Notice of privacy incident at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital Learn More
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BWFH Pulse Now Available in 150 Languages
In 1985, as a new graduate, Paula Wolski, MSN, RN-BC, began her nursing career at BWFH in the ICU. She worked as a bedside nurse for nearly 30 years, including as a clinical leader, until she discovered her love of informatics.
On April 14, BWFH President David McCready hosted a virtual Town Hall in which he provided important hospital and system updates, as well as addressed your questions.
During our recent virtual Town Hall, BWFH President David McCready answered many of your questions about the hospital, our work life and our future as part of Mass General Brigham. If you didn’t have a chance to ask your question, it’s not too late! Join him for an upcoming session of Dialogue with David:
Healthgrades recently released its Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Awards and Best Hospitals for Specialty Care report recognizing several facilities for top-line care. Healthgrades analyzed clinical outcomes data for nearly 4,500 short-term and acute care hospitals across the U.S. Among the 190 hospitals recognized for GI care is Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital! Read the full list on Becker’s GI & Endoscopy.
The week of April 18 through 24 is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. The theme is “Laboratory Professionals Get Results.” Using state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation, laboratory professionals perform and supervise tests that lead to the detection of potential health problems; the sooner a disease is caught, the likelihood increases for a positive outcome. At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is a time to say “Thank you” to our dedicated laboratory staff members who work hard every day to ensure accurate and timely results for our patients.
Skip the phone, manage your tickets and open requests fast with the new InfoBot button on the Outlook ribbon. No action is required to get the button. It has been automatically added by Information Systems. If you have a non-urgent IS question or need to view and manage your tickets, simply click the “Get IS Help” button to launch InfoBot and start chatting!
Two new six-week yoga programs will soon be offered via ZOOM. Living with Lymphedema is tailored for individuals who have been diagnosed with lymphedema. Healing Hands is tailored for individuals who have a hand, wrist or elbow injury that require adaptations to engage in a yoga practice. Both are taught by Barbara Jackson, an occupational therapist and certified yoga teacher, certified in yoga4cancer, LoveYourBrain, Yoga for Trauma training and reiki attuned. For more information, or to sign up, email bjackson8@partners.org.
In accordance with current public health guidance, Mass General Brigham continues to recommend that unnecessary travel be avoided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Updates to the policy have been made and are summarized below. Please note that the CDC additionally continues to discourage attendance at medium and large-sized gatherings.
Personal travel - Domestic travel by individuals who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is considered low risk. When traveling for personal reasons, employees should comply with any state public health requirements with respect to testing and quarantine. When traveling internationally, employees are required to comply with the testing and quarantine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on location of travel and vaccination status.
Work-related travel - Domestic work-related travel for employees who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is considered low risk and is now permitted. Domestic work-related travel is prohibited for employees who are not fully vaccinated at the time of travel. International work-related travel remains prohibited regardless of employee vaccination status.
Exemptions to prohibitions of work-related travel - There may be few, very specific and limited circumstances when travel exceptions to prohibitions above may be granted to further education, research or other critical healthcare activities. Employees seeking permission for work-related travel must follow the Mass General Brigham Work-Related Travel Appeals Process. As part of this process, they will be required to submit a Petition for Permission for Work-Related Travel at least 30 days prior to planned travel.
Find details of the Employee Travel Policy and how to apply for exemptions for work-related travel.
To enhance COVID-19 vaccination efforts among Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital employees, there will be 5 reserved slots per day at BWH’s Hale Vaccine Clinic for BWFH employees to receive either a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccination. These slots are not accessible via COVID Pass. If you are not able to find a vaccine slot via COVID Pass, or don’t use COVID Pass, please contact BWFH’s Occupational Health at 617-983-4628, or go to the 7th floor office to get assistance with scheduling at the Hale Vaccine Clinic.
As a reminder, all health care workers are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under the state’s vaccination plan. Employees may take time during their workday to get vaccinated and should coordinate with their manager.
We continue to encourage staff to conduct most meetings virtually. However, in recognition of the value of in-person collaboration, new guidelines for meetings, gatherings and non-employee on-site activity are available at the following links:
Recently, a safety report was submitted related to the cart washer malfunctioning in the second floor core area near the Central Processing Department. Read the complete edition of Last Week In Patient Safety (intranet site).
Join us for a special virtual Schwartz Rounds for a discussion on: Balancing a young patient’s belief (I’m fine and okay to go home) with the reality (she is in medical crisis nearing end of life but not able to acknowledge this).
This virtual meeting can be accessed via this ZOOM link
Meeting ID: 575 206 9216
Passcode: 072053
Take a break to celebrate Spring with a free treat from Friskies Fries or Zinneken’s Waffles on Thursday, April 22, from 1:30 to 3:30 in the parking lot. Brought to you by BWFH’s Rewards and Recognition Committee.
Last April, BWFH’s COVID-19 census peaked at 55 inpatients during the height of the pandemic’s first surge. We also tragically lost one of our beloved staff members, Marie Deus, to the disease. In observance of these poignant milestones, BWFH will unveil a new interactive display on the wall outside of the cafeteria on the third floor. Please join us in remembrance by visiting the display any time throughout the day and leaving a message on the interactive display.
During the week of April 26 to 30, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital will celebrate Patient Experience Week to raise awareness and celebrate healthcare staff, because we all have an impact on patient experience. It’s an opportunity to educate, engage and empower each other about patient experience and recognize our accomplishments and continued commitment to our patients. Click here for a complete schedule of events. To learn more about the patient experience, visit BWFHconnect!
As part of BWFH’s ongoing commitment to the safety of our staff, patients and visitors, all employees are encouraged to take part in Active Shooter Preparedness Training. Active Shooter Preparedness Training is designed to teach BWFH employees how to prepare and react during a workplace shooting situation.
Please join us for one of the upcoming training sessions via ZOOM:
Please register ahead of time by emailing Stewart Prue your full name, department, role and name of your manager. A link to the ZOOM session will then be sent in advance of the class.
Mass General Brigham’s Innovation Digital Education Academy (IDEA) is a new, year-long program focused on Innovation and Digital Health. Each month, we will host a special session highlighting key individuals and innovations happening within the digital health space. Join us on Wednesday, April 28, at 3:30 pm for Drivers of Technology Convergence: AI, ML and Predictive Analytics featuring Mass General Brigham data science and health leaders discussing data analytics, cloud computing, machine learning (ML), predictive analytics and Internet of Things (IoT).
This practical virtual introductory workshop, beginning Saturday, May 1, at 9 am, is designed for beginners of all ages and stages of health. Participants will practice a simplified and easy to learn Tai Chi training program as outlined in the Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi (authored by Dr. Wayne, the workshop leader). For more information, click here. To enroll, call the Osher Clinical Center at 617-732-9700.
This 3-session virtual course will introduce the practice of mindfulness to help manage stress and improve well-being. It will include guided mindfulness practices, interactive activities and instructor led group discussions. Participants will receive handouts, develop skills and gain resources to establish an ongoing mindfulness practice and learn how to use mindfulness to better respond to life’s stressors. The course runs Mondays from 6:30 to 8 pm on May 10, 17 and 24. Through a pilot grant from MGB System Behavioral and Mental Health Pilot Grant, program fees are fully covered for Mass General Brigham employees and their immediate family members. Please call 617-732-9700 to register. View flyer.
Participate in this year’s virtual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit on May 19 and 20, from 8:30 am to 12 noon, for two days of learning and engagement. Mass General Brigham has identified diversity, equity and inclusion as focus areas of the highest priority that are aligned with the goals of United Against Racism.
This can’t-miss two-day event that will feature:
For more information, email diversityinclusion@partners.org.
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