BWFH Pulse Now Available in 150 Languages
From October 3 to October 9, we celebrate Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week. This week is set aside annually to honor healthcare food and nutrition professionals. BWFH honors our colleagues and recognizes the integral role they have played in helping employees and patients stay well-nourished and healthy.
Every year we celebrate our PAs and all they contribute to our organization and share our gratitude for their work. By definition, PAs are frontline workers, skilled at providing highly specialized care, foundational to the care that we deliver. By demonstration, they embody what we strive for—compassion, dedication and a commitment to excellence for our patients.
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Quality Achievement Award for our commitment to managing heart failure in patients. This is the first year BWFH has been honored with a Gold Plus level. Read more.
Newsweek recently partnered with data firm Statista to rank the world’s best specialized hospitals. The ranking features the top 250 hospitals for cardiology and oncology, the top 150 for cardiac surgery and pediatrics and the top 125 each in endocrinology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery and pulmonology. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is proud to be among the hospitals ranked. Click here to learn more.
Chrysalyne Schmults, MD, MSCE, director of the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, recently received an R03 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for her research project, “Early Investigation of the Role of desmoplastic Fibrosis in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.” Read more.
Jerry Majetich is an Iraq War veteran who underwent a Ewing amputation. The Ewing amputation is a novel surgical procedure pioneered by Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Matthew Carty, MD, that enables him to perform complex actions and feel sensation by allowing his brain to interact with a robotic prosthetic. In a recent interview with STAT, he talked about his ability to feel his phantom hand.
This past August, Mass General Brigham launched Stepping Stones, our anti-racism educational program that helps viewers understand how racism exists and functions in our society—and how they can combat it. Part one of Stepping Stones consists of two allegories narrated by Dr. Camara Jones, and is accessible via HealthStream.
Part two of Stepping Stones shares two new allegories that expand on the idea of how racial equity affects ourselves, our colleagues, institutions, workplaces and the patients we care for. Part two is now available for all employees here, or by searching for “Stepping Stones Part 2” in the HealthStream catalog.
The third allegory is Cement Dust, which shows how racism hurts everyone in our society and how we can actively work to dismantle it. The fourth allegory is A Tale of Two Neighborhoods, which incorporates the lessons of all previous allegories to show how race, racism and racial equity impacts Mass General Brigham and the communities we serve. The Stepping Stones learning guide has been updated to include discussion questions for all four allegories.
All Stepping Stones videos are available in six languages: English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and French.
The Pillars of Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our talented employees from across the system. This year, nominate your co-workers for their commitment to exceptional patient care, optimizing collaboration, advancing innovation and progress, enhancing efficiency, fostering community or integrating diversity, equity and inclusion. Nominations are due Friday, October 29. To submit your nomination, click here. Questions? Contact Mass General Brigham Human Resources at 857-282-9743 or PillarsAwards@partners.org.
Occupational Health Services offers seasonal flu vaccinations at no cost to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital personnel. As a reminder, all employees and POIs must receive a seasonal flu shot, unless approved for a medical or religious exemption. A walk-in flu shot clinic will be held in Occupational Health Services on Friday, October 8, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. No appointment necessary. Please be sure to bring your hospital ID badge, wear a shirt with loose-fitting sleeves and observe physical distancing guidelines while waiting in line. To make an appointment for additional flu clinic dates at BWFH, click here.
All employees and persons of interest (POIs) will be asked to complete their required training package in HealthStream between by Monday, January 3, 2022. POIs are workforce members who are not paid by Mass General Brigham, but maintain a relationship with the system in contracted, or otherwise defined capacity, such as a consultant, student or volunteer. Learn more about your annual required training on The Pulse.
The safety of our patients and their families, our visitors and our colleagues is our highest priority. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital has updated its active shooter preparedness policy to reflect the terminology transition from “active shooter” to “armed intruder.” An armed intruder situation is when an individual with a weapon, such as a gun or knife, enters a building or facility with the intention to hurt and/or kill others. Previously, our policy referred to these individuals as active shooters, which limited the description to a person with a gun. To ensure that all staff are prepared for the potential of an armed intruder event, our training video on HealthStream has also been updated to reflect this change. Please become familiar with our armed intruder procedures and guidelines by reviewing the hospital’s Armed Intruder Emergency Response Plan policy posted in the Emergency Preparedness Manual on Ellucid. Please speak with your manager or supervisor if you have questions or concerns.
In honor of World Mental Health Day, take the time to check-in about how you or a colleague is doing in response to the stressful times in which we are living. The EAP is encouraging you to ask each other “RU OK?” In addition to our regular well-being information and assistance, the EAP is offering extra resources and special event webinars to support the Mass General Brigham workforce throughout October.
New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys on October 17
Thanks to the longstanding relationship between MGH and the New England Patriots, we will make tickets to Patriots home games available to all Mass General Brigham employees via drawings. Winners will receive two free tickets and be guests of Mass General Brigham at a pregame "tailgate party.”
To enter your name in the drawing to attend the game on Sunday, October 17, at 4:25 pm vs. the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium, please complete the online entry form by 5 pm on Wednesday, October 6. Go Pats!
Please note:
Mass General Brigham is a proud sponsor of the 56th running of the Head Of The Charles® Regatta on Saturday, October 23. Employees have a special opportunity to win two tickets to a hospitality tent, provided by BNY Mellon Investment Management, presenting sponsors of the Regatta. Food and beverage in the tent will be offered from 8:30 am to 5 pm.
To enter, please complete the online entry form by 5 pm on Wednesday, October 6.
Please note:
As a participant in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Annual Healthcare Equality Index, over 60 different online, on-demand CME accredited LGBTQ training options are free to BWFH staff. These training options include both interactive e-learning courses and recorded webinars. For more information, click here. Click here to register for training courses from the National LGBT Health Education Center. Click here to learn how to register for courses on The CAL. Please remember to use the facility ID number 57326 for these courses and security code HRC for registration on The CAL. Once you complete the course, please print your Certificate of Completion and send it to Mary Duggan or LaRaye Glover. If you have questions, contact Mary Duggan at ext. 4634 or LaRaye Glover at ext. 7901.
Do you have questions for BWFH President David O. McCready? Submit them to AskDavid@bwh.harvard.edu to get a response from David.
For all Mass General Brigham employees and our loved ones, National Preparedness Month was a great opportunity to review the fundamentals of what is needed to be prepared for emergencies. Our theme for National Preparedness Month this year was Mass General Brigham: A Workforce at the Ready! This theme recognizes the extraordinary efforts of all of our employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic who continue to act so compassionately and resolutely in support of our patients and our mission. During the last week of September, our topic was Stay Informed.
Employees will be vaccine compliant with first dose of Moderna or Pfizer by October 15
As the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination deadline of October 15 nears, we continue to reach out to unvaccinated colleagues and their managers to ensure they are kept fully informed with the latest information.
We have been made aware of supply challenges related to obtaining the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccination. Given this new information and the fact that the J&J vaccine is the only single dose vaccine available, we are modifying the process for compliance with the vaccination mandate.
Effective immediately, employees who receive the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer series by October 15, will be considered compliant provided they:
Employees must have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by October 15. Those who have received only one dose of Moderna or Pfizer by the October 15 deadline also will be required to show proof of a scheduled second dose at the appropriate time interval.
Additional information about obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine can be found on The Pulse.
If you received your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at one of our mobile vaccine clinics, be sure to return for your second dose. The COVID-19 vaccine mobile clinic will be parked outside the third floor entrance at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital to administer second doses at the following times:
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If you received dose 1 on: Wednesday, September 15 Friday, September 24 |
Get dose 2 on: Wednesday, October 6, 4 to 7 pm Friday, October 15, 8 am to 12 noon |
The CDC recommends some individuals receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. Click here to see if a booster shot is recommended for you.
Starting October 4, Mass General Brigham will begin offering limited appointments for Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots to employees and patients who are eligible per the CDC’s recommendation and who have completed their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series at least 6 months ago. Eligible employees who completed their primary vaccine series with Pfizer at least 6 months ago may schedule their Pfizer booster shot appointment at a Mass General Brigham location via COVID Pass where they will find a link to our online scheduling website. Learn more on The Pulse.
COVID-19 booster shots are not yet available for people who received the two-dose Moderna vaccine or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. The CDC has only authorized the Pfizer booster shot for people who have completed the Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
De-Escalation Recert/Initial Training
Friday, October 8
8 am to 12 noon
From Your Desktop
Flu Vaccination Clinic
Friday, October 8
10:30 am to 2:30 pm
Occupational Health Services
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 Wednesday, October 20, 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.
The McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP) is bringing together thought leaders in health care, data science, technology, industry, patient advocacy, academic research and more for this three-day, online event to build on the promise of technology in the diagnosis and delivery of mental health care. This event is targeted at an inclusive group of academics, data scientists, clinicians, technology developers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, patient advocates and health professionals who are interested in shaping the future of mental health care. Register now to join us at the Technology in Psychiatry Summit.
This virtual workshop is designed for directors, managers, educators, HR, QI and frontline leadership and will explore the elements needed to create a successful competency program. You will learn many creative strategies to the competency process and ways to verify competencies in all departments. We will explore ways to operationalize this every day and ensure compliance. For more information, click here. To register, email BWFHnursingeducation@partners.org.
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