The amount of work it takes to keep a medical center of our caliber running and serving patients each day is astounding. At a recent Be Heard Breakfast, I was reminded by a colleague from Ultrasound that not only is our volume of patients larger than most hospitals, but our clinics are robust, our abilities are advanced, and our specialties attract more complex patients than are seen at most other institutions across the region, state, and country.
Caring for such a large patient population with highly specific needs takes a special team — and I’m constantly impressed by your ability to answer the call. When I think of your incredible work, a few recent examples come to mind:
UVA Children’s | Every now and then I’m contacted by health system leaders across the country asking me where to look for examples of innovation, collaboration, patient experience, and more. And I almost always point them to UVA Children’s. I tell them that I consider the UVA Children’s team a shining example for our organization as they’re paving the way for the future of pediatric medicine and helping us become a proven leader for providing care to children in need. This year especially, with a dramatic spike in respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, our inpatient and outpatient UVA Children's teams are working hard to keep up with the demand for pediatric care. Many of our nursing and respiratory therapy team members have stepped up to work extra shifts to manage the surge and help children in need. As a team member from UVA Children’s recently told me, “Everyone is here to help kids — it’s why we come to work every day.”
Epic Go-Live | Thanks to hundreds of colleagues from across UVA Health — Health Information and Technology, operations, Human Resources, our clinics, and more — UVA Community Health went live with Epic on Nov. 1. The tireless efforts, creativity, and diligence of our team members who worked on this project have now made us better connected than ever before. We’re more equipped to work together, care for patients from across the Commonwealth, and carry out our strategic plan. There’s still much more work to be done, but the amazing progress we’ve made is worth celebrating. Thank you, team. You should all be very proud of what you’ve accomplished! (I certainly am proud of you!)
Holiday Shift Teams | For another example of dedication in action, just look to our team members who work on a holiday, including this past Thanksgiving. These colleagues deserve an extra shout-out for going above and beyond for our patients to make them feel special and less isolated from their own families during the holiday. You all truly make UVA Health a better place to work and receive care.
Sometimes complex work can be stripped down into simple motives: helping kids, connecting our teams and patients across the state, or providing world-class care throughout the holidays, but the work we all do is far from simple.
To all teams, thank you for the devotion and energy you put into your work here each and every day. The future is bright because of you.
Take care and be well,
Wendy