here.
Basics of Excel - January 24
Join Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Emerging Leaders Committee on Tuesday, January 24, from 12 noon to 1 pm in the 4 North Computer Training Room for a workshop on the Basics of Excel. All are welcome to attend. To register, email Katie Plante. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
Mass General Brigham United Against Racism Town Hall - January 25
Join the Town Hall on Wednesday, January 25, from 3 to 4 pm that will feature a panel of Mass General Brigham leaders who will discuss our United Against Racism commitment and systemwide effort to confront the impacts of racism within our organization and throughout our collective community. Moderated by Elsie Tavares, MD, MPH, Chief Community Health Equity Officer, the panel will reflect on our shared progress and ongoing work to combat racism, foster more equitable healthcare delivery and build a workplace that advances racial equity. Click “Join” on this calendar item to add the Town Hall to your calendar. On January 25 at 3 pm, access the Town Hall livestream.
Looking for more news from BWFH? Go to News to find articles about health, updates to our programs and services and stories about staff and patients.
Go to News
