Today I want to take the time to reflect on last week which celebrated National Hospital Week and Nurse’s Week all in one.  On Bon Secours Credo Card it reads, “As the heart of Bon Secours, we make room for miracles.” How nicely this coincided with the theme of National Hospital Week, which was “Champions of Care Make Miracles Happen.” I am not sure about you, but sometimes in the height of a busy work day it is easy to lose oneself in the business and not remember the greater ministry of healing that is taking place around us.  But every day people walk through our doors seeking help of some kind, and every day our employees extend their hands and hearts to administer care.  No matter one’s position, every single employee collectively plays an important role in continuing Bon Secours’ mission of providing good help to those in need.

National Hospital Week is a time to celebrate the foundational role hospitals and health care systems play in building and nurturing communities, and it is only through the dedication of a diligent staff that this becomes reality.  So last week we took the time at our facilities to recognize all of our Champions of Care Who Make Miracles Happen for our patients.  Our employees here at Bon Secours truly own their role in extending world-class care to our patients, which has helped craft together the outstanding service and environment of healing our community recognizes.

Once again a thank you to all our employees!

Peter

“Peter, you are in good shape, but we’ve got to keep an eye on your blood pressure. It wouldn’t hurt to lose five or ten pounds too…” 

Has your doctor said something similar to you? That’s what my primary care doctor told me when I had a physical a few months ago. All in all, he had pretty good news regarding my health. But he clearly also wanted to see me track my BP and weight. I started the way most of us would, by getting a blood pressure cuff and taking measurements every few days. The next step was sharing the measurements with my doctor.

If you are like me, building a routine is all about making it easy to do. We’ve seen how the internet has transformed the process of booking plane tickets or making dinner reservations. We know our patients, employees and doctors are increasingly using mobile devices and the web to communicate.

In 2011, our Richmond clinics and hospitals went live on ConnectCare, a cutting edge electronic medical record system. During 2012 our Hampton Roads locations will continue the rollout across Virginia. With ConnectCare we are able to offer MyChart, a secure electronic communication platform for doctors and patients.

With MyChart, I am able to log on through MyBonSecours.com and upload my blood pressure measurements and weight directly to my doctor. Those measurements become part of my medical record, so when I see him again, we can discuss trends and an appropriate treatment plan.

If it sounds complicated, let me assure you, it isn’t. The process is straight forward. When you see a Bon Secours doctor, you will receive a unique code. From there, you can visit MyBonSecours.com and continue the sign up process. Once you enter the code and pick a username and password, you are all set.

If you have an iPhone you can download the MyChart app. With the app, or through the website, you can also request an appointment or prescription refill.

I’m excited about MyChart and what this means for our community. With MyChart, medicine becomes even more personalized, and participatory. It helps me connect with my doctor when we aren’t face to face. I’m able to share information about my health and ask non-urgent questions. We can also view results from lab and diagnostic tests. MyChart is part of delivering high quality, low cost care.

Have you tried MyChart, either on the web or your phone? What do you think?

Until next time,

Peter

Introducing Bon Secours St. Francis Watkins Centre, centrial Virginia’s first free-standing emergency room.

Watkins Centre is all about providing convenient, fast, high quality, emergency care.

Located at the intersection of 288 and 60, Watkins Centre serves the communities of Powhatan, Midlothian, Louisa, the 288 corridor, south Richmond, Brandermill, Amelia and more.

Watkins Centre accepts all major insurance plans.

Want to know more? Dr. Gill and the Watkins team put together this virtual tour and introduction, take a look.

The secret is out. What you and I have known all along, is out of the bag. Bon Secours Virginia is an amazing place to work.

This month, the Gallup organization honored Bon Secours Health System with the 2012 Great Workplace Award. Each year, Gallup recognizes outstanding organizations in the areas of hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, finance and other industries who cultivate and maintain “the most productive and engaged workforces in the world.”

Many of you will recall, Gallup has honored Bon Secours before. Bon Secours Richmond received the Great Workplace Award in 2010, andBon Secours Virginia received the award in 2011. We are developing our position alongside some of the top organizations in the world like Charles Schwab, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Mars Inc., and Nationwide Insurance. Gallup is honoring just 27 organizations this year as part of its 2012 summit in Omaha from May 15-17

Being recognized by Gallup is a reminder of Bon Secours’ unwavering commitment to our employees. We know asking you to provide world class service means we have to first make this an outstanding, caring, compassionate place to work and grow. You are the bedrock of our Good Help mission that benefits our patients and their families in countless ways. Thank you for everything you do to keep us moving on our journey as a world class healthcare provider. I’m continually inspired by your commitment to our organization.

Honors, like the 2012 Great Workplace Award, remind me of our commitment to  service excellence. Our partners at The Ritz-Carlton once shared with a Leader Day audience how their organization approaches awards. Then CEO, Mr. Simon Cooper told our leaders: “When we get an award, we hold it up and celebrate like crazy. We pat ourselves on the back and thank our many ladies and gentlemen who made it happen. Then we do something odd, we quickly put it away because we want to always be improving..”

So, as you read this blog post, I invite you to join me in celebrating Bon Secours Virginia. Let’s pat each other on the back and share your thoughts in a comment on this post or in an upcoming Daily Huddle. But, like our partners, let’s keep focused on continuing to improve Bon Secours as an employer of choice; a place where we are proud to be called to serve our patients and our communities

Thank you for making ours a workplace I am exceedingly proud to lead.

Go team BSV!

Peter

The stairs on the way to my office

Thank you so much for your warm welcome to the blogosphere. Your comments, suggestions and guidance are encouraging; please keep the feedback coming. I shared last time how new this is to me. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about new things and taking small steps. Last year, I started using an iPhone and now I have this blog – ok, maybe those are big steps. Still, I’m making strides to keep up with technology and I’m enjoying the journey. I’ve also been thinking about literal steps.

This month, the Bon Secours ministry celebrated Commitment Day. Commitment Day is when we renew our promise to be good help to those in need. This year, we are also making a commitment to ourselves, to be healthier in 2012.

Just like my experience with this blog, wellness can be one of those things which happens over a series of small steps. I think sometimes we put big expectations on ourselves around wellness: I’m going to lose 20 pounds right away or this is the year I run a marathon. Those are great goals, and I encourage you to pursue your dreams. But it’s also ok to build up to lifestyle changes, by taking smaller steps towards a fitter you.

Last year, my office moved from the first floor of St. Mary’s Hospital to the seventh floor. I made a promise to myself to always take the stairs. Every day, often multiple times a day, I walk up seven flights of stairs. It wasn’t easy at first, but over time I’ve come to love the mini bursts of exercise I get just walking up to my office. I think it’s catching on too. I see a lot of you in the stairwell lately.

What are your small steps towards wellness? Have you made easy changes in your life to be healthier in 2012? Share your ideas and success stores in the comments. I’m looking forward to hearing what works for you!

Until next time

Peter

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Recently, my four sons and I went on a fishing trip. The catch wasn’t as great as we’d hoped for, but we had a great time being in each other’s company. The trip reminded me of a well-known parable: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Even though we use this expression often, it’s still powerful, isn’t it?

Healthcare is a lot like the fishing parable above. For years our industry has been at the front of scientific and medical advances, many of which have prolonged and saved lives. Usually those advanced treatments happen at the time of need; they are reactionary to illness or injury. We often give someone a fish, only feeding them for a day.

Today, more than ever, we need to think about teaching people to fish. Bon Secours means good help, and since our founding in Richmond in 1966, part of our mission has been to help bring people to wholeness. In addition to our medical care, we do that through seminars, education, and community events. As we look toward the future, I think it is important we remember the parable of the fish. Part of our strategic plan includes growing our wellness initiatives with the intent of helping people take better care of themselves. Bon Secours will partner with our community with the goal of creating a healthier Virginia, one less dependent on high cost treatments. After all, shouldn’t we have a long lifetime of fishing to look forward to?

As a first step, Bon Secours Virginia has created an employee accountable care organization, or ACO. Many of you may have heard the term ACO as it has become popular in conversations around health care reform. The ACO model helps us partner more closely with our employees. Through the partnership, we’ll explore ways to reduce health risks around things like obesity and type 2 diabetes to help us lead healthier lives and, hopefully, making fewer trips to the doctor. We’ll use our clinical navigators and educators to offer guidance on lifestyle choices. We also think we will learn from our 12,000 employees in Virginia about what kinds of support they need. I look forward to sharing more with you as our employee ACO plans take hold.

What do you think? What kinds of health partnerships would help you, and what makes sense for our community? Thank you for your thoughts and I look forward to your feedback.

Until next time,

Peter