Dear Team,

This month, we’re focusing on what it means to feel not just heard, but also respected and included in decisions related to our collective work. We recently asked our Peer Mentoring group their thoughts on what feeling heard looks like and feels like. Here are a few of the responses.

“When I think about ‘feeling heard,’ it looks like:

• Giving constructive feedback and/or information and another enacting change based on that feedback. Basically, feeling like you’re being listened to and things are happening as a result.
• Knowing that your voice matters. This looks like being invited to the table to participate in the conversation. Having the opportunity to advocate for yourself and contribute to change.
• Being supported in advocating for the best interests of you and those you work with.
• Not being undermined, demeaned, or disregarded.
• When leaders check with me/seek my input before making big decisions.
• When leaders spend time walking in my shoes, seeing what I really do, and how things really are.”
• Feeling heard doesn’t matter unless there is action taken in response to what you are saying. It actually feels much worse when someone makes you “feel heard” and does the exact opposite of what your concern or desire was. A lot of lip service is given in this institution to “feeling heard” but actions and transparency speak louder than that and often demonstrate that “feeling heard” does not actually translate into anything meaningful.

We recognize that it is not enough to just ‘be heard,’ but that there must also be action. A few months ago, we launched the Empowerment project. Please read the story "The Meaning of Empowerment" below to learn more about the actions we’ve taken based on your feedback. 

We ask that you continue to speak up and we promise to continue to work on ACTION. 

As always, thank you for all that you do, 

Jim, Liz, Karin, Billy, Ann, Jennifer, Leigh & Pete

Quotes of the Week

June 6: “Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.” ~ Bob Proctor     

June 13: “The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down.” ~ Stephen Richards    

June 20: "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." ~ Jane Goodall  

June 27:   “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” ~ Benjamin Franklin  

Mark Your Calendar

• Pride Month
• Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
• Men’s Health Month
• National Safety Month
• Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week (June 26 - July 2)
• National Cancer Survivors Day (June 5)
• Family Health and Fitness Day (June 11)
• Nurse Assistants Day (June 16)
• Juneteenth (June 19)
• World Sickle Cell Day (June 19)
• PTSD Awareness Day (June 27)
• National HIV Testing Day (June 27)

Department of Pediatrics' End of Year Celebration

As we close out fiscal year 2022, we would like to get together and toast to all of the accomplishments we made towards improving the lives of the children we care for.

Where: Graduate Charlottesville’s second floor Game Room

When: July 1, after work happy hour from 4-6 pm

RSVP: Please respond via Outlook invite 

Health System/Nurse's Week

Thank you to everyone for a very successful Health system/Nurse’s week. It was awesome and inspiring to see teams celebrating the good work you do every day. 

Our ASPIRE Values: Accountability

From Karin Skeen: Accountability, Stewardship, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Equity/Diversity/Inclusion influence everything we do at UVA Women’s and Children’s.

In the next few issues of Monthly Matters, we are going to highlight our values and share some thoughts on how they translate into our everyday work. I’ll start with Accountability.

To be accountable means we embrace our individual responsibility to show up as the best version of ourselves. Showing up means being present in the moment, engaging in the work of process improvement, asking clarifying questions to understand what is expected of us, and working to execute on those expectations. It also means knowing and following standard work, guidelines, and policies. We are also each accountable for our words, our actions, and our shared results. 

As a leader, my take on accountability is not to set up a system of rules to catch team members doing something wrong. It’s more about setting clear expectations and empowering teams and individuals to work to the top of their ability. Holding ourselves and others accountable builds trust that we are all here to carry out our important mission. 

Mother's Day Celebrations 

Thanks to the UVA Children’s Family Centered Care Committee, 101 Mother’s Day bags gift bags were cut out. Included in the bags were these pre painted canvases for our patients to complete.

Additionally, six Moxie Stylists came in to cut and/or style hair for 27 mamas. TWENTY SEVEN! Many mother’s shared “I really needed this” or “I haven’t had a hair cut in years.”

We are so grateful for the support of the Family Centered Care Committee . Their commitment helps us provide not only the best patient care, but the best care to the whole family as well.

Expressions & Reflections Volunteer Opportunity

Dr. Joanne Mendoza launched the Expressions & Reflections segment for this newsletter.  With her departure to CHKD, would you like to be in charge of finding new and interesting stories to share? If so, please email Annie Jessee. Thank you!

The goal of Expressions & Reflections is to help us reconnect with our purpose in medicine. We want to provide a space for sharing lessons learned within our Children's Hospital. Topics could include, but are not limited to: wellness, racism, violence, bias, resiliency, advocacy, burnout, equality, LGBTTQQIAAP, kindness, mistreatment, mentorship, peer support, or any fascinating, sad, happy, brave, complex, or inspiring experiences. This feature can be prose (with a limit of 500 words), poetry or art.

Zoey Faye Lightner

May 6, 2022

Ryan Lightner, Associate Director of Development for UVA Children’s

Henry Robert Chandler

May 26, 2022

Erin Chandler, Assistant Director of Development CMN & Annual Fund for UVA Children’s

Family Centered Care

• Organized event to pack 300 Books at Birth Bags for Labor and Delivery/Mother Baby
• Children’s Advisory Board hosted a Mother’s Day event with haircuts by Moxie complete with tinsel braids

Ambulatory

• Worked in a last minute, high dollar drug infusion for SMA patient on a Friday night. Stayed until 2030. Happily did what was best for the patient. Plan to work with other stakeholders to optimize this process.
• RNCC Manager, Tina Knicely, met with the IP case managers to begin collaboration discussions around discharge planning utilizing IP AND ambulatory resources to meet the patient needs. Quickly identified the IP and Ambulatory Epic communication as a BARRIER (cannot see notes). Forming work group to dive deeper and brainstorm. Band-Aid = get Ambulatory Epic access for the case managers so they can see clinic/RNCC notes. Currently all RNCCs also have IP access.
• Participated in and hosted Ambulatory Be Safe training
• MyChart enrollment up to 59.8% between all of our general peds clinics and 40.7% with our specialty clinics
• Successful roll out of first wave of Beacon Supportive Plans and LIP training to Endocrine team, 15 total supportive plan builds complete and ready for LIP education (gradual implementation)
• Food pantry success/recognition

Quality

• Implemented PERT/ Code Event tool on 7 acute and PICU to facilitate consistent debriefs after severe patient events and data collection for continuous improvement
• Onboarding Vermont Oxford Network registry (Neonatology)
• Hired 2 Quality Analysts – thus increasing our data and analytic capacity
• Leading national chylothorax improvement project as part of PC4 engagement

Department of Pediatrics

• Our Child Health Research Center hosted its annual Research Day. There were many highlights, one of the most notable was that Dr. Richard Stevenson (Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) was awarded the research lifetime achievement award.
• Pediatrics resident, Tommy Casto won the prestigious UVA Mulholland Teaching Award
• Our breastfeeding medicine program celebrated its tenth birthday
• Debbie-Ann Shirley was awarded an NIH R34 award, along with collaborators Dr. Shannon Moonah and Dr. Cirle Warren

NICU

• Hosted first Coffee and Conversation CH event to bring multidisciplinary teams together 
• Reached 45% on unit multidisciplinary WIG for engagement (Multi-d volunteers helped with drainage project in the SNP; book club at a local winery, Ronald McDonald House grocery shopping, trivia night, Pure Barre, breakfast club).
• Trained nursing and therapy teams with new developmental positioners to roll out next week.
• Began training for aEEG a new modality that will allow for early aEEG overnight ahead of day shift only EEG technology, frontline driven and managed as a bridge to full EEG.
• Completed 21 interviews for a new NICU RN Team Lead position to transition from ICN only lead expanding to ICU coverage. Offers being made now.
• Converted and started 1 RN traveler. 
• “Graduated” one Clin II from orientation.
• Represented Nursing Excellence at the awards with many nominees and a winner.
• Won the hospital door decorating contest for best overall during Nurses Week.
• Revamped education on use of the NPASS scale for better RN documentation on sedation and stimulation tolerance scoring. 
• Advanced 1 RN to a Clin III level on the ladder.
• Passed 3 clinical guidelines at ICC level (not sure if this is helpful). 
• No CLABSI’s or HAPI’s! 
• Established a now monthly meeting with MB, L&D and NICU triad with nursing, medical and QI support to review unexpected NICU admissions and BSE’s related. Some truly great problem solving happening and partnership that is exciting.

PICU

• CLABSI free for the month
• Heart transplants for 2 patients
• Successful completion of our WIG focused on scalp related HAPIs…no scalp related HAPIs in the month
• Shared governance focus on employee engagement: out of work employee activities planned for the coming month
• Successful CH nursing week celebration: unit carts (carnival theme, tea and cookies, ice cream, and Willie Wonka themed, individual gifts for employees/cards for each
• Hired 2 PCTs with start dates in June
• Continued Clin 1 Interview with CH units

Acute Care Pediatrics

• Fun and Successful Health System Week
• Nurses Week Celebrations- 4 different carts for all shifts.
• Self-Evaluations/ Peer reviews completed for the team
• Onboarded one Clinician II and one Clinician I.
• Attending Nurses developed education about SVT and adenosine pearls
• Continued preparation for upcoming BMT/ CAR-T cell patients focusing on escalation paths
• Both bed coordinators shadowed the charge nurse in the ED developing new standards based on their pilot
• K-card group developed individual questions for the unit

Upcoming Children’s Miracle Network Campaigns

• June 1 – August 31: GIANT/Martin’s Grocery Campaign
• June 1 – July 31: Dairy Queen Miracle Balloon Campaign
• June 13 – July 10: Walmart & Sam’s Club Campaign
• July 28: Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day
• August 1 – 31: JOANN POS Campaign
• August 5 – 7: Ace Hardware Bucket Days

7 West: The facility, surgeon, doctors, nurses, and care that my son received was phenomenal. 

Dev Peds: Dr. Mason is a very professional and caring individual. His knowledge and expertise are quite evident during a visit. I would highly recommend him to any patient needing his expertise.

Peds Card: Dr L'ecuer's calm and connected demeanor as well as his patience in explaining all the details of my daughters condition has made her major heart condition easy to understand, manage, and helps us stay calm. He's been the best specialist and has been essential in our sanity as parents.

Peds Diabetes: We have traveled to this practice several times a year for around seven years. Our child and our family are so grateful for the care provided at each visit. It is so apparent that these kids are top priority and we have so much confidence in our providers. It is never easy when a child has a chronic illness, but knowing our child is being given the best medical care and concern makes it much easier. Thank you.

Peds Gastro: Excellent, as always. Dr Borowitz and the entire team of Dr's and supporting staff are fantastic!

Peds Hem Onc: Dr. Belyea has taken the time to go over all treatment scenarios, and is always willing to listen and assess on the fly when our daughter has issues as a result of her treatment and/or post-transplant side effects.

Peds Neurology: We spent plenty of time with our provider and felt she truly listened to our needs, concerns and questions.

Ortho Peds: Dr. Bachmann is always knowledgeable, friendly, professional and enjoys being with kids.

Urology Peds: Dr. Corbett answered all of our questions about the future surgery and post op care. My daughter said she was comfortable discussing the procedure with him.

Northridge Peds: Dr. Quillian and the nursing team are truly the best! I trust her devoted care and knowledge and appreciate all she does for my children.

Peds Allergy: We love the nurses there! They are patient and kind to our little boys

Peds Surgery: Dr. Levin is amazing! He makes Ben feel at ease every time we are there.

Peds Neurosurg: Excellent care. From the moment we walked in the door, when people showed us how to get to where we were going, they were pleasant. The nurses were caring. Her doctors were very informative and understanding

Peds Genetics: The service we received was excellent. From the receptionist to the Doctors all were friendly, professional, and extremely competent in their roles.

ORUL Peds: Coming from an RN of 20+ years. Great visit. Everyone was professional and efficient

Teen & Young Adult: Dr. Taylor is THE BEST! She has continually gone above and beyond to help my son, Nicholas! She communicates well, cares, listens well and truly works so hard to give the BEST CARE! We are SO fortunate to have her as Nicholas's doctor!

Maternal Fetal: The Whole team of nurses is amazing. Answered all the questions and very comfortable to talk to.

Have a story idea? Let us know!

Working on an exciting new project? Want to spread the word about your clinic? Know a team member that should be recognized? We can help!

Women's and Children's Wisdom and Wellbeing

The Communication and Culture workgroup is evolving into the Wisdom and Wellbeing Steering Committee and Peer Representatives. In alignment with UVA Health, we are expanding our efforts to include not only team building and resilience, but also stress first aid, peer support, and identification and removal of unnecessary stressors in the clinical work environment. Please let us know if you would like to get involved in this important work!

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Monthly Matters newsletter archive

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