HUPDATE H O S P I TA L O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y L VA N I A
FEBRUARY 2017
`` (Left) Garry Scheib added his signature to the hundreds of others on the beam that was used in the construction of the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine.
A Legacy of
TEAMWORK, TRUST & SUPPORT For the past 17 years, teamwork has remained the backbone of Garry Scheib’s leadership, an approach that not only brought HUP and the Health System back from the brink of bankruptcy in 1999 but also led UPHS to become one of the most successful health systems in the country, with industry-leading outcomes and all-time record patient satisfaction scores. “To go from where HUP was [when Scheib came] to where it is now is incredible to think about,” said PJ Brennan, MD, SVP and chief medical officer for the Health System. “And it’s not just about the big decisions that needed to be made, but the thousands and thousands of little ones and the attention Garry gives to every one.” Working with people to help bring about change is one of the things Scheib will miss most when he steps down next month from his dual roles as HUP’s chief executive officer and the COO of the Health System. “I am most proud of how we work together to provide the best patient care. HUP, like Philadelphia, is a city of neighborhoods, and its community members are what make HUP great.” Trust is another important word in Scheib’s vocabulary. Even at his very first All Employee Meeting in 1999 — two weeks after he came to HUP — when more than 350 employees crammed into Medical Alumni Hall to learn about the Health System's financial upheaval, he told them, “I need to earn your trust. You’ll hear good news from me and you’ll hear bad news from me and we’ll work together to overcome any challenges along the way.” This straight-forward approach has been his MO since coming to HUP. Al Black, HUP’s former chief operating officer who retired in 2015, called working with him “the highlight of my professional career. His work ethic is a combination of compassion, competence, and skill.”
IN THIS ISSUE »» A Legacy of Teamwork, Trust and Support
»» Increased Access to Critical Care
»» Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr: A Day of Reflection and Outreach
»» PennChart — Here’s What You Need to Know…
»» What's Up at HUP? »» Heartfelt Thanks
Hospital administrators and physicians don’t always see things eye-to-eye, but Sean Grady, MD, chair of Neurosurgery, has always known Scheib as a “man of his word. I knew we could do things together that would be good for everybody, with just a handshake…. He established a culture of trust.” Trust also came into play when Louise Clark, Scheib’s assistant until she retired in 2015, had to decide whether to join him when he took the new position at HUP. At the time, Scheib was VP of Network Operations, working in King of Prussia, a short commute from Clark’s house, but she decided to take a chance. “It was the best decision I ever made,” she said. “My years at HUP working closely with Garry proved to be rewarding in every way.” Scheib has fostered many personal relationships at HUP over the years — both on his leadership team and throughout the hospital — but two colleagues hold special places in his memory: Maryellen Reilly and Bernett Johnson, Jr, MD. Reilly, who was VP of Clinical and Administrative Operations until her death in 2011, was his “get-it-done” person as well as “everyone’s mom who could balance a 60-hour week with a full time family life.” From Johnson, HUP’s former chief medical officer who passed away in 2009, Scheib learned that, when making decisions for the hospital, “always ask ‘what’s the right thing to do for our patients, their families, and our staff ?’ In the short run, it might not be the best approach financially but in the long run, you win…. This is a marathon, not a sprint.” Scheib’s willingness to give credit to others doesn’t mean he doesn’t play a part in the success. “Garry creates a runway for things to happen that are positive for the organization.
Increased Access to Critical Care The new Resuscitation & Critical Care Unit, which opened last month, is a 5-bed unit designed to provide cutting-edge care services for patients in need of time-sensitive interventions at HUP's Emergency Department. John Greenwood, MD, the unit’s medical director, explained, "We believe that the ResCCU has a unique opportunity to not only increase critical care access at HUP, but also decrease patient length of stay, improve clinical outcomes, and develop leaders in resuscitation and critical care research." Located in HUP’s former trauma bay area, the ResCCU received funding from the Philadelphia Antiques Show.
`` (Above) Scheib has raised over a half million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society from his participation in marathons and other fundraising activities events over the past 20 years. `` (Left) When making decisions for the hospital, Scheib kept Bernett Johnson’s advice in mind: Always ask what’s right for the patient.
He’s steadfast, consistent and fair — all the things you want in a boss,” said Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, SVP and chief nursing executive of the Health System. The significant improvement in patient satisfaction scores is another source of pride for Scheib. “When I came, HUP was the place to go if you were really sick but it was not known for warmth and compassion,” he said. Times have changed. “Everything we’ve done over the years has made us more patient and family focused. I routinely get calls from CEOs of other hospitals who want to see Penn doctors. And we receive transfers in from every hospital in the region. This is validation of our world-class team.” “Garry arrived at HUP to take the reins at a very dark financial time, but he kept us together as we turned things around, ” said Jim Mullen, MD, interim chair of Medicine. “Start low and finish high … the secret of success!” When Scheib leaves HUP on his last day as its CEO, the first thing he said he’ll do is “turn off my cell phone. For well over a quarter century, I have had the 24/7 responsibility." This included not only planning for emergencies but also weathering Mother Nature. "I now hate snow storms!” he joked. He saw his time on the Board of Trustees for Pennsylvania Hospital — the same board that Benjamin Franklin sat on 250-plus years ago — as “an honor and humbling. And yet it’s the same cycle that’s repeated by those entrusted with this task,” he said. “My time of caretaking is up but I’m very confident that we have great people who will successfully continue the journey of the hospital and the Health System.”
`` Penn Medicine Volunteers at the First Haitian Church
HOLIDAY `` Communications staff at MANNA.
THANK YOUS
Our many outreach efforts throughout the holiday season helped to brighten the lives of hundreds of people in our communities. Below are a `` Lisa Kidd (l.) and Roseann Day at South Philadelphia HOMES.
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr: A Day of Reflection and Outreach MLK Day was a time of reflection and a day of outreach for members throughout the Penn Medicine community. At HUP’s annual MLK celebration, keynote speaker Valerie Dorsey Allen, DSW, director of the University’s African-American Resource Center, spoke about the importance of resistance, resilience, and hope when trying to effect change. “The voice of dissent is America’s hope,” she said, and quoting King, added, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Resilience is “the ability to work for change — sometimes one step forward and two back — but we keep on coming back to try.” Hope is “the refusal to give up. Hope is not blind optimism, ignoring the enormity of the task at hand. It is knowing that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, to work for it, and to fight for it.” Outreach efforts by Penn Medicine staff included a morning at MANNA by members of the Communications staff, who assembled more than 1,200 breakfast sandwiches. The nonprofit delivers three nutritionally balanced meals a day to people battling critical illnesses and to their families. Johanne Louis, RN, MSN, nurse practitioner in Geriatric Medicine, worked with other Penn Medicine volunteers to clear the side entrances of the First Haitian Church, allowing wheelchair accessibility so members with physical disabilities and older members with ambulatory dysfunction can attend worship services and other events offered at church. Perelman School of Medicine student Roseann Day and Lisa Kidd of the Penn Center for Community Health helped clean up the offices of South Philadelphia HOMES (Housing Opportunities Means Everybody Shares), Inc., a nonprofit that serves the social, economic, and educational needs of those who live and work in the South Philadelphia/Point Breeze community. Community Health workers also assisted community members of the Overbrook Educational Center to assemble toiletry bags and write letters of encouragement for women and children in a local shelter.
sampling of their thank yous:
I am very grateful for your time and love that you are showing us this year. I have struggled for many, many years inside and out so somebody taking the chance to even think about me … is very appreciated in my heart. I want to thank you for the gifts [we] received. I am very grateful for your generosity and kindness during this difficult time. I have not been this happy in a long time. Thanks for caring about me and my kids. After losing my mother a year and a half ago, it just has not been Christmas for us [but] you made Christmas happy for [us] . You made us believe in the holiday.
Markus Carter, BSN, RN, of Medical Dermatology, worked with people from many community organizations to spruce up the Francis Myers Recreation Center. “It was an awesome day,” he said. “Everyone there had a very positive spirit.” Fox 29 was on hand to catch him in action! (www.fox29.com/news/229376235-story).
Here’s What You Need to Know… Penn Medicine is in the process of consolidating its outpatient, inpatient and home care records into a single electronic health record in conjunction with integrated billing and support systems. The result will be PennChart — a single patient record to support coordinated patient care across the Health System. PennChart will allow Penn Medicine to further provide coherent and comprehensive patient care while delivering a consistent and outstanding experience to our patients. HUP Go-live is March 4, 2017! Education and support will be widely available to ensure your readiness, prior to go-live and for four weeks following implementation. For more information, go to http://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn.edu/is/pennchart. In addition to educational support, representatives will be available on the Ravdin Mezzanine on Wednesday through Friday, March 1 to 3, from 10 am to 1 pm to answer any questions. A Command Center will be open around-the-clock at 1500 Market with help just a phone call away. When you call 267.758.4222, analysts and service desk staff will assist you or dispatch a Superuser to your location. The HUP PennChart Command Center will be located on Ravdin 2.
what's up at HUP? What’s your favorite thing about winter? Jessica Kessopha of Pharmacy I like cold weather. I like the holiday time. Dante White of Patient Transport I do like the snow… but not the ice. Amanda Ward of Founders 12 I love ice hockey. Flyers games and ice hockey in general — on TV or at the game. Daniel Pitchford of Pharmacy Best thing about winter is spring. I grew up south of Buffalo so I’m done with winter! As soon as snow and winter are over, I’m happy. Back to t-shirts, shorts and flip flops.
HEARTFELT THANKS My husband had a lung transplant at HUP [in November]. I have never experienced such professionalism, structure, and kindness throughout this entire process, for both pre and post-transplant care. The physicians, Dr. Kreider, Dr. Bermudez, Dr. Diamond, and Jackie Golato and the nurse practitioners: all part of the Penn Lung Transplant team are outstanding. Kristin VanHorn was there to answer all our questions and concerns throughout the evaluation process and her kindness was demonstrated on a daily basis. I have to speak out for all the wonderful nurses that took care of my husband in the ICU and on Silverstein 10, [especially] Susan Cristiano, BSN, RN. She was outstanding, attentive, kind, supportive and a wonderful teacher.….The woman in Housekeeping on Silverstein was wonderful and a sweetheart. Also Denise in Dietary was a sweetheart. The road leading up to [my husband’s] transplant was stressful and emotional and the doctors and staff walked us through it. I thank GOD for all of them.
HUPDATE EDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Trissy Laurito Graphic Designer
ADMINISTRATION
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Holly Auer Corporate Director of Communications CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104 phone: 215.662.4488 fax: 215.349.8312 email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu HUPdate is published monthly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.