The Wright Stuff - May 24
Dear WVU Medicine colleagues,
It’s always bittersweet when we lose a long-time employee to retirement. While I certainly applaud and understand the desire to move on to the next chapter in life – one in which you can call your own shots and make your own schedule – it’s also sad on a personal and professional level.
With that said, we should not only congratulate Violet Whipkey and Myrna Davis on their retirements, but we should applaud them! Together, they have more than 100 years of service under their belts.
The dedication, perseverance, adaptability ... it’s truly hard to conceive of the scope and span or the careers of these two outstanding women.
Violet is 95 and moving on from her role as a nurse on the night shift of the adult unit at Chestnut Ridge Center. “Vi,” as she’s known, earned her RN in 1952 and has a career that spans the globe, including stops in Antigua in the British West Indies, where she exchanged ideas at its school of nursing. Vi has been at WVU Medicine since the mid-70s and at the Chestnut Ridge Center in Morgantown since it opened in 1987.
Myrna is the linen supervisor at Thomas Memorial Hospital, overseeing all linen standards within the hospital, ensuring the linen is of the best quality before sending it to the different units. She has retired after 55 years at Thomas Memorial, starting in May of 1963; she left for a short time in 1964 and returned in 1965.
Vi has been an inspiration to her patients and co-workers, often bringing in home-cooked or home-baked meals and snacks for night shift employees to enjoy. Younger nurses often turn to her for guidance, support, or just a kind word during a tough shift. No doubt, Vi has seen it all and has wisdom to share on just about any situation – personal or professional – that might arise.
Myrna is part of an amazing legacy. When she was just two weeks old, her mother, who also worked in the laundry, would bring Myrna along with her. Myrna said she has always wanted to help people, and she believes that laundry is a skill she is good at that could also help her do her part in helping others.
"Thomas has helped support my family. I have met so many special people that I have grown to love. This has been my home away from home," Myrna said.
When individuals like Vi and Myrna leave, it’s clear that no one will truly replace them. But my hope is that a new generation of employee leader eventually emerges and is able to change lives the way these women have. They are an example of the value of our employees and why they are so crucial to our success and progress. Vi and Myrna, there aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe you or to thank you. I, and many others, wish you the best in your retirement!
Leslie Lawson to Serve as Vice President of Operations of Thomas Health System
I am very excited to share that Leslie Lawson, MBA, FACHE, a long-time WVU Medicine leader, has agreed to become the new vice president of operations for Thomas Health System. She will start her new job in late June.
Leslie now serves as the assistant vice president of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, where she’s worked closely with the Institute’s executive chair, Vinay Badhwar, MD, and vice president, Frank Briggs, PharmD, FACHE, for the past several years to build out the Institute and expand its clinical programs across the region.
Leslie is an outstanding healthcare executive who started with us over 20 years ago at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center. During that time, she has developed into a strong and impactful leader who has a deep understanding of hospital and clinic operations. Before her current role, she served as the Heart and Vascular Institute’s administrator and oversaw the management of 15 clinics across several states. She also served as administrative director of clinical services for the WVU Medicine Stroke and Spine Center. In 2018, Leslie was a recipient of the Health System’s Presidential Leadership Award, a testament to her outstanding leadership.
Her background in finance and her earlier work in revenue cycle and payor reimbursement combined with her success at leading and managing complex clinical operations made her ideal for this position.
I’m delighted that she’s agreed to make such a big move from Morgantown and help lead Thomas Health’s transition. Thank you Leslie!
IN OTHER NEWS
Reminder: Deadline Nears for Mandatory Annual Education for WVU Medicine Employees
The 2022 annual mandatory education for WVU Medicine employees is available in NetLearning. The courses are required to ensure that all employees perform at the highest level, and that they provide safe and effective patient care and services. The courses also satisfy requirements from numerous regulatory agencies. The deadline to complete the mandatory courses is Friday, June 17.
Employees at the following WVU Medicine facilities and entities are required to complete the courses: Allied Health Solutions, Berkeley Medical Center, Braxton County Memorial Hospital, Camden Clark Medical Center, Camden Clark Physician Corporation, Jackson General Hospital, Jefferson Medical Center, Peak Health, Potomac Valley Hospital, Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Summersville Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital, United Hospital Center, United Summit Center, University Health Associates, West Virginia University Dental Corporation, West Virginia University Hospitals, Wetzel County Hospital, WVUHS Medical Group, and WVUHS Home Care.
Employees can access NetLearning via the links on the Applications page of CONNECT. Those who need login support can contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@WVUMedicine.org or 304-598-HELP (4357). For questions on course assignments, send an email to learning@hronesource.org. For frequently asked questions, visit the HROneSource website and click the “Learning & Development” icon.
Aerospace Medics Complete Training at Ruby Memorial
Last week, five aerospace medical service personnel, assigned to the 167th Medical Group of the West Virginia Air National Guard, completed 40 hours of trauma training at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Working alongside critical care and trauma nurses, the airmen, whose roles are part licensed practical nurse and part emergency medical technician, received hands-on experience in Ruby Memorial’s intensive care units and the emergency department with hemorrhage control, thermal injuries, blunt force injuries, neurological injuries, mechanical ventilation, and more.
“This is a level I trauma hospital. The patients that are coming in are acutely ill. The training is intense, but it’s what we need to be prepared to deploy,” said Lt. Col. Sarah Law, 167th Medical Group chief nurse. “Our medics are assisting, hands-on, within their scope of practice.”
The training is the first iteration of a training affiliation agreement (TAA) established between the West Virginia Air National Guard and Ruby Memorial. A TAA is a no-cost, legal agreement for training between two or more institutions with a program recognized by a national accrediting agency. More rotations are planned throughout the summer to accommodate the 40-hour biennial requirement for the medics.
Pictured below, left to right, are U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Tyler Shrewbridge; Staff Sgt. Whitney Potts; Staff Sgt. Michael Berry; Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Day; and Staff Sgt. Taylor Beasley.
Staff at Ruby Memorial Salutes Patients During National Trauma Survivors Month
May is designated as National Trauma Awareness Month with National Trauma Survivors Day observed on May 18.
Staff at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital show their support for survivors in the photos below. The top photo is of surgery residents; the middle photo is of the staff on 8 Northeast, the trauma and medical surgical stepdown unit; the bottom photo is of a group of patients and their families at the Race to Rebuild, a virtual and in-person 5K and one-mile walk/run/cycle/roll event held May 22 in Morgantown.
St. Joseph’ Hospital Celebrates Five-Star Award in West Virginia Strawberry Festival Parade
WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital celebrated its recent five-star rating for patient experience in the 80th Annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival Grand Feature Parade on Saturday (May 21). Staff and family members, wearing special five-star award T-shirts, rode on the float and walked the parade route, handing out candy to children. The hospital’s float won first place in the parade’s Professional Division.
St. Joseph’s Hospital received the five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is one of only six percent of hospitals in the nation to achieve this patient experience rating.
MORE EMS WEEK FESTIVITIES
Berkeley, Jefferson Host EMS Week Cookouts
Last Friday (May 20), WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center and Jefferson Medical Center hosted EMS Week cookouts for all area first responders.
This annual tradition is hosted by the Emergency Departments at both hospitals as a way to thank local EMS personnel for the integral role they play within the Health System and their commitment to caring for their community all year long.
Jackson General Recognizes First Responders
On Thursday (May 19), WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital held a breakfast buffet for local first responders to recognize EMS Week. They were also invited to dinner that evening. The meals were provided as a small thank you to EMS practitioners for the role they place in safeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of the communities they serve.
A FINAL THOUGHT…
I got to spend some time with two of my boys, Ty and Chase, this past weekend. We grabbed a bite at Mountain State Brewing Company in Morgantown on Saturday, while my wife, Joy, and daughter, Hope, were on a mother-daughter outing. Love spending time with these goofballs – we had a blast!
