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Town Hall with BWFH President David McCready - December 12
Join us on Monday, December 12, 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 who will reflect on the past year and take your questions. Submit your question ahead of time to bwfhbroadcast@partners.org. For those who cannot attend in person, watch the livestream on BWFHconnect.
Construction update: Fencing and saw-cutting
This week, construction fencing will be installed in front of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. The new fencing will not impact the flow of traffic outside of the Atrium Lobby. In addition, saw cutting will begin on the roof outside the Cafeteria. This work will result in some noise, particularly in Radiology and the Operating Room areas. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to improve our facility for our patients, visitors and staff.
Safety highlight of the month
Post fall debrief forms help staff identify and document causes of the fall and ways to prevent future falls. Recently, a nurse on one of the medical/surgical floors assisted a fall risk patient to the bathroom. While washing her hands, the patient stated that she felt dizzy and fell into the arms of the nurse. The nurse safely lowered the patient to the floor preventing any injuries to the patient and the care team huddled and completed a post fall debrief form. To learn more about fall precautions, read the latest edition of Last Month in Patient Safety.
Collaboration helps BWFH manage high inpatient volume
Each morning, clinical and operational leaders from across Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital gather for a brief, 15-minute meeting—referred to as Daily Safety Huddle—to identify obstacles to managing patient care and flow in a safe, timely manner. Recently, a subgroup from that meeting has begun staying behind when needed to focus specifically on managing high inpatient volume. Read more.
BWFH welcomes new Director of Laboratory Services
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is pleased to welcome Kristopher Durette to the role of Director of Laboratory Services where he will have oversight of the wide range of services the laboratory provides to both inpatients and outpatients. Read more.
Travel nurses receive I CARE Awards
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s I CARE Award recognizes staff members from all areas of the hospital who go above and beyond their regular job responsibilities to make BWFH a great place to work and receive care. Travel nurses Mwelwa Mapoma, who is assigned to 6 North, and Hamed Keita, who is assigned to the Float Pool, were recent recipients of I CARE Awards. Read more.
In the news! Anne Klibanski, MD, shares viewpoint in LinkedIn Q&A
In this LinkedIn Q&A with nationally recognized business leader Sue Siegel, Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham, shares her viewpoints and insights on numerous topics including mentoring, diversity, equity, healthcare, innovation, leadership, transformation, poetry and her favorite authors and television shows.
And the intranet name is... Vitals!
Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas and voted for their favorite name for our new intranet. Today, we’re thrilled to unveil the winner—Vitals!
Early next year, Vitals will replace the system-wide intranet (Pulse) and those at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital (BWFHconnect) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (PikeNotes). Other member organizations will follow later in 2023.
Vitals will put an end to searching multiple sites for news, announcements and other need-to-know information. This new, personalized intranet will make finding the content you need—information about your local organization and Mass General Brigham—easier than ever with customized news based on where you work and tools and applications that you use. And best of all, the new site will be mobile friendly, allowing easy access on the go, enabling you to get vital information at your fingertips.
We will provide more information about Vitals and its key features as we get closer to launch in January 2023.
Massachusetts launches student loan repayment program for those who work in behavioral health, substance use disorder or primary care
This week, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers announced a new statewide student loan repayment program for individuals who work in the areas of behavioral health, substance use disorder or primary care. Employees of Mass General Brigham may be eligible for this loan repayment program, based on their role and work location.
The application window opens today and continues through January 30, 2023. 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.
The program is open to qualifying employees with a range of credentials, including but 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.
For more information, visit the program website. The state also offers a call center to answer questions about the application process: 833-627-3729 (833 MA REPAY). You may also contact them by email at MA-Repay@massleague.org.
Holiday staff raffle: Enter to win one of 14 prizes!
The holiday staff raffle is open! Enter for a chance to win one of 14 fantastic prizes, including VISA gift cards and tickets to the Patriots vs. Dolphins, NHL Winter Classic at Fenway or Carrie Underwood. Click here to enter by Friday, December 9, at 2:59 pm.
Join the All of Us Research Program this holiday season and give the gift of research
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.
This holiday season, give the gift of research by joining the All of Us Research Program and help make the world a healthier place to live. 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. By joining, you could help All of Us to enable individualized prevention as well as treatment and care by empowering thousands of health research studies across the country and around the world.
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 at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital
All Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital staff and patients are invited to join All of Us. Stop by the All of Us Research Program table outside of the Cafeteria on Thursday, December 8, from 9 am to 12 noon to learn how you can join. Visit the All of Us Pulse page to learn more.
Mental Health Connections: Helping employees and families connect with behavioral health treatment
The new Mental Health Connections (MHC) clinical assessment service helps connect Mass General Brigham employees, their spouses, partners and dependents with the most appropriate and accessible behavioral health treatment, both within and outside Mass General Brigham. Employees do not need to be enrolled in a Mass General Brigham health plan to use this service.
The goal for MHC is to create a low-barrier central pathway to inquire about the wide range of resources that exist and work with a clinician to determine treatment needs and preferences.
To learn more, email MHC. A team member will respond within three business days.
Request for poems and presenters for annual MLK celebration
The Mass General Brigham Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will take place on Tuesday, January 17, from 12 noon to 1:30 pm via livestream. Here are two ways to get involved:
We are striving for representation from all member organizations across the system and as a result will not be able to include all submissions. If interested, please respond by Friday, December 16.
Gift Shop holiday hours
This holiday season, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Gift Shop will be open to staff, patients and visitors for all your holiday shopping needs with extended hours! Now through Thursday, December 22, the Gift Shop will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and Tuesday and Thursday from 7 am to 4 pm.
Police and Security Department collecting Toys for Tots - through December 23
Please help us support children in need this holiday season. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Police and Security Department will be accepting toys through Friday, December 23. Drop off a new, unwrapped, non-violent toy in the Security Office on the second floor. All toys will be donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program. For more information, please call 617-983-7677.
The winter holiday season approaches! While holiday traditions vary greatly across different cultures, many holidays during this season celebrate the presence of light in times of darkness. Spiritual Care Services extends wishes of peace and light to the Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital community, particularly the many staff, patients and their loved ones who may not be able to celebrate as they would like to this year. With this in mind, we invite all staff to be especially mindful of the spiritual and emotional needs of those around them, as well as their own, during this time. Spiritual Care Services is available for spiritual and emotional support and to support and facilitate holiday observances.
Spiritual Care Services is available for consultation or support by calling the Spiritual Care Office at 617-983-4856, by paging the on-call Chaplain at ext. 61797 or by emailing our Spiritual Care Coordinator Tara Deonauth. Please enter a Spiritual Care Consult in Epic if you are caring for a patient who would like spiritual support.
Pre-procedure testing protocol and testing site closures
Changes to COVID-19 pre-procedural testing protocol for outpatient Aerosol Generating Procedures
Beginning today, December 6, outpatient pre-procedural COVID-19 testing for Mass General Brigham-defined Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs) will shift from requiring a PCR test three days prior to the procedure to having an antigen test performed onsite on the day of the procedure. Due to this change, appointments for COVID-19 PCR testing for these patients are no longer be available through Mass General Brigham COVID-19 testing sites.
Clinicians and practices have already been informed of the changes and patients with upcoming procedures will also be notified. A copy of the patient communication can be found here. Patients with scheduled appointments after December 6 will be notified by phone by central scheduling.
Closure of COVID-19-dedicated testing sites
As the availability and accepted use of antigen testing for COVID-19 has increased since February, the demand for PCR testing has dropped throughout the state. Due to these changes, we will be closing our dedicated testing sites on Friday, December 16, and self-scheduling will no longer be available.
If you are having symptoms, are concerned about COVID-19 or are interested in elective, asymptomatic testing (e.g., travel or reassurance testing), you can take a home antigen test or find a testing site in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
You can buy home COVID-19 tests at many retail pharmacies or online. Many insurance companies cover the cost of antigen COVID-19 tests. Below are some options to pick up or order COVID-19 tests:
Mass General Brigham employees enrolled in the Select or Plus plan administered by AllWays Health Partners will be able to obtain at-home tests through their CVS Caremark prescription drug benefit. Click here for more information.
Employees can schedule COVID-19 testing appointments through COVID Pass through Thursday, December 15. The final day of appointments will be Friday, December 16.
BWFH Volunteer Opportunity: Community Servings - December 12
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Community Health and Wellness Department is seeking volunteers to help prepare meals for critically ill individuals and their families in our community. Join us on Monday, December 12, from 4 to 7 pm at Community Servings (179 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain) to peel, chop and package meals for Community Servings’ clients. Volunteers must be 13 years or older, vaccinated against COVID-19 (please have proof of vaccination when you arrive) and register in advance. For more information or to register, contact Katie Plante.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Virtual Winter Social - December 21
Join Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council for a virtual holiday social on Wednesday, December 21, from 4 to 5 pm. Come wearing your favorite festive outfit and be prepared to get to know your colleagues by sharing with the group how you and yours celebrate the season. Non-members are invited to check it out too! To join the event via Zoom, click here.
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.
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