Everyone has a particular part of their job that really excites them—something that helps them feel connected to the work they're doing. For me, that something is rounding—talking with staff, patients, physicians, board members, community members…I am passionate about creating and maintaining relationships with people. That's one of my favorite things about being a CEO—I get to meet so many people.

Some departments here at GSH are easier to round at than others. For instance, I can take a few steps down the hall from my office and be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of 3 North. Or I can take a quick elevator ride to the basement and stroll through Nutrition Services, Materials Management, HIM, etc. But Monday I went to visit Surgery, and they were gracious enough to have me—for 3-and-a-half hours. (I don't normally stay that long when I’m rounding—don't worry.)

We all know you can’t just walk in off the street and hang out in Surgery. They set me up with some scrubs (I would gladly trade in my suits for scrubs any day) so I could make my way around the department. I had a great time! I was able to visit with OR staff as well as anesthesiologists and surgeons. I watched Dr. Wright complete a total knee replacement and Dr. Bibler do a single bypass and valve replacement. The human body is an amazing thing. I have observed in ORs before, but I am always in awe of the procedures that physicians perform and how the human body responds. We have very talented individuals here devoted to repairing and healing the human body.

You may be wondering if I got to use any of the cool tools in Surgery. The answer is: absolutely not! I can't sew a button, let alone attempt to use any of the high-tech instruments our surgeons and staff use with such precision, but Dr. Todd Williams was able to educate me on how to raise and lower the OR table. So if there's ever an emergency need for someone to do that, I'm ready!

I was also happy to learn that we have a back-up heart surgeon should the need arise…Ryan, perfusionist, assured me that his grandmother is an expert seamstress and would be able to fill in for Dr. Bibler. She could not, however, replace Ryan at the heart -lung machine. Good to know! 

I had a blast in Surgery and have blocked some time on my calendar to visit them again. Thanks again for having me! You never know where I’ll end up next.

Mike

In healthcare, we know that our best work is accomplished with a team. Well, did you know that calling for the "huddle" isn't limited to the football team? Huddles are a very valuable way for caregivers to connect and make sure everyone's informed about pertinent issues and topics—all in support of our patients.

At our Performance Improvement Council (PIC) meeting on Wednesday, four of our physicians were in a huddle and we managed to get a quick photo. 

As you can see they are in deep thought. They were working with Crystal Hampton, Care Management, to solve the question of what data is available, where, and how to retrieve it. We are now looking forward to yet another great improvement in caring for our patients! 

Thanks to Carol Wahl for her cell phone photography skills and to Crystal Hampton, Drs. Hranac, Shaffer, Vosik and Edwards for their huddle to improve quality for our whole team.

Some experiences in our lives—whether professional or personal—just stick with us. They give us extra passion for what we do and how we live our life. They can also renew our spirit to take on the challenges that lie before us. I had one of those experiences over the weekend.

On Sunday, Steve Leurck and I attended the Transition Ceremony of the Provincial Leadership of the Sisters of Saint Francis. This was a particular meaningful event for us since our own Sr. Rita Beason was being installed as a member of the council, and one of our former board members, Sr. Nadine Heimann, was taking over as provincial leader.

The ceremony was at the Sisters of Saint Francis’ Motherhouse—Mount Saint Francis in Colorado Springs. This site is more than breathtaking; it is awesome! The Motherhouse is built at the very foot of the mountains, and as Steve and I drove up to it, the sky was actually BLUER than here in Nebraska! I couldn’t believe it! (You know how I feel about blue skies.) At our arrival, some friendly deer even greeted us on the lawn.

Following the very meaningful ceremony, we had an opportunity to visit with the Sisters—many of whom spent a portion of their life here at Good Samaritan Hospital. Their stories, coupled with the history of the Sisters of Saint Francis that is alive throughout the Motherhouse were overwhelming. They filled me with such a sense of purpose and pride to be carrying on the mission they started so long ago. Incidentally, GSH is one of their youngest ministries! Talk about experts in their field!

I wanted to share this with you because the experience gave me renewed passion to overcome the hurdles that we're currently facing for our healing ministry. Yes, we are looking at some daunting challenges, but I firmly believe if we face them with the same faith, courage and sense of purpose as the Sisters of Saint Francis, we will weather any storm that comes our way.

We are so fortunate to have their tremendous example to follow. 

Mike

P.S.  Here are some of the photos from the event. You will see a VERY proud, and rightfully so, Sister Rita.

The newly installed members of the Provincial Leadership of the Sisters of Saint Francis: Sr. Marilyn Uhing, Sr. Judith Ann Schaeffer, Sr. Nadine Heimann, Sr. Dorothy Schlaeger, Sr. Rose Marie Imig, and Sr. Rita Beason.

This week, the hospitalist program at GSH officially launched! This is an exciting accomplishment, and to my understanding, has been in the works for quite some time.

For those of you unfamiliar with hospitalists, they are physicians for patients who are hospitalized. They don't have practices outside of the hospital setting, and they provide for the general, round-the-clock care of hospitalized patients. We know that our inpatients often have complicated conditions, and a hospitalist works with a patient's established physician to co-manage the patient's care while the patient is within the hospital's walls. This includes ordering diagnostic testing, treatment, overall medical care in addition to regularly rounding on patients.

One of the first questions that comes up with the mention of this program is: Is a physician required to have the hospitalist see their patient while they're here? The answer is no. If a physician is more comfortable managing the care of their patient on their own, that is completely acceptable. In many situations, however, transitioning care to a hospitalist for an inpatient is a very beneficial option. It's definitely a step in the right direction for relationships with our referring facilities. They are beyond pleased with the addition of hospitalists to the medical staff at GSH.

Right now, we're in the middle of what marketing people call a "soft launch" of the program. This means it's up and running, but we're taking things slowly to make sure that it is done well. That may require making some changes here and there, and we're completely open to that because this program has the potential to make a huge impact on the overall patient experience—and it's yet another opportunity to have EXCELLENT interactions. We are working with physicians from CHI Nebraska to support us in this launch. Dr. Cary Ward and Dr. Barry Hoover of The Physician Network have been on site this week. We are taking our time to make sure the program is EXCELLENT.

So without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce our hospitalists pictured below: Dr. Aumyot Prongdong, Dr. Khaled Abuhanttash and Dr. Shoaib Arif. I'm sure you’ll be seeing them soon—if you haven't already. Please give them a warm Good Samaritan welcome. We're certainly glad they're here.