December, 2019/January, 2020 Working@Duke

BEYOND THE BEAT 8

BRING THE GYM TO YOU 11

RING IN THE HOLIDAYS 14

NE W S YOU CA N USE • D E C E M B E R 2019/ J A N U A R Y 2020

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Career Tips for 2020

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Editor’s Note

CONTENTS

LEANORA MINAI

Taking Stock and Looking Ahead The end of a year is a valuable time to pause and reflect, and also to dream for the coming year.

This month’s edition of Working@Duke is full of resources and information to help in your quest.

On a personal note, as 2019 draws to a close, I’m taking stock of progress toward big goals and considering my areas of focus in 2020, which include doing great work at Duke, practicing self-care and completing my thesis for a master’s degree in Liberal Studies at Duke University.

One important goal I’m pondering is how to find greater balance between demands of graduate school, a full-time job and home life, while minimizing stress and anxiety. In 2020, I’m aiming for practices that result in more sleep, plenty of water each day, more time for a challenging cardio regimen and less time on mobile devices.

Using a Duke affiliate discount, I will register in 2020 for the “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” course at Duke Integrative Medicine.

The 10-session evening offering includes an all-day silent retreat.

I am sure many of you are considering your career and personal aspirations for the new year, maybe even for the new decade. I invite you to read our feature story, “10 Career Tips for 2020,” which begins on page 4. We interviewed 10 staff and faculty about their learning journeys and professional goals.

If you’re looking for a healthy practice, we have other stories in this issue that can help.

On page 11, learn about Wellbeats for access to hundreds of virtual fitness classes. On page 12, Dr. Jonathan Bae reminds us of the importance of taking vacation time. And on page 14, find a way to pamper yourself with a Duke Integrative Medicine discount.

Thank you for reading Working@Duke in 2019. It’s been a rewarding year with a Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and positive results from readership surveys. In the October survey, when asked for what’s most beneficial about the publication, an employee wrote, “It makes Duke feel more like a connected community.”

We look forward to sharing your stories and building community next year. I love getting your story ideas and feedback, so please write to me any time at Leanora.Minai@Duke.edu or call me at 919-681-4533.

On behalf of the editorial team, best wishes in the New Year!

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4 10 Career Tips for 2020

Staff and faculty share how they’ve pursued professional development and offer ways to enhance a career in the coming year.

8 Beyond the Beat

For the 182 members of the Duke University Police Department, building community connections is key to serving it.

10 Protection Against the Unexpected

Safeguard your loved ones’ future with supplemental life insurance, which features reduced rates.

11 Bring the gym to you 12 The benefit of time off 13 Special delivery: Duke University Hospital’s pneumatic tube system

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Ring in the holidays with savings

Contact us Editor/Executive Director of Communications: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu

Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado (919) 684-2107 paul.figuerado@duke.edu

Jonathan Black Writer (919) 681-9965 jonathan.c.black@duke.edu

Stephen Schramm Senior Writer (919) 684-4639 stephen.schramm@duke.edu

Working@Duke is published every other month by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and story ideas. Send email to working@duke.edu or call (919) 681-4533.

Visit Working@Duke daily on Duke Today: working.duke.edu

Cover: Clockwise from top left: Anne Marie Adiletta, Amanda Frederick, Erin Hull, Anand Chowdhury, Fateria Johnson and Ron Evans pursue professional development to enhance their career. Illustrations by Chris Williams. Photos by Alex Boerner.

2017, 2014 Gold, 2019, 2015, 2013, Silver, 2016, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications and 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing

BRIEFLY Challenge yourself to get moving in 2020

Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.

Gather up some colleagues and get fit with the Get Moving Challenge, an annual fitness and wellness initiative organized by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program.

The 10-week challenge runs Jan. 6, 2020 to March 15, 2020. Staff, faculty and students can participate as individuals or in teams of five to 11 to compete for the most steps, exercise minutes and weight lost.

A new addition to the program in 2020 will ask participants to log sustainability activities such as biking to campus, taking stairs, conducting a walking meeting and enjoying a meatless meal.

In 2019, Duke employees and students collectively walked 1,067,340,575 steps, exercised 3,428,000 minutes and lost 1,476 pounds.

Nicole Kempton, special assistant to vice president of Alumni Affairs & Development, participated in the Get Moving Challenge with colleagues in 2019.

“The fact you’re competing against other teams certainly makes me try harder to walk and run more,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to foster unity within the department.”

Register at hr.duke.edu/getmoving.

The Duke community and public are invited to the annual Duke University Chapel service honoring the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at Duke in 1964.

Andrew Gillum, a politician who served as the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, from 2014 to 2018, will be the keynote speaker.

The event begins at 3 p.m. Jan. Andrew Gillum 19, 2020.

“As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, we really wanted a speaker who would be positive and inspirational at this moment, and someone who is working towards the common good,” said Kimberly Hewitt, vice president for Duke’s Office for Institutional Equity.

Free parking is available in the Bryan Center Parking Garage, and a live webcast of the commemoration will stream at chapel.duke.edu.

Get Duke’s MLK event schedule at mlk.duke.edu.

Your year-end benefits reminders As 2019 comes to an end, here are some helpful reminders about Duke benefits:  Payroll deductions for medical, dental and vision benefits in 2020 begin in December 2019.  Payroll deductions for 2020 health and dependent care reimbursement accounts begin in January 2020.  Staff and faculty enrolled in 2019 health or dependent care reimbursement accounts must submit reimbursement claims for expenses incurred Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019, by April 15, 2020.  Employees enrolled in the 2019 health care reimbursement account can carry over up to $500 of unused funds into their 2020 plan. After April 15, 2020, any unused money over $500 remaining from a 2019 health care reimbursement account will be forfeited.  Employees can opt out of receiving print W-2 forms by logging into Duke@Work and choosing to receive the form electronically.  Duke will mail a 1095-C form to employee home addresses.

Employees must use the 1095-C form when filing income tax returns. The form, mandated by the Affordable Care Act, provides information about health insurance coverage.  You will receive a new pharmacy ID card if you changed health plans.

Please call the Human Resources Information Center at 919-684-5600 with questions.

Plan your professional training in advance The new slate of management, development and training offerings from Learning & Organization Development (L&OD) will be available in a full year view instead of the previous system of seeing courses in sixmonth increments.

“We’re trying to give people more of an overall view and more time to plan their designated journey,” said Keisha Williams, assistant vice president for Learning & Organization Development, a unit in Duke Human Resources.

The 2020 catalog will be available online and mailed in December.

The catalog features information on 38 professional development courses and 22 technology courses.

“I think this will help because you can plan things out better,” said Roxanne Clark, a medical laboratory scientist for Transfusion Services at Duke University Hospital. She took part in the Training Excellence Certificate program last fall. “You’ll have the whole year laid out so you know when classes are coming.”

See page 4 in this issue for “10 Career Tips for 2020.”

Find course offerings at hr.duke.edu/training.

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Career Tips for 2020 ning ideas

lear Make the new year your best yet with these

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Mix It Up

Amanda Frederick visited much of Taiwan during a whirlwind work trip several years ago.

She visited 16 educational institutions, networked with dozens of university and government administrators and learned about the country’s culture as part of the Fulbright International Education Administrators Seminars Grant.

The Fulbright opportunity is among the ways Frederick keeps her Amanda Frederick skills and career fresh. She also enrolls in professional courses, attends conferences and presents on international education.

“These experiences build confidence,” said Frederick, assistant director for the Duke University Center for International & Global Studies. “They make you a better employee for your current role and future aspirations.”

Keisha Williams, assistant vice president of Duke’s Learning & Organization Development, agrees, saying developing hard and soft skills is essential in professional development. Hard skills are abilities such as technical skills; soft skills are attributes such as communication and time management.

“When you’re looking to hire someone, you want to know they have the knowledge of the field and the ability to build relationships,” Williams said.

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Write Your Own Development Plan

Shortly after starting as a data administration analyst for the Office of the University Registrar, Anna Kourouniotis wrote a professional development plan. She listed goals such as learning the business analytics software “Power BI” and checked off objectives as she achieved them. She keeps the plan as a memento from her start at Duke several years ago.

SuccessFactors, a human resources management system, offers a development plan template with prompts for identifying long and short-term goals and activities to reach them.

Since creating her plan, Kourouniotis joined the Higher Education User Group, an international organization for schools that use Oracle software. She leads webinars on data solutions and social media practices for nearly 300 other Higher Education User Group members.

“I took the time to learn more about my profession,” Kourouniotis said.

Get a development plan template at hr.duke.edu/careerplan2020.

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3 Anand Chowdhury

Learn On the Go

Meet Anand Chowdhury. His 2005 Toyota Camry is a mobile classroom.

Chowdhury, a clinical informatics fellow for Duke University Health System, listens to a podcast or audiobook each day during his two-hour round-trip commute from Greensboro to Durham. His playlist includes the American Thoracic Society’s “Out of the Blue” for critical care news.

He uses OverDrive, provided for free by Duke University Libraries, for audiobooks.

According to LinkedIn’s latest “Workplace Learning Report,” learners are more social and mobile than ever.

“That uninterrupted time in the car gives me a moment to catch up on professional news and learn some valuable skills,” Chowdhury said.

Find out about Overdrive: duke.overdrive.com.

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Take a Class Online

Fateria Johnson pulls up LinkedIn Learning on her desk computer.

Among her favorite topics from the training library are “PowerPoint: Designing Better Slides” for ways to use white space and “Strategic Thinking” for problem solving.

Johnson, a medical records coder at Duke’s Patient Revenue Management Organization, has completed 30 courses on LinkedIn Learning. The platform, available to Duke employees at no charge, offers 13,000 courses covering business, technology and creative topics taught by industry experts in five languages.

Professional development continues to shift to online learning, according to LinkedIn’s “Workplace Learning Report,” which found that 74 percent of employees want to learn during spare time at work.

“Survey data shows that employees want self-directed learning opportunities accessible in the flow of work,” the 2019 report says.

Fateria Johnson “One way to accomplish that is through online learning, which enables employees to learn in the moment of need.”

In the new year, Johnson wants to become a certified professional medical auditor.

“I’ve seen previous jobs become obsolete because automated technology develops and replaces the human,” Johnson said. “I promised myself to keep learning to ensure I’m always ahead.”

Employees also have free access to Coursera, an online platform with 72 courses.

Access LinkedIn Learning and Coursera at bit.ly/DukeOnlineLearning.

>> continued on page 6

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Join a Professional Group

Lisa Keister, professor of sociology and public policy, chairs the provost’s committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure, serves on the University Priorities committee and is a member of the Executive Committee of Duke’s Academic Council.

In these positions, an understanding of administrative processes at Duke and peer universities is helpful.

Keister deepened her understanding of higher education administration after Provost Sally Kornbluth and Valerie Ashby, Dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, sponsored her participation in HERS – Higher Education Resource Services, a leadership development and research institute for women in higher education.

Keister spent two weeks with the HERS leadership development program learning and networking with peers. She said that her time at HERS left her with a better understanding of how Duke and similar universities function.

“The university leadership supported my interests,” she said. “I came away with a greater understanding of higher ed leadership.”

6 Erin Hull

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Take an Undergrad Class

Erin Hull, a videographer for Duke University Health System, wanted to create medical animations for videos for patients about complicated health conditions.

She used Duke’s “Special Employee Tuition Rate Program” to audit “3D Modeling and Animation” at Duke. Through the program, employees can take most Duke undergraduate courses starting at $975 or audit them for $100.

With lessons from “3D Modeling and Animation,” Hull made simulations for a video on hernias of the diaphragm.

“There’s a lot of talented people at Duke,” Hull said. “I want to discover what others are doing for inspiration and new ideas.”

Get more info: learnmore.duke.edu.

Get Certified

In her role at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Tammy Day monitors clinical trials by communicating with companies and visiting research sites across the country.

“I deal in customer service every day,” said Day, senior clinical research associate. “It requires me to hone my soft skills.”

Most talent development professionals say soft skills such as creativity, collaboration, persuasion and time management are increasingly important because they can’t be automated.

Day sharpened these skills by earning a certificate in Customer Service Excellence from Duke’s Learning & Organization Development, a unit in Duke Human Resources. The program offers certificates in seven disciplines, including Training, Customer Service, Leadership and others.

“One of my mottos is ‘you are never too old to learn,’” said Day, 56, who has worked at Duke for 34 years.

Find out about certificates at hr.duke.edu/training.

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Find professional development opportunities at hr.duke.edu/learning

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Be a Boss at Leadership

Active listening – the technique of fully concentrating, reflecting, clarifying, summarizing, sharing and withholding judgment – is a skill Ron Evans, major for Duke University Police Department, learned in the Duke Leadership Academy.

The academy is a year-long Duke Human Resources program in which participants analyze work and personality styles. They also collaborate on projects offering solutions to real-world concepts.

Bill Wright-Swadel, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Executive Director for the Duke Career Center, said collaborative learning provides exposure to experiences and personalities.

“As the workforce becomes more diverse, gaining experience communicating with people from different backgrounds is key to professional development,” he said.

One of Evans’ professional goals for 2020 is to create a program that spotlights colleagues who work behind the scenes in the Duke University Police Department.

“The leadership academy taught me to consider every relationship I have at work,” Evans said.

More on the Duke Leadership Academy: hr.duke.edu/leadership.

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Ron Evans

Align Your Passions

Shortly after starting as a project manager at Duke Health Technology Solutions, Barry Grauel took the “CliftonStrengths” assessment through Duke’s Learning & Organization Development.

Some of his strengths involve learning, analytical thinking and relationship building.

Using that information, Grauel is pursuing training in “Design Thinking,” a method of problem solving that uses empathy and observation to teach new technologies at Duke University Health System.

“I’ve always been a curious person. I love learning about people and solving complicated puzzles,” Grauel said. “The more interested you are in it, the more likely you’ll leverage what is learned.”

10 Anne Marie Adiletta

By Jonathan Black Illustrations by Chris Williams Photography by Alex Boerner

Go Back to School

Anne Marie Adiletta was ready to rest after earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing Administration and three certifications. But after joining Duke in 2017, she returned to school for an advanced degree.

“I am a lifelong learner, and I want to use education to make a positive impact on nursing that lives on beyond me” said Adiletta, clinical manager for Duke Homecare and Hospice.

Adiletta is enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and uses the Duke Employee Tuition Assistance Program toward tuition. The program provides up to $5,250 per year for eligible classes, including degrees at Duke such as the master's degree in Liberal Studies.

“I want to be a better nurse, a better leader, a better person,” Adiletta said.

“You have to commit to lifelong learning to achieve all of those things.”

Learn more: hr.duke.edu/tuition.

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Beyond the Beat

Sgt. Whitney McKoy of the Duke University Police Department patrols campus on a recent afternoon.

For Duke University Police, building community is a key to serving it

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gt. Whitney McKoy drove along Campus Drive, paying close attention to voices crackling over the police radio.

On this day, McKoy is mobile in her police vehicle to respond to calls for service, but she has other valuable work to do far from the car’s front seat. Several times a day, McKoy walks campus, checking buildings for propped doors and chatting with students and employees.

“Nobody wants to walk up to a police car,” McKoy said.

“If you get out and they see you, they may say ‘Oh, I have a question.’ ” For McKoy and the roughly 182 other members of the Duke University Police Department, relationship-building is an essential part of keeping the Duke community safe.

“We are guardians of a community of world class education, research and health care,” said John Dailey, police chief at Duke.

“We try to prevent violence, reduce fear and build relationships.

That’s what this is all about.”

Building Relationships With earbuds in and eyes on smartphones, students waiting for morning buses on East Campus rarely acknowledge the outside world, often looking up only when the C1 East-West bus rumbles into view.

But on a recent Tuesday, the arrival of a pair of unmarked Duke Police Department vehicles aroused curiosity. When 8

WORKING@DUKE

Kelly George, center, and Eric Hester, right, hand out coffee and donuts to students on East Campus.

members of the department emerged carrying cartons of coffee and boxes of warm mini-donuts, interest increased.

Each student who cycled through the bus stop was greeted with the same question: “Would you like some coffee and donuts?” asked Daryl Mount, community services officer.

The pop-up coffee stand likely wasn’t the first time students encountered Mount and colleagues Eric Hester and Kelly George. They’re the team that handles most of the department’s crime prevention and outreach efforts.

With community cookouts, roving safety presentations at schools, departments and units, and sessions for engraving valuables, Duke officers are a presence throughout the year.

“We are a community-based police department,” Mount said. “We want to make sure everyone has as safe an environment as possible while they’re at Duke.”

Duke University Police Officer Aaron Pruka, right, works with Duke Citizens Police Academy participants Jill Roncoroni, left, and Janeli McNeal.

Since it began in 2013, the Citizens Police Academy has been a successful method for uniting Duke Police with the community. Over a span of seven weeks, employees – who apply for the academy – spend evenings learning how police do their job. And there’s excitement to go along with the education as participants experience hands-on activities such as untangling simulated crime scenes.

All told, 241 Duke employees have graduated from the Citizens Police Academy, the next session of which begins in February. Academies are also available for students and for employees who’ve completed the first academy.

Prepared to Help After one year as a Duke security officer in Duke University Hospital, Aaron Pruka had five months of police academy training before transitioning to officer in the department’s Patrol Division.

Since he graduated from the police academy in 2014, Pruka’s education hasn’t stopped.

Like all police department members, he takes courses to sharpen his equipment skills and stays up to date with changes to policies and procedures. In addition, he participates in sessions focusing on emotional intelligence, implicit bias and a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training that partners with local mental health providers on the best ways to help people in distress.

Without being able to relate to people, Pruka explains, most of the other skills won’t amount to much.

“It’s very important,” said Pruka, who previously worked as a probation officer in his home state of Minnesota. “We’re all people. We’re all human. So, for me, it is important to look inward and think about how I handle things in order to keep everyone safe.”

This approach is put into action when officers assist someone in distress on or near campus. During moments like these, the human touch Pruka and his colleagues work hard to strengthen, looms large.

“When somebody’s in crisis, it may seem like there’s no reasoning with them,” Pruka said. “You just try to talk with them and see what’s going on and how you can help.”

Part of the Community With help from a loudspeaker, Janeli McNeal’s voice cut through the din of idling car engines on a quiet evening in a campus parking lot.

“Driver, show me your hands!” shouted McNeal as she looked out beneath the pulsing blue lights of a police cruiser.

McNeal, a social worker with the Duke Dementia Family Support Program, was among 16 members of this fall’s Duke Citizens Police Academy class. She was navigating a simulated high-risk vehicle stop as part of the class.

Cortney Hatchell, left, takes part in an exercise during the Duke Citizens Police Academy as Duke University Police Officer Aaron Pruka watches.

“The work police officers must do is already complex,” said Dailey, the police chief. “Officers must be able to effectively interact with people who range from happy to hostile, from cooperative to aggressive. Couple that with the complexity of the Duke community – a concentration of students, employees, visitors and patients. It takes a unique skill set to effectively connect within the different situations.”

While participants get an inside look at police work, Duke police officers widen their network of community connections.

“I think it’s really valuable to have those relationships with the police,” McNeal said. “You want to have that sense of community, build that rapport and have trust. They’re going to have empathy, and they’re here to support us.” 

By Stephen Schramm • Photos by Chris Hildreth

Did You Know?

There are 182 employees at the Duke University Police Department, which includes uniformed police and security officers, as well as civilian staff.

About 50 percent are individuals of color, and about 30 percent are women.

To learn more about the Duke University Police Department, visit police.duke.edu

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Protection Against the Unexpected

Safeguard your loved ones’ future with supplemental life insurance

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s an information security analyst for Duke Health Technology Solutions, John Campbell protects himself and colleagues from risks like malware, phishing attempts and digital viruses.

He has the same take-charge mindset when it comes to caring for his wife Sally of 37 years. To ensure Sally will be taken care of in the event of his death, Campbell enrolled in Duke’s supplemental life insurance when he started working at Duke in 2018.

“I regard supplemental life insurance as a risk management tool,” he said.

“Tomorrow isn’t a promise. As much as I’m able, I want to make sure my wife is protected if something were to happen to me.”

As part of its voluntary benefits, Duke offers employee-paid supplemental life insurance for staff and faculty who want to purchase insurance for themselves and eligible family members.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, Duke will partner with a new carrier, Lincoln Life Assurance Company of Boston, for supplemental life insurance coverage. The rate will decrease by about 13 percent for non-smokers. Currently enrolled employees who move into a new five-year age band may still see a rate increase, but it will be less than the previous rate for that age bracket. Employees who have not enrolled in supplemental life insurance can sign up any time, but they will have to answer health questions. If you are already enrolled, no action is needed.

You can select coverage of one-to-eight times your annual pay up to $2.5 million. Premiums are automatically adjusted each year to reflect changes in age and changes in base salary.

Coverage increases as annual pay increases. For example, for a $150,000 insurance policy, a 40-year-old full-time employee who does not smoke and earns $50,000, would pay $5.97 per month for coverage under the new rates.

“Life insurance helps care for your loved ones if something unfortunate were to happen to you,” said Saundra Daniels, voluntary benefits plan manager for Duke Human Resources.

“Your family will still have bills to pay. They have a mortgage, car payments and perhaps college expenses. You want to make sure your loved ones have some financial security.”

Amy Hughes, administrative specialist for Duke University Health System, has purchased supplemental life insurance since the late 1990s. She enrolled to provide financial security for her son and daughter in the event of her death.

“My mother always told me to have supplemental life insurance,” Hughes said. “It’s a motherly instinct kicking in.

Top photo: John Campbell, right, with wife, Sally. Bottom photo: Amy Hughes, far right, with her I want to make sure my children are taken care of.”  family. Photos courtesy of John Campbell and Amy Hughes.

By Jonathan Black

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Get all of the plan details at hr.duke.edu/supplemental

Bring the Gym to You Get access to hundreds of virtual fitness classes for $5 per month

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hristie McCray spent a beautiful September afternoon hunkered down in her office working on budget and curriculum reviews for the Master of Biomedical Sciences program.

Not wanting to interrupt a productive flow for too long, she took a 3-minute stretch break – virtually. She pulled up a “Neck Stretch” class on “Wellbeats,” an on-demand fitness provider, and got relief in seconds.

“My job is sedentary, so I look for ways to be active during the day,” said McCray, program operations manager in the Master of Biomedical Sciences program in the School of Medicine. “I like that Wellbeats offers very simple stretches and activities I can do anywhere.”

For $5 per month, Duke staff and faculty have unlimited access to Wellbeats nearly 400 online classes that range in duration from one to 50 minutes. Classes are divided into 28 channels, including circuit and strength training, office breaks, yoga, Pilates and more. There’s also children’s programming.

After enrolling at hr.duke.edu/ wellbeats, staff from LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, will be in touch to set up the account and payments. To join, members pay one month in advance and fulfill a threemonth commitment before going month-to-month.

Katie MacEachern, fitness program manager for LIVE FOR LIFE, said Wellbeats is a convenient option for people who need to find time for fitness or want a customized workout option.

Many class videos provide varied skill levels, and the website also offers workout plans for new exercisers and people who want to increase cardio capacity and overall fitness and core strength.

“There’s something for any time of day, exercise goal or level of fitness,” MacEachern said.

McCray, the program operations manager, enrolled in Wellbeats before going on a Mediterranean cruise over the summer. She visits Planet Fitness three times a week to lift weights and walk on a treadmill, but she wants options for days when she can’t make it to the gym.

Before leaving for work in the morning, McCray takes a Wellbeats yoga class and participates in daily stretch Christie McCray uses Wellbeats breaks. She credits the offering for helping her to stretch in her office. Photo by Jonathan Black. lose 15 pounds since early 2019.

“I feel a difference after using Wellbeats,” McCray said. “My body and mind are more alert after a Wellbeats video. I feel more present.” 

Enroll in Wellbeats at hr.duke.edu/wellbeats

By Jonathan Black

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The Benefit of Time Off Taking vacation time is a key step toward well-being Sasha Calden captured this view of the London Eye during a trip through Europe.

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eigh Howard, a nurse practitioner in medical oncology at Duke Cancer Center, helps patients facing serious illness power through difficult treatments that can save their lives.

Away from work, she makes it a point to turn that healing energy on herself.

“Cancer patients need a lot of moral and physical support,” said Howard, who has worked at Duke since 2000. “And if you’re burned out, how can you give that to them?”

For Howard, few things help her recharge like the view of the Virginia foothills from the back of her horse, Romeo. An avid rider, she often uses time away from work to travel with her husband and horses to their favorite riding spot near Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest.

“It’s my therapy,” Howard said. “It’s my time to reflect and to be with my husband doing something that we love doing together.”

Duke provides paid time off to all eligible employees with accrual rates and maximum accrual amounts varying according to job and length of service.

Taking time to recharge is a factor in mental and emotional well-being, a core area of the Healthy Duke initiative.

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However, a recent study by the U.S. Travel Association, Oxford Economics and Ipsos estimates that U.S. workers left 768 million vacation days unused in 2018, up 9 percent from the previous year.

“People are actually more effective when they’re rested and able to take time away,” said Jonathan Bae, a co-convener the Mental and Emotional Well-Being area of Healthy Duke and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Patient Safety and Clinical Quality. “It’s about giving yourself some space to recover the mental bandwidth and energy that you expend while doing that work.”

Bae said that using time off for multi-day vacations or short single-day activities improves well-being, productivity and fosters creativity. Time off gives you Leigh Howard provided this image to showcase the peace she finds while riding on her horse something to look forward to or creates pleasurable memories that carry you through stressful times.

“When you have those moments ahead of you, those things you’re looking toward, that’s good for emotional resilience,” Bae said. “Then you’re not just working without a purpose, you have these moments where you can say ‘Oh, I know a break is coming.’”

Sasha Calden, senior IT manager for Duke Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, spent vacation time this past summer touring Europe with her collegeaged daughter – a trip she began planning in January. In addition to nurturing their connection, the trip through France, Germany and England gave Calden a valuable opportunity to clear her mind.

“Taking vacation is not something you should feel guilty about,” Calden said.

“It’s important that we do these things.” 

By Stephen Schramm

Learn more about Duke’s benefits at hr.duke.edu/benefits

In this undated photo, a staff member of Duke University Hospital uses an early version of the pneumatic tube system. Photo courtesy of Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives.

Special Delivery F

Duke University Hospital’s pneumatic tube system serves a crucial purpose

prescriptions through the tube system. or visitors to Duke University Dating to the 19th century, the Hospital’s main pharmacy, the technology behind pneumatic tubes, irregular rhythm of chirps, thuds and which use pressurized air to shoot whooshes from the pneumatic tube capsules through pipes, is nothing new. system is background noise.

Blueprints of Duke University Hospital But for Clinical Pharmacist Stephanie from 1929 are laced with tubes. Duke Chang and her colleagues, it’s the sound Regional Hospital also uses a pneumatic of patients getting what they need. And tube system, and for a few decades in on this day, with Chang feeding a steady the middle of the 20th century, Duke stream of clear, plastic canisters into the University used a pneumatic tube system station where tubes accept and deliver in what is now Perkins Library. But with cargo, there’s plenty of need to be met. nearly 10 miles of pipes, Duke University “We have a lot of new orders,” Chang Hospital’s version is exceptionally large. said as she double-checks labels on Electrical Foreman Bill Cole has prescriptions she’s packing.

Clinical Pharmacist Stephanie Chang drops medicine worked with Duke Hospital’s system for After punching numbers into the into Duke University Hospital’s pneumatic tube system. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

32 years and has seen it undergo several station’s control panel and inserting a overhauls, including the early-2000s plastic canister into a round opening, the refresh that added express lanes – which machine propels the canister of medicine to one of the system’s can carry as many as six tubes at a time – between major points other 138 stations with a burst of compressed air. in the hospital.

With nearly 1,000 inpatient beds and flow of outpatient “It’s like how you have neighborhood roads and then you’ve visits, life at Duke University Hospital never slows down, and got interstates,” Cole said. “The express routes are like the the need to move things quickly around the hospital campus interstates.” is great. Since the hospital opened in 1930, pneumatic tubes Cole’s team is sometimes called in to unblock lanes and have served that need, zipping medicine, documents and other handle tricky repairs in a tangle of pipes tucked between floors. important items through a largely unseen web of metal pipes.

“It’s about patient care,” Cole said of the importance “The tube system is our lifeline,” said Matt Kelm, associate of maintaining the system. “People send everything from chief pharmacy officer for Inpatient Pharmacy Services at Duke paperwork to lab samples, and they’re counting on all of it University Hospital. getting there.”  Kelm estimated that on a regular day, the hospital’s two main inpatient pharmacies combine to transport around 4,000

By Stephen Schramm working.duke.edu

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PERQS EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS

Ring in the Holidays with Savings Forgo Baking, Buy a Cake

The North Carolina Symphony performs on New Year’s Eve. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Symphony.

F

or the holidays, Katrina Greely sends friends and family in Indiana a bouquet called “Contemporary Expressions” made by From You Flowers. The bouquet contains purple blazing stars, orange roses and yellow tulips in a modern square vase.

“Not only do the colors lift your spirits, but so does the smell,” said Greely, new patient coordinator for Duke’s Thoracic Surgery Division. “Everyone loves flowers.”

This holiday, receive 25 percent off items by From You Flowers, including gift baskets, chocolates, cakes and flower bouquets. Get the discount at fromyouflowers.com/duke.

As the winter holidays approach, here are other gift options, whether you’re searching for a present – or want to pamper yourself.

New Year’s Eve Concert Step back into the Roaring ‘20s with the North Carolina Symphony.

The symphony will put on a Dec. 31 performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and jazzy Big Band classics to ring in 2020.

Discount tickets for Duke employees are $51 ($24 off ) for the show at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh.

Visit ncsymphony.org/duke to secure your New Year’s Eve plans.

Surprise your colleagues or family members with a delicacy from “Nothing Bundt Cakes.”

Receive a 10 percent discount on any order at the Durham store, 1125 W. NC Highway 54, Suite 501 in Durham.

A valid DukeCard ID is required.

The store sells personalsized treats, as well as tiered Bundt cake creations that serve 26 people. Choose from flavors like white chocolate raspberry, lemon, carrot, chocolate/chocolate chip and more.

See some cakes at nothingbundtcakes.com.

Pamper Yourself Duke Integrative Medicine offers a 15 percent discount on acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga therapy and other programs.

“Our services help uncover clients’ strengths and positive attributes,” said Lori Knutson, associate vice Photo courtesy of Duke president for Duke Health and Integrative Medicine.

Well-Being. “Our programs act as a catalyst to facilitate clients’ natural and innate potential for growth, health and happiness.”

Check out the offerings at dukeintegrativemedicine.org. 

By Jonathan Black

Get a Discount 14

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Photo courtesy of Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Visit hr.duke.edu/discounts for a full list of savings. Your NetID and password may be needed to access deals.

SUSTAINABLE DUKE YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN NEWS AT DUKE

Get Money for Your Sustainability Dreams

E

Duke’s ‘Green Grant Fund’ leaves an enduring legacy

very two weeks during the spring and fall, Orin Starn swings by Sarah P. Duke Gardens for a small dose of the coast.

As part of Duke’s Mobile Farmers Market, Walking Fish, a consumer-supported fishery, connects the community with sustainably-sourced North Carolina seafood.

A longtime subscriber, Starn said that while the shrimp, fish and oysters are wonderful, he loves where his money goes.

“I like the idea of supporting sustainable fishing on the coast,” said Starn, professor of Cultural Anthropology. “North Carolina has such a rich array of fish and shellfish, it’s really a state treasure that needs to be protected.”

In addition to being a boost for sustainable fisheries, Walking Fish is part of a growing legacy of Duke’s Green Grant Fund, which provided Walking Fish start-up funding a decade ago.

The Green Grant Fund, which began in 2005, divvies up $50,000 each year to select campus sustainability initiatives conceived by Duke students, staff and faculty. Submissions are vetted by Sustainable Duke staff, and funding shares are determined based on viability, visibility and potential to create lasting change.

“A lot of the sustainability efforts at Duke started through grassroots initiatives,” said Tavey Capps, director of Sustainable Duke. “This was a way to provide some seed funding to jumpstart projects so they can go to the next level.”

The legacy of many projects can be found across campus.

Since the fund’s beginnings, about 310 projects have been funded.

For example, the Green Grant Fund paid for bottle refilling stations in Sanford Building and Rubenstein Hall. And small grants helped fund stickers and posters touting the importance of making green choices such as turning off lights.

Walking Fish is another Green Grant success story.

Walking Fish, a consumer-supported fishery, brings fresh fish and shellfish from the North Carolina coast to community members such as Duke Professor Orin Starn, at right. Photos courtesy of Walking Fish and by Stephen Schramm.

In 2009, Joshua Stoll, a student in the Nicholas School of the Environment’s Masters of Environmental Management program, was looking for ways to support sustainable seafood producers.

Stoll and a handful of students submitted a Green Grant application for a consumer-supported seafood operation similar to those often used by farmers.

“At that point, it was just an idea,” said Stoll, now assistant professor of Marine Policy at the University of Maine.

With $9,050 from the Green Grant Fund and partners at the coast, the DukeFish consumer-supported fishery was launched.

Stoll said 400 people signed up in the first few weeks. Around a year later, the project could stand on its own and changed its name to Walking Fish, starting a tradition of bringing sustainable seafood to the Triangle.

“That’s one of the things I love most about the Green Grant program,” Capps said. “Having things last over time shows that our efforts are making a larger impact.” 

By Stephen Schramm

he grant application process is a rolling one and may take up to 30 days to process.

Apply for a Green Grant TApply at sustainability.duke.edu/greengrant. working.duke.edu

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