Knox's Blog

I just spent some time with my next door neighbor. She was still shaking as she recalled to me the story of the very large tree limb that fell during the middle-of-the-night storm, crashing through the roof of her home. The tree slammed into her daughter’s bedroom, missing the sleeping teenager by mere feet. The near loss of her loved one left everybody, including me, very shaken. As I think about the meaning of Memorial Day, I draw a couple of important reminders from this scary event.

First, I am reminded of the small boundary between those who have given their lives to us in service and the much larger group of us who have been the beneficiaries of their sacrifice. When I was a child, I lived in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. I would go with my mother and father to decorate the graves of veterans who were buried in the local cemetery. It was a curious ritual to me as a child. The people beneath the gravesites were not “real” to me and they seemed like a strange group of folks so detached from my life. I, who was alive and self absorbed in the here and now, was so different from them.

Second, the near loss of my neighbor’s teenage daughter reminds me of the life she will grow up to have and of the adult she will become (a fine one too, knowing her Mama and Daddy!). The reality is that all of us were young once and grew up through the sacrifice and care of others. I don’t know of any other way to get from young to old, but with the sacrificial help and support of others who love us and care for us in tangible ways. We ALL depend upon those who have served and given of themselves for us as we merrily go about living our lives and chasing our personal dreams.

So on this Memorial Day, I am reminded that we owe a double debt of gratitude to those who have given their lives for us—in military service, as public safety officers, as firemen, foreign service officers or any of the other branches of public servants who have made the ultimate sacrifice to honor and protect us. We must remember that they are just like us, but chose or were chosen to give their lives for others. I am also reminded that all we have and all we have become as individuals and families is, to a great extent, due to those unknown, often unremembered, and sadly often unappreciated persons who served us in years gone by. For those persons, and for their families and friends who have shared their borne sacrifice, I say may God bless you all and grant the rest of us the good sense to recall more often than once a year the sacrifices you make.

This week has certainly has brought plenty of spring showers. Thankfully I kept busy inside the office with several meetings. Earlier this week, I met with the president of Shenandoah University. We talked about the partnership between Inova and their university and how they assist in educating future nurses. Our community offers several educational institutions that are critical to educating bright and compassionate people in the nursing profession. We can all agree that nurses are a critical part of patient care, and will continue to be part of critical successes in the ongoing commitment has to providing world-class care to the DC area.

I also met with the Chair of the Inova Health System Board of Directors to continue discussion of our Vision 2015 project. As we evolve and change Inova to address the needs of our community and the future of healthcare, critical discussions about how we all contribute to Vision 2015 will continue to be a big part of my schedule.

Lastly, this week I spoke with employees about what their needs are in terms of personal and professional development. Providing the ability for employees at Inova to reach their educational and professional development goals is a strong belief I have in building the strength of our employees and our companies.

(L-R) Jill Carlson, RN4; Yvette Dean, PCD; Shannon North-Giles, Nurse Manager; Knox Singleton, CEO, IHS; & Julie Russell, Nurse Manager.

Remember, the 10-th anniversary celebration of HealthPlex I attended last week? It was a great honor for me to celebrate with several of the Healthplex employees.

As always, I’ve had a rewarding couple of weeks at Inova.

Last week, I presented Inova’s Vision 2015 at the ILI (this is a quarterly meeting for all Inova managers).  There is a lot of energy around this topic and about how Inova will meet the challenges facing healthcare in the future. This can be an exciting time for those of us who choose to join Inova on the journey.

This week, I had the pleasure to meet with the president of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. We talked about the issues facing healthcare in general and discussed how these issues impact at a local level. I also shared with him our Vision 2015 model, and how Inova is committed to helping shape the future of healthcare delivery.

I also was honored to take part in two wonderful Inova celebrations this week.

First, Inova Fairfax Hospital celebrated its 50^th Anniversary with the founding physicians and members of our community. We all shared stories about the hospital’s past 50 years and commemorated a half century of service to our community! This reinforces my belief that Inova’s firm foundation in the community is the perfect foothold to propel us into the future.

Second, I attended the 2011 System Office Service Awards on Friday where we recognized Inova employees and their years of  dedicated service. Did you know that we have a number of Inova employees who have been here 30 years…and more? Their commitment is inspiring and I’m honored that they are part of Inova

With spring in the air, I am also trying to spend time getting outside and enjoying the weather in Northern Virginia.  It’s part of my commitment to being Fit For Spring! Have a great weekend!

Hey everyone! I have been so encouraged by the nature and number of responses that the blog has generated that I have been looking for a thoughtful and (time) responsible way to acknowledge some of your comments, questions and suggestions.  Today I am introducing a new segment on the blog that you’ll see from time to time called “Listening Posts”.

The point of these posts is to… you got it!  Listen.  The name says it all.  I will review some of the comments on previous posts and possibly, as a result, generate some more dialogue on a given topic.

I am certain that one of the most important facets of offering optimal care for each unique individual we serve is learning to listen.  Learning to be an “active listener” is a real art form, and I am hoping we can work together to encourage a culture of listening at Inova.  Are you listening?

Thanks for all you do!
Knox

This cute little guy, Alexander, wanted me to let everyone know about a specific Inova program, BabyNET, that not only saves Inova money, but is a valuable employee benefit as well. Alexander’s mom, Stephanie Tate, who works in EKG at Alexandria Hospital, was our 1,000th mom to use the program! BabyNET, a comprehensive program offered at no cost to the employee, is designed to support healthier outcomes for pregnant and breastfeeding women which results in lower healthcare costs.

A baby born before 37 weeks is one of the most distressing problems for parents. Premature birth is the leading cause of illness and death among newborns and children in the first year of life and beyond. On average, premature infants cost fifteen times more than full term babies due to increased use of health care services. The preterm birth rate in Virginia is 12%. Since 2005, Inova BabyNET has averaged 7.4% or a reduction of the expected number of preterm births by 36.

In fact, BabyNET has been so successful that Dr. Alfred Khoury, Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, refers all of his Inova employee patients to BabyNET. According to Dr. Khoury, ongoing patient education for the symptoms and signs of preterm labor is essential for reducing the risk of preterm birth.

In addition to BabyNET, we have WeightNET and BackNET along with a multitude of other free services offered to our employees. We have partnered with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity by addressing and raising awareness to the issue. Our shared goal is to motivate children, teens and their families to live healthier, more active lifestyles. We will be providing area schools with tips and tools for healthy eating and helping provide an outlet for exercise through youth camps and clinics.

So, thank you Alexander for making a special guest appearance in my blog and congratulations to Stephanie on the birth of a healthy baby!  Many thanks to all of the care managers who provided Stephanie with coaching, education and support. Here’s wishing Stephanie and all of our moms out there a Happy and healthy Mother’s Day!