Pulse Employee Newsletter - August 31, 2021

More News

Operations Manager for Perioperative Services receives I CARE Award

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s I CARE Award recognizes staff members who go above and beyond their regular job responsibilities to make BWFH a great place to work and receive care. Elizabeth Torres, Operations Manager for Perioperative Services, was a recent recipient of an I CARE Award. Read more.

6 South Medical Director receives STRATUS Center Faculty Simulation Educator of the Year Award

Matthew DiFrancesco, Assistant Director for Medicine for the Neil and Elise Wallace STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation and a Hospitalist in the Department of Medicine who serves as Medical Director on 6 South at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, is among the Brigham family physicians who were honored with the 2020–21 Simulation Educator of the Year Awards from the STRATUS Center. Read more.

Announcements

Back to school resources

Mass General Brigham, together with its child care partner Bright Horizons, can make going back to school easier on your whole family. Visit Ask My HR to learn more about the resources below and others that are available to support you and your family as September nears:

• Back-up family care: When school and work schedules don’t match up, Mass General Brigham and Bright Horizons have you covered with reliable back up child care—whether in-center or at home.
• Full-time care and family support: Get preferred enrollment and waived registration fees for ongoing child care at Bright Horizons centers, tuition discounts at network partner child care centers, free membership to Sittercity’s marketplace of sitters, discounts on personalized assistance from a nanny placement service and access to before- and after-school programs at schools nationwide.
• Tutoring and enrichment programs: Set your child up for success all school-year long with exclusive discounts on tutoring and test prep through Revolution Prep, Sylvan Learning and Varsity Tutors.
• To learn more about the Bright Horizons benefits available to you, visit https://clients.brighthorizons.com/MGB. If prompted, enter the employer username “Partners” and password “Benefits4You.”

September Education Calendar now available

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s monthly Education Calendar is now available, which contains listings for many core competencies, trainings and career development opportunities here on our campus, as well as at Mass General Brigham and BWH. You can also view the complete course offerings on BWFHconnect.

Ask David: Submit your question today!

Do you have questions for BWFH President David O. McCready? Submit them to AskDavid@bwh.harvard.edu to get a response from David.

Safety highlight of the week

Recently, a safety report was submitted regarding a monitor overheating in Radiology. While staff were in the Computed Tomography (CT) control room, they noticed a burning smell. Read the complete edition of Last Week In Patient Safety.

DAISY Nurse Leader Award - Submit your nomination by September 10

As the healthcare landscape becomes more complex, with increasing demands on Nurse Leaders, we believe that those who create an environment of compassion and recognition for others strongly deserve to be recognized themselves. That’s why we’re asking you to nominate the extraordinary Nurse Leaders you know for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Nurse Leaders include Nurse Directors, Nursing Supervisors, Nurse Educators and Program Managers in the Department of Nursing. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, September 10. Patients, visitors, nurses, physicians and employees may nominate a deserving Nurse Leader here.

2021 Mass General Brigham Medical Education Awards - Nominations due September 15

The annual Mass General Brigham Medical Education Awards recognize faculty, staff, residents, fellows and alumni/ae in the following categories: Alumna/Alumnus Educator Award, Outstanding Clinical Teacher Award, Outstanding Mentor Award, Outstanding Program Administrator Award, Outstanding Program Director Award, Medical Education Research Award and Resident/Fellow as Teacher Award. To nominate a deserving colleague, email jtammaro@partners.org by Wednesday, September 15. 

Second Annual APP Award in Excellence - Nominations due October 1

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Council is delighted to request nominations for the second annual APP Award in Excellence. APPs include nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse anesthetists—all of whom play an integral role in patient care. If you know an APP who excels in patient care, research or education, quality improvement, program development, collaboration or leadership, we invite you to submit a nomination letter to any one of our APP Council members by Friday, October 1: Laurie Rieger, MSN, RN, CNP (Chair); Jill Martin, MSN, RN, CNP (Co-Chair); Danielle Moore, PA-C (Secretary); or Johanna Baldassari, MSN, RN, CNP (Chief APP).

COVID-19 Updates

Mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic to visit BWFH

All current Mass General Brigham employees must have received a complete series of COVID-19 vaccine by October 15, 2021. Luckily, fulfilling the requirement—and protecting yourself, your family and friends and our patients and visitors—is easier than ever! Simply visit the COVID-19 vaccine mobile clinic, which will be parked outside the third floor entrance at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines are available to staff, their friends and family and our patients and visitors at the following times:

Important patient and staff safety reminders

The health and safety of our patients, their families and our staff is our top priority—and we all play a role in curbing the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in our communities. You can do your part by:

• Adhering to our Universal Mask Policy
• Adhering to our Facility Density and In-Person Gatherings Policy
• Practicing proper hand hygiene
• Fulfilling your COVID-19 vaccination requirement as soon as possible

Thank you for making Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital a great place to work and receive care!

What to do if you’ve misplaced your COVID-19 vaccination record card

With more and more businesses requiring proof of vaccination, the question of what to do if you’ve misplaced your COVID-19 vaccination record card has recently come up. If you received your COVID-19 vaccine through Mass General Brigham, lost vaccination record cards may be replaced in the following ways:

• You may reference you immunization history in Patient Gateway, Mass General Brigham’s patient portal.
• You may request a hard copy through Mass General Brigham’s Health Information Management (HIM) Department. You will need to complete an Authorization Form for release of protected health information. The completed form may either be faxed or mailed, and those instructions are included in top right corner of the form. The form is also available in additional languages found here under the Authorization Forms, Mass General Brigham section. Please note, by using this request form, recipients will receive their complete history of vaccines administered through Mass General Brigham, not just the COVID-19 vaccine.
• This fall, Mass General Brigham plans to enable functionality to make secure digital vaccine credentials available in Patient Gateway exportable to health wallets (e.g. Apple Health) and/or printed in the form of a QR code.

Please note, if you were vaccinated outside of the Mass General Brigham system, you will need to contact the provider who administered your vaccine if you have lost your documentation.

Save the Date

NRC and Patient Experience Office Hours
Wednesday, September 1
12 noon to 12:30 pm
Zoom

School Supply Drive
Wednesday, September 1
12 noon to 1 pm
Outside the Cafeteria

Stroke Support Group
Wednesday, September 1
12 noon to 1 pm
Zoom

Mindful Stress Reduction with Christina Luberto, PhD, presented by the Osher Clinical Center - September 13, 20 and 27

Join us on Monday, September 13, 20 and 27, from 6:30 to 8 pm for Mindful Stress Reduction with Christina Luberto, PhD. This three-session virtual course will introduce the practice of mindfulness to help manage stress and improve well-being. It is offered free through the support of a BWPO grant for well-being. For more information or to register, click here.

School Supply Drive - September 14

Many local students of all ages are in dire need of essential educational supplies as they struggle to adjust to challenges that the pandemic brought to schools. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Department of Community Health and Wellness is collecting new school supplies for kids in need at JP Manning Elementary School to help them succeed in the year ahead. To donate, stop by our School Supply Drive days outside the cafeteria from 12 noon to 1 pm on August 24, September 1 or September 14 or contact Katie Plante to schedule a pick up. For a list of needed items, click here.

Help make a difference in our community: Volunteer with your colleagues at Community Servings - September 14

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 Tuesday, September 14, 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.

2021 Primary Care Leadership Summit - September 17

Today’s highly effective leaders need tools, methods and strategies to manage and champion transformation. The Primary Care Leadership Summit, taking place virtually on Friday, September 17, from 8 to 11 am, will give you resources to inspire your teams and create a highly productive culture. For more information, click here.

National Opioid and Substance Awareness Day virtual Town Hall - September 21

Co-hosted by the Brigham Comprehensive Opioid Response and Education (B-CORE) Program and McLean Hospital in partnership with the Kennedy Forum, SAMHSA, Mental Health America, The Voices Project, Shatterproof, the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the National Opioid and Substance Awareness Day virtual Town Hall will take place on Tuesday, September 21, from 12 noon to 3 pm. Participants will learn from experts and from those with lived experience about substance misuse and treatment, and will be able to take free, anonymous, online screenings for themselves or a loved one. For those who screen positive or still have concerns about substance use, there will be referrals to local treatment resources.

BWFH Links

• APP Affair
• BWFH Calendar of Events
• BWFHconnect
• BWFH MD News & Views
• BWFH Nurse
• BWFH Perks
• BWFH Pulse – Email Edition
• BWFH Pulse – Print Edition
• Employment Opportunities
• Last Week in Patient Safety
• Monthly Education Calendar