Knox's Blog

We are off to a great start with our JustOne campaign and new ideas are hitting the website daily! Our goal is to improve the environment and create a greener healthier community with a mini-grant program to help find and fund innovative ideas. A healthier living environment is directly connected to the health and well-being of our patient population.

One great idea I saw posted on their web site is a request for a community garden at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. There is enough green space and this would be a great way to get the community involved as well. Another entry is for a better way to recycle office furniture. There is absolutely no need to throw a perfectly good desk or file cabinet in the dumpster when there are many folks in our community that could put it to use. Roof top gardens, paper medicinal cups instead of plastic ones, composting, solar panels … the list goes on …log on and have a peek!

The JustOne campaign is an opportunity to make a positive impact on our future health. We will reduce landfills, energy consumption, decrease pollution and save money. Every small action makes a difference.  Why are we calling this JustOne? At the end of the month we will be able to tell a story of the massive impact achieved by everyone contributing just one action of their own. What is yours? Log on to  inova.brightidea.com/justone to let the world know!

The recent funeral of a colleague and friend reminded me of the importance of living by example. The near capacity crowd was such a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make. While the loss of friends and family is a sad occasion, I also find memorial services to be uplifting as I always leave wanting to be a better person.

It is the place where we learn all the tidbits about the person’s life and personality through a collection of anecdotes and stories delivered by family members, colleagues, and friends. Some of the stories that resonate with me are the small things. Simple thoughtful tasks that made a big enough impact to be recounted at a final send off. The funny stories bring additional light into the personality and provide a breath of fresh air. These coupled with the major accomplishments and wow moments create that magical window into a life well lived.

In our day to day activities, it’s easy to lose track of the impact we have on others. It’s also easy to forget to tell others the impact they have on us. As Mother Teresa reminded us, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

So thank you dear friend for the reminder that I need to live in grace. I will continue building my ladder of personal and professional achievement. I will work on overcoming negativity and needless worry knowing that in the end, it will all be okay. And if it’s not okay, it’s not the end. I will continue to count my blessings and remember your legacy that I might also make a difference.

Is your left brain in sync with your right brain? We think with the left side and feel with the right side. Our right side contains our passion. Where are you most dominant?

How many steps forward does it take to zero out any backwards steps? I’ve heard it takes ten compliments to balance the effects of one criticism. I recently came across this quote: “Dear Heart, it is my duty to inform you that our nervous system becomes overwrought when you allow yourself to feel hurt by every small thing that happens. Stop it now! Sincerely, your brain.”

So all is humming along nicely and we have mastered the new policies and procedures and we know what is expected of us each day. Then a new policy appears, or a new version of the old policy. Or someone has a new idea that pushes us out of our comfort zone. What’s wrong with the old way anyhow?

And so do we take three giant steps back? And the attitude is now “I knew this was too good to be true, they always have to shake things up and don’t care about us.” But over the years I’ve always noticed that there is always one person who will shake me out of my funk. They are the ones I can count on to see the bright side. They are the ones who take the time to explain their point of view and introduce an element of empathy that I hadn’t taken the time to consider because my ego had shut all the other doors.

It reminds me of the end of a Robert Frost poem … “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

I think we are blessed at Inova to have many who are willing to take the attitude road often less traveled elsewhere. We have many who are open to change and willing to grow. But occasionally we all slip and I ask that when you see a colleague struggling with adapting to change, be the rare individual to bring them around. Don’t buy into the negativity or ignore it. Stop and ask what’s bothering them and offer a change of attitude. I continually have to stop and remind myself that when my brain gets on the wrong train, I don’t have to ride it to the end of the line, but am free to get off at anytime.

“Hey, that’s us,” I exclaimed to myself the first time I heard our Inova spot on the radio! Then just a week ago, I spotted our new logo with our ad plastered across the side of a metro bus, larger than life. And then I saw the ad on TV.

This time I thought, “We are indeed larger than life.” I’m so glad to be able to brag about our outstanding rankings in the 2012-2013 US News and World Report of Best Hospitals every chance I get. We were nationally ranked in Cardiology and Heart Surgery and Gynecology. We also ranked #1 in the Washington, DC metro area and we ranked #2 in Virginia and were recognized in Northern Virginia.

I have to admit I am proud. Excellence in patient care happens when committed staff delivers quality medical service. The commitment to excellence begins with each one of us who effectively translate that commitment to each other and to our patients. I know we all work hard every day – I see it everywhere I go and I hear from the many folks I meet with about the wonderful initiatives happening and about our fabulous teamwork. Our nurses, doctors, medical support staff – so many folks are giving it their very best. And it shows in the recognition we receive and the bragging I hear all over town. “My doctor was the best, I had this done and my experience was excellent, the nurses were amazing, did you know ….” and on and on.

This is why every member of the Inova family can take credit for these awards. We each make a difference, one patient and one smile at a time. Call me biased, but I think each one of our departments should be recognized and in fact, many have, which you can check out on the web at www.inova.org/awards.

So each time I see our banners, hear our ads or see a bus zip by, I grin and admit that I do indeed talk to myself and if you were a fly on my windshield you’d probably hear me say, “hey, that’s us and we rock!”

One of the questions on the Employee Engagement survey is, “I know what is expected of me at work.” Hmmm. This got me thinking of all the different people I report to, as well as to contemplate my ultimate mission of serving our community. One side to consider is what our stakeholders and colleagues expect of me and the other side is what I expect of myself each day.

What about you? I would imagine it’s a mixed bag as well. On one hand, I can hear folks saying, “Yes Knox, I know what’s expected of me – I take care of patients.” Or, “I input and analyze financial data.” Hopefully, you know what is in your job description and are happily handling those tasks daily. It is your manager’s role to clearly outline these expectations so if you are not sure, stop reading right now and make an appointment for a meeting!

But I see that you’re still reading and must know what your role is, so let’s look at the flip side of what I expect of myself each day. Did you notice I used the word ‘happily’ in the above paragraph? This is a large part of what I expect of myself – to happily do my tasks each day. And I find that if I do the right thing every time, at the end of the day, I am able to reflect back, say to myself, “I did good,” and this contributes to my overall happiness. And if I didn’t do so good, am I going back and making it right? And if things aren’t right, am I speaking up and taking ownership?

At Inova, we try to provide ample opportunities for opinions to be heard and we continue to strive for transparency from the top down. Our future of health is bringing an incredible amount of change rapidly. What I expect of myself is to continue to be open minded to new ideas and possibilities. Several years ago I attended a research lecture at Fairfax Hospital. The audience was mostly physicians and the lecture was way above my head. Basically, after the presenter said, “Good afternoon ladies and gentleman,” I was lost. For the next hour I listened though because I was willing to explore our need for cutting edge research at Inova to remain competitive.

So what does Inova expect of me? To improve the health of our community and to seek every opportunity to meet the unique needs of each person I am privileged to serve, every time, every touch. What do I expect of myself? To be open minded, to grow, to learn, to be happy and to take action if things aren’t right.

P.S. I read about taking your best friend to lunch discounts being offered at some of our operating units and I’d like to have a few best friends to dine with too. Please send a photo of you and your best friends at work to socialmedia@inova.org and I’ll have my blog team vote on the winners and we’ll all have a bite to eat together.

Yikes, I had to pull out my calculator to write this blog! A letter from a grateful mom was forwarded to me and as I read through it, I was struck by how many members of our Inova family she listed by name. Two pages of names and she even acknowledged that she probably left a few out. One, that’s some awesome record keeping by the mom, and two, that’s some awesome care provided that warranted such note taking and a two page letter. I pulled a few bits and pieces from the letter to share with you.

“I sincerely believe that it takes a village to get a family through the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in a child. This village to us also includes those who may work behind the scenes but have been a huge source of knowledge, comfort and support. I am writing this letter to you to commend you on the absolute BEST and most PROFESSIONAL staff there at Inova Fairfax Hospital. It’s no wonder your hospital has such a good reputation for quality care. I have never met a more compassionate and loving group than the ones you employ on the HEM/ONC floor.”

This family has a 12 year old child who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Certainly, as they noted, it was a life changing day. While to us, our day to day routines are often second nature, it’s letters like this one that remind me to stop and remember that hospital visits for our patients are not second nature and certainly not routine. It reminds me that learning about best practices and implementing them pays off when it makes the difference in even one family who has experienced a “life changing day.” As I mentioned, I had to use my calculator to count all the names listed, which was a total of 45. Forty five names in one letter. Wow, that’s forty five people that made a difference to this child and her family.

So, who was mentioned? Well, there were the doctors, “They have been an exceptional team to work with….” The social worker who … “made it all happen for us and helped us out tremendously.”  The housekeepers who “made sure that all the rooms and the entire floor were always in sterile shape to ensure “her babies” stayed healthy.” Child Life … “was a lifesaver …were always there for a procedure, an activity, a movie, a walk, a smile and a laugh.” Okay, let me pause for a minute to reflect that at this point, ten names were mentioned and we haven’t even gotten to the nurses and techs yet.

“There are not enough complimentary words to describe your nursing staff. They are truly top notch. I cannot imagine a more caring group of nurses anywhere in the country. They have set the bar high and after being in four different hospitals now, no one has been close to their professionalism, management of medicine, creative ways to handle difficult situation and their deep awareness to connect with these very ill children. The techs were also very important. It takes a special person to care for these children and they do it better than anyone I’ve seen without complaint. They deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication to the wellbeing of these very special patients.” And another 29 names were mentioned.

And she concludes with the educators, secretaries and chaplains. “This village to us also includes those who may work behind the scenes but have been a huge source of knowledge, comfort, support, prayers and visits.”

The amazing thing is that while she named 45 people, we all know there were many more folks involved. Food services, warehouse, finance, administration, pharmacy ….. okay, I could go on and easily list an additional 45 departments. So I’ll wrap this up by saying, please know that your attention to detail is working. Your patient centered care is being noticed. We indeed have an Inova village that all worked together as a team to better one patient and one family and isn’t that what it’s all about?

One of our medical students, Rawan Faramand, recently spoke at the VCU faculty recognition lunch and said that there was no way to hide under a rock at Inova, and that’s why she loves it here! Wow, I love that line and just had to follow up for further explanation and here is what she sent:

“Two years ago, when I was deciding between staying in Richmond or coming up to Inova for the clinical years of medical school, one of the biggest things that drew me to Inova was the small size of the class compared to the Richmond campus. I wanted to visit the hospital and meet with the faculty and staff before making my decision, so I came up in the spring of my second year with two of my classmates. During our visit, I asked about the class size at Inova and how it affects students and that is when one of the staff members made the comment “Inova is not the place to come if you want to hide under a rock.” 

Working long hours while studying for exams, and learning new skills can be daunting and stressful, but as students we always felt supported at Inova. Even though the hospital is large and we were provided with every clinical opportunity possible, we still felt like we were a part of a small community. Within a few months at the hospital, I started getting to know many of the nurses, faculty, and staff at the hospital and it made it a true ‘home away from home’. I couldn’t hide under a rock because many of the Inova employees either knew my name or recognized me and would always greet me at 5am with a cheery “good morning” or hand me a cookie or snacks when I needed an afternoon boost.”

That pretty much sums up how I feel about Inova too. Awesome team work, support, a home away from home, and no hiding under a rock! How about you?

Ten minutes before her shift in the SkyLight Cafe at Fairfax Hospital began, Sylvia Turkson noticed a visitor who seemed a bit confused. “I like working around people,” Sylvia said, “so it was natural for me to approach her and offer assistance.” The woman was from Chicago and had been on vacation with her husband who became ill and was now a patient. Sylvia helped the woman make some food choices, escorted her to a table and sat and listened for a few minutes as the woman shared with Sylvia her exhaustion from being up all night and out of sorts. “In that ten minutes,” Sylvia said, “we became friends.”

You never know how your life can change in an instant. One moment you are a tourist from Chicago, the next you are so stressed you don’t know what to eat early in the day after no sleep. Then you are helped by someone like Sylvia who says, “I love working here and I’m always happy when customers come to me. Every little thing I do for them makes their day a bit better. And mine too. Once I asked a staff member how he was doing and he said I was the first person all day to ask him that. And it was 5:00 p.m! But these are all my friends. In the morning I leave home and get on the bus and I come to my Inova home.”

I heard this story through the grapevine from an astute director who, like Sylvia, is a people person. She saw Sylvia engrossed in a book one day and stopped to ask her what had her so intrigued. Turns out the woman visiting from Chicago had stopped by Sylvia’s station one more time before leaving town to thank her for her kindness and friendship and left her with the book she’d just finished reading. Sylvia was appreciative, but embarrassed by the attention, my friend told me, because in Sylvia’s mind, she was the beneficiary of feeling good. The director who passed this story on is so impressed that Sylvia not only nourishes the staff and visitors with food, but with kindness and wisdom too. What have you heard through the grapevine lately?

Would I rather be at my desk working on strategic plans or playing with Lego’s and cute babies? Well, that’s kind of a no-brainer and while the first is necessary, the second energizes me!

We were so honored to have Maureen McDonnell, the First Lady of Virginia, join us along with a host of other dignitaries including members of the Inova family to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Inova Women’s Hospital and Inova Children’s Hospital. As you can see from the photos, we had Lego’s representing the children’s hospital. For the women’s side, we launched a social media campaign where folks were given the opportunity to complete the sentence, “I am an Inova woman because ….” As I stopped to watch a few people write out their thoughts and pose for a photo, I was filled with pride over the heartwarming comments and the chance to see how much we are loved and appreciated. So often we plug along doing our daily tasks and forget our impact. It was great to see firsthand our many accomplishments and the way we touch peoples’ lives.

At one point I looked over at the South Tower which is nearing completion and reflected on how it didn’t seem that long ago that we were celebrating that groundbreaking and now we are starting anew with another fabulous plan to provide even more world class care in our community. In the blink of an eye we’ll be back for this ribbon cutting and I hope to also be able to look over at another new project on the horizon.

I’m sure you’ll agree that so often our ideas and projects feel insurmountable at times, but when there are so many committed team members involved, these dreams become reality! As a well known athletic company likes to say, “Just Do It,” I can stand back and look at our accomplishments and say, “we did it and are still doing it!” What projects are you anxious to start that currently seem overwhelming?