DEVILS AT WORK 8
HOW TO MASTER MONDAYS 10
FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS 13
NEW S YOU C AN USE • F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 9
Out at Work
Editor’s Note
CONTENTS
LEANORA MINAI
Sharing Our Full Selves I want to thank August Burns for giving me the courage to share my wedding picture as part of this column. As I considered a topic for my note this month, I found myself resisting connecting this column to our cover story, “Out at Work.” Duke is a progressive place, and the institution, as you’ll learn when you read the story, has been at the forefront with inclusive benefits and policies. Still, it is challenging as an LGBTQ person to muster up the courage to express my full self in certain settings. Last year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released the results of a survey of employees across the U.S. It found that 46 percent of workers remain “closeted” at work. The report finds one challenge is “getting to know you” topics that come up among workers: children, dating and spouses, and social activities. Sharing about ourselves at work helps create connections, but according to the report, LGBTQ employees worry about being stereotyped, making people feel uncomfortable or losing relationships with colleagues. This is how I felt as I considered a topic for this column. I almost convinced myself to write about “How to Master Mondays,” another story in this issue. After all, I can relate to that, too. Like clockwork on Sundays, anxiety over my work to-do list creeps into those last moments of the weekend. But after seeing the photograph of August and her wife, Denise, which you’ll find on page 4, I decided to more broadly share my full self with the hope that more people feel comfortable coming out at work.
4
8
10
4 Out at Work Duke cultivates a climate of inclusion for its community of LGBTQ staff and
faculty through institution-wide policies, medical learning and supportive resources. This support is key, considering 46 percent of LGBTQ employees in the U.S. do not feel comfortable being out at work.
8 Blue Devils Among Us
A circle of employees who once represented Duke as student-athletes share a unique perspective about working at Duke.
10 How to Master Mondays
Marking the end of the weekend, Mondays can be daunting. But these tips around managing the start of a work week are a helpful step toward reducing anxiety.
12 Get the most from your pharmacy benefit 13 Free health screenings on campus 14 Hey Siri, find me a discount 15 Water recycling facility to be built at Duke 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 photo: Duke’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity celebrates National Coming Out Day on Bryan Center Plaza. Photo by Justin Cook. Heather and Leanora on their wedding day in New York City in 2014.
2
WORKING@DUKE WORKING@DUKE
2017, 2014 Gold, 2015, 2013, Silver, 2016, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications and 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing
BRIEFLY Spring into action with Duke Run/ Walk Club Enjoy warmer weather this spring with the Duke Run/Walk Club beginning March 11. The club meets weekly at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays on East and West campuses. Sessions are also scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Employees unable to make the sessions can participate by tracking workouts online. The free 12-week program, organized by LIVE FOR LIVE, Duke’s employee wellness program, is open to Duke employees at all fitness levels. Participants also have access to free strength and fitness classes. This spring will be Margaret Pendzich’s fourth year in the Run/Walk Club. Pendzich, who runs on West Campus with the club, loves meeting people from around the University and Health System. “The peer support is really nice,” said Pendzich, research program leader for the Duke Office of Clinical Research. “Everyone is encouraging you to do your best. I actually look forward to running now because of the club.” Register at hr.duke.edu/runwalk.
Get free tax help Duke Law School volunteers are providing free state and federal tax income assistance to the Duke and Durham communities. Employees and members of the public with a household income of $60,000 or less can use full-service, drop-off and online self-assisted tax preparation, which ends April 10. Households with income under $66,000 can use an online facilitated self-assisted service. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are accepted if time permits. Appointments take place at the Duke Credit Union or the Duke Law School’s Blue Lounge. Participants must bring their tax documents. This is the 37th year the Duke Law VITA student organization has organized the service. Last year, VITA completed 451 tax returns and netted about $525,000 in federal and state refunds and roughly $130,000 in tax credits. “It’s easy to be intimidated by your taxes,” said Kim Burrucker, director of public interest and pro bono for the Duke Law School. “VITA is greatly helping the Duke and Durham communities by offering this service for free.” Services are also available for foreign students or scholars affiliated with Duke University. Make an appointment at sites.duke.edu/dukelawvita.
Run through Duke Forest Registration is open for the 10th Pine Cone Pacer 5K Run/Walk. The annual event, scheduled for April 13, winds through Duke Forest and is open to walkers and serious competitors who want to enjoy Duke’s living laboratory. Community members who sign up before April 1 pay $25 and are guaranteed a T-shirt. Race-day registration is $35. The Pine Cone Pacer is the biggest fund-raiser for the Duke Forest Improvement Fund. The fund helps expand environmental education programs, maintain trails, improve protection of natural areas and pays for projects not covered by the forest’s annual operating budget.
Sean Rowe participated in the race for the first time last year. He walked the 3.1 miles with a coworker. “Most races I’ve done are through city streets or neighborhoods,” said Rowe, public relations specialist for the Nicholas School of the Environment. “To actually race through Duke Forest is spectacular. The location is gorgeous.” The celebration continues after the run with live music and a food truck greeting racers across the finish line. Register at dukeforest.duke.edu/pcp.
Learn IT @ Lunch workshops focus on in-demand topics Last fall, Christine Vucinich, IT education & training practitioner for Duke’s Office of Information Technology, kept her eyes open for new and interesting subjects for the Learn IT @ Lunch workshops. From suggestions from people who had attended earlier workshops to the questions her OIT colleagues fielded often, she found plenty of good ideas, many of which are reflected in the topics of the six events scheduled this spring. “I talked to a lot of people, and they helped get some of these ideas on the calendar,” said Vucinich, who organizes the events. “This spring’s sessions have really been shaped by the feedback we got.” Among topics covered in the free hour-long workshops: how to get the most out of the survey tool Qualtrics; how to use Google Analytics; how to protect yourself from identity theft and how wearable devices can make you healthier. There’s also going to be a session highlighting tips crowdsourced from the Duke community. The sessions are at noon on the first and third Wednesdays in February, March and April. For a list of workshops, visit sites.duke.edu/training/learn-it-lunch.
Citizens Police Academy returns Students, staff and faculty can experience firsthand what the Duke University Police Department does each day with the Citizens Police Academy. Duke Police holds academies for students and employees as well as an alumni edition for those who completed a session of the academy but want to experience more. “They taught us things that we need to know to protect ourselves and what they’re looking for when they do their job,” said Paula Alford, program coordinator at the Duke University School of Medicine’s Office of Curricular Affairs and an academy alum. “I just came out with so much more respect for what they do.” The eight-session Citizens Police Academy starts February 27. The six-session Alumni Citizens Police Academy starts March 5. The foursession Student Citizens Police Academy starts February 23. All three editions have a graduation ceremony on April 19. “These grow the relationship between the police department and the people we serve,” said Daryl Mount, Duke Police’s community services officer. To complete an application, visit police.duke.edu/outreach/academy. working.duke.edu
3
Out at Work
Cultivating a climate of inclusion for Duke’s LGBTQ workforce August Burns, right, business manager for Duke’s Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, married Denise Ingram in 2012 at their home in Pittsboro, N.C. Photo by Megan Mendenhall and Kim Walker.
A
photograph of a white paddleboard greeted August Burns when she walked up to her office door after returning from her wedding and Montreal honeymoon in 2012. A message read, “Congratulations! This will be showing up at your door. Love, your Duke family.” Graduate students and colleagues in the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics purchased the paddleboard as a wedding present for Burns and her wife, Denise, who love paddling with students and coworkers on the Haw River and Jordan Lake. “I was so overwhelmed by the gift I had to sit down,” said Burns, 47, business manager for the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics. “The fact that the students and my coworkers were so supportive of my marriage was indescribable. I will cherish that moment forever.” Duke’s health care benefits for same-sex partners were a driving factor for why Burns joined Duke in 2007, after working at two other organizations. “Duke was the first employer I felt comfortable sharing with that I was gay,” she said.
4
WORKING@DUKE
From 1995 until gay marriage was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015, Duke provided same-sex partners of Duke employees with health care benefits, and continues to cultivate a climate of inclusion for its community of LGBTQ – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer – staff and faculty through institution-wide policies, medical learning and supportive resources. Forbes has ranked Duke among "Best Employers for Diversity" in 2019. A commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policies offers peace of mind and boosts confidence and morale, considering 46 percent of LGBTQ employees in the U.S. do not feel comfortable being out at work, according to a 2018 national study by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization. “We want all voices to be heard about diversity, inclusion and respect, and we want to send a message loud and clear that all voices should be heard,” said Cynthia Clinton, assistant vice president of Duke’s Office for Institutional Equity.
Supportive language and policies at Duke have evolved over time. In 1989, the Board of Trustees first added “sexual preference” to Duke’s nondiscrimination policy, which was later updated to “sexual orientation.” In 1992-93, under Brodie, the task force recommended that Duke add same-sex partner benefits, but it took a few more years to come to fruition, and in 1995, when Nan Keohane was president, Duke extended health care benefits to same-sex partners of employees, bringing Duke in the same company with about 30 other universities at the time.
Brittney Brown feels comfortable expressing herself in men’s attire. Photo by Justin Cook.
‘I walk with my head up’ As students and staff mingled in the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity’s fall open house, Brittney Brown, the center’s office coordinator, walked from group to group introducing herself with one question: “Are you a hugger?” Dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt, dark slacks and black suspenders, Brown, who is gay, is right at home at Duke, maintaining the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity’s schedule, budget and office supplies. “When I wear what I’m comfortable in, I walk with my head up and I’m friendlier,” said Brown, 30. “With me being able to express myself, I’m open and willing to do anything and everything that’s asked of me at work.” Brown, who joined Duke in 2009, feels especially secure because of Duke’s nondiscrimination policy, which was amended in 2007 to cover “gender identity” and again in 2016 to include “gender expression.” The changes were made following recommendations by the Duke University LGBT Task Force and engagement with a wide range of students, staff and faculty. Established in 1991 by former President H. Keith Brodie, the task force makes ongoing assessments of attitudes and conditions throughout the university regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community members and issues. “It’s one thing for Duke to say, ‘Our policy says you can’t discriminate,’” said Damon Seils, task force member and clinical research communication specialist for the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “It’s another thing for the university to organize a group to think through what policies mean in the real world with real people.”
Sara-Jane Raines, left, and Damon Seils, right, are long-time members of Duke’s LGBT Task Force. Photo by Justin Cook.
That change was a reason why Sara-Jane Raines, a Duke alumna and assistant chief of the Duke University Police Department, has stayed at Duke for 30 years. “I remember thinking, ‘This is going to be a good place to work,’” said Raines, co-chair of the LGBT Task Force. “That was a really important step Duke took to let its employees know this is a place that was going to accept them and their concerns.” In 2015, when same-sex marriage became legal, Duke updated its policies and plans so same-sex married couples had the same legal access to benefit coverage and tax filing status as married opposite-sex couples. August Burns, whose wife was on her health plan for five years, was among 82 employees using Duke’s same-sex benefit before her marriage was legally recognized following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. “It felt like Duke had our back by providing benefits to both of us before our marriage was legally recognized in North Carolina,” Burns said. “We could stand up tall against any challenges because of Duke’s support.” >> continued on page 6
working.duke.edu
5
Teaching has been a large part of Hall’s role. He is one of the authors of the current World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care and has presented to School of Medicine students and Duke Health staff on ways to best care for transgender patients. Duke will include transgender awareness in an upcoming discrimination and harassment compliance training video. In the video, a mock scene shows an employee overhearing two coworkers intentionally referring to a transgender person by the wrong gender pronouns. The scene illustrates that refusing to acknowledge someone’s gender identity is inappropriate and disrespectful. Blaine Paxton Hall, then associate professor for the Department of Community and Family Medicine, hugs a “To reject another person’s gender identity coworker after a presentation he gave last year on caring for transgender patients. Photo by Justin Cook. is to imply that you know more about that person than they know about themselves,” Hall said. “The fact is you don’t. Gender is at the core of one’s identity as a human being.” At the start of his presentation on gender medicine in Duke Family Medicine Center last fall, Blaine Paxton Hall took a moment to introduce himself. He told the dozen physician assistants and faculty members In between bites of tamales and grilled cheeses, several Duke about his credentials: author, physician assistant and adjunct employees sat in Divinity Café one afternoon discussing Duke’s associate professor for the Department of Community and libraries. Family Medicine at Duke. Ciara Healy, an associate librarian at Perkins Library, led “I also transitioned more than 30 years ago,” he said. the discussion while Kevin Wilson, benefits specialist for Duke Hall underwent female-to-male gender confirmation Human Resources, and Matt Bailey, a residence coordinator for surgeries in North Carolina in 1983, but he said he kept it a Central Campus, listened. secret for 20 years because he feared for his safety and his career. The three never would have met without WorkOUT, Duke’s “I had to live in deep, deep stealth,” said Hall, 66, who LGBTQ staff and faculty group. recently retired from Duke after 22 years of service. “LGBTQ people are all over Duke, so WorkOUT provides His experiences as a patient undergoing female-to-male a central place to connect them,” said Wilson, WorkOUT cogender confirmation surgeries and as a health care provider founder. “It’s important to have a space where you can relax and treating patients seeking hormone therapy led Hall to start be yourself. It’s comforting to be around people who identify Duke’s first adult gender medicine clinic in January 2018. It similarly to you and have shared experiences.” complements Duke’s Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic, WorkOUT, which meets for lunch once a month and hosts which opened in 2015. socials at Durham restaurants, is one of several resources at Duke The Adult Gender Medicine Clinic in Duke Health provides for the community and its allies. The Center for Sexual and gender-affirming hormone therapy to intersex patients and Gender Diversity runs “Duke P.R.I.D.E. Training,” “Trans 101” people with gender dysphoria, the distress a person feels when and “Asexuality 101” workshops year-round for all employees and their assigned gender does not match the gender with which students. And the School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity & they identify. Inclusion created the Duke Health OutList for openly LGBTQ According to a 2015 report by the National Center for and ally health care professionals. Transgender Equality, a nonprofit advancing the equality of the The workshops hosted by the Center for Sexual and Gender transgender community, nearly a quarter of transgender people Diversity cover topics such as language and identities and the in the prior year needed health care but did not seek it due to experiences and challenges transgender and asexual community fear of being disrespected or mistreated as a transgender person. members face. “From the point of view of the patient, I cannot tell you Sheeva Marvdashti, a physician assistant for Duke Cancer how important it is to them that they can say, ‘Oh, he really Center’s Breast Surgical Oncology team, attended a “P.R.I.D.E. understands because he’s been there. He went through it,’” Hall Training” workshop last year to learn how to better address her said. “I would have given anything to have known any doctor patients. who also had my experience.”
Teaching Through Experience
A Space to Connect
6
WORKING@DUKE
“I have a tendency to say ‘mister’ or ‘missus’ when addressing patients,” Marvdashti said. “Attending the workshop helped me understand that addressing someone that way means I’m assigning them a gender they may not identify with.” The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity also maintains OUTDuke, a list of faculty and staff whom community members can contact as an informal resource. Much like OUTDuke is a supportive resource, the School of Medicine’s OutList is intended to help Duke Health students with mentorship and research.
Sharon Hull, director of executive coaching for the School of Medicine, is among about 200 employees on the OutList. Hull, who is gay, joined to let students and employees know she is available to help. “There was a long period of my professional life when I was not out,” said Hull, 56, who joined Duke in 2013. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s become important to me that students can have a role model who is out at work.” Seeing more LGBTQ employees in leadership roles is something Andy Brantley hopes to see in the next five years. Brantley is president and CEO of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, which provides leadership on higher education workplace issues in the U.S. and abroad. He said higher education has a clear commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Where institutions falter is implementing that commitment across departments and as part of campus culture. “Duke is very much at the head of the curve for creating diverse and inclusive environments for staff and faculty,” Brantley said. He describes progress in the LGBTQ workforces as an ongoing journey. “It's a lifelong commitment to learning, and growing, and accepting others, and engaging others, and growing ourselves as leaders, as managers, as citizens overall,” Brantley said. “We’re all learning and growing together.”
Nicholas Antonicci, far right, director of Duke’s Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity, dances with friends and colleagues from WorkOUT, the LGBTQ staff and faculty group, during a holiday potluck. Photo by Justin Cook.
By Jonathan Black
LGBTQ+ Resources Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity & OUTDuke List studentaffairs.duke.edu/csgd DukeMed Pride sites.duke.edu/dukemedpride WorkOUT This is a Duke staff and faculty group. Contact Kevin Wilson [kevin.t.wilson@duke.edu] or Ciara Healy [ciara.healy@duke.edu] to join the private Facebook group or to get added to a mailing list.
working.duke.edu
7
Devils at Work Former student-athletes bring unique stories to Duke workforce From left to right: Georgia Beasley, Lauren Rice and Krista Gingrich were part of the first Duke women’s basketball team to reach an NCAA Tournament final.
O
ccasionally, a patient will recognize Georgia Beasley. While her white lab coat speaks to her current position at Duke, where she’s an assistant professor of surgery and a surgical oncologist, her height and calm confidence hint at the role she played here two decades ago. Back then, Beasley – then Georgia Schweitzer – was an All-American guard for the Duke women’s basketball program. Twice named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, she helped push Duke to the brink of a national title. “It’s an easy way to connect,” Beasley said of her hoops past. “Especially around here, where everybody loves basketball.” Beasley is part of a small circle of employees who once represented Duke as student-athletes. While the ways they contribute to Duke have changed, the time they spent as Blue Devils give them a unique perspective of where they now work. 8
WORKING@DUKE
Unwavering Support As coordinator of administrative operations for Duke Athletics, DeVon Edwards is learning things fast. From
organizing donor spreadsheets to arranging travel and setting up meetings, the former Duke Football All-American is getting a comprehensive look at how athletics departments operate. “No day is the same,” said Edwards, who was hired in May of 2018. The seed for Edwards’ athletics administration career was planted years earlier, when he interned in the athletics department. It took root last spring, when Edwards suffered his second knee injury in two years while training for a potential spot on a pro roster. After making the difficult choice to leave playing football in his past, Duke welcomed Edwards onto its staff. “I had to make this decision on my own, and I’m glad I did,” Edwards said. Troy Austin, senior associate director of athletics for internal affairs, works with Edwards on the third floor of the Schwartz-Butters Athletic Complex. Austin, a defensive lineman for Duke in the late 1990s, can appreciate the loyalty Duke showed Edwards. He’s experienced it himself. Years earlier, Austin’s decision to attend Duke delighted his mother, Joyce. A high school home economics teacher, she valued education and saw the possibility of a Duke degree as a prime selling point. Joyce never saw Austin play at Duke. During her son’s first fall in Durham, she died after a battle with breast cancer.
Troy Austin, left, and DeVon Edwards, right, have gone from leading Duke on the football field to supporting the Blue Devils through positions in athletics administration.
Austin recalls being overwhelmed by emotions after losing his mother and the stress of adjusting to new academic and athletic pressures. But he also remembers the support of his teammates and coaches never wavering. “They let me take a breath,” said Austin, who recently returned to Duke after 12 years as athletics director at Longwood University. “I struggled that first semester, but Duke and its people had patience with me and pushed me to get better. “For such a competitive environment, it amazes me how caring and supportive everybody is here.”
A Lifelong Passion When she arrived at Duke as an undergraduate in 1985, Leslie Marx, now the Robert A. Bandeen Professor of Economics at the Fuqua School of Business, hadn’t thought much about fencing. But after seeing a fencing demonstration by Duke coach Alex Beguinet – meant to attract first-year students to his fencing class – she was enchanted. “I like that you’re in a fight,” said Marx, who spent two years fencing for Duke. “It rewards strategic thinking, which I like. You’re trying to predict what your opponent is going to do, set up deceptions and feints, and try to anticipate their strategy.” While many student-athletes arrive at Duke with the passion for their sport already burning, Marx’s love of fencing didn’t blossom until she got here. And once she left, it carried her around the globe. Marx continued to train and compete while earning two graduate degrees at Northwestern and spending eight years on the faculty at the University of Rochester. In 2002, she joined the faculty at Fuqua, where she studies game theory and strategic interactions between firms. Along the way, she became one of the country’s top competitors in the epee, a fencing discipline that rewards strategy and patience. She won gold at the Pan-American Games in 1995 and represented the United States in the 1996 Olympic Games. She’s still deeply involved in the sport, serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Duke and winning her age group at the Veteran World Championships in 2017. “It’s the strategic thinking,” said Marx. “It’s fascinating to me whether it’s in business or if it’s in fencing.”
Timeless Bonds Whether meeting with Duke graduates or working with colleagues to plan reunions, Lauren Rice finds plenty to enjoy as Duke Law School’s regional director of development. But her unofficial role as social director for local Duke women’s basketball alums is every bit as fulfilling. “I have great colleagues in the working world, but in basketball, it’s different,” Rice said. College teammates travel, train and compete together, enduring exhilarating highs and crushing defeats. The bonds created by these experiences, Rice said, are unlike anything else. Get news, videos and tickets for Duke Athletics at goduke.com
Leslie Marx was a standout fencer at Duke. Now, as a member of the faculty of the Fuqua School of Business, she’s an expert on the strategic decisions made by companies.
When former teammates swing through Durham, Rice shoots texts to a network of former Blue Devils, hammering out details for how those connections can be revived. Included in those texts are former teammates Krista Gingrich and Georgia Beasley, who, like Rice, keep their ties to Duke strong. Gingrich, a graduate of Duke’s Physician Assistant Program, has been an orthopaedic physician assistant at Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital since 2010. Beasley, who attended Duke University School of Medicine after serving as a Duke women’s basketball assistant coach and playing three seasons in the WNBA, has been a Duke faculty member since 2017. Two decades ago, the trio helped lead Duke women’s basketball to new heights. The 1998-99 campaign featured a then-school record 29 wins and – after an NCAA Tournament victory over three-time defending champion Tennessee – Duke’s first trip to the national championship game. “When we get together it’s as though no time has been lost,” Gingrich said. “There’s just that bond. We still retell the same stories. And they’re still great.” By Stephen Schramm Photography by Chris Hildreth working.duke.edu
9
How to
Master Mondays
Plan ahead and stay in the moment to ward off ‘Sunday Blues’
O
n Sunday evenings, Krystan Remaley has a routine. The staff assistant at the Duke Eye Center grabs a pen and spiral notebook and writes a list of things to do on Monday. “There’s something about writing it down that helps clear my mind,” Remaley said. “I know what I’ve got to do.” Marking the end of the weekend, Mondays can be daunting. But learning how to manage the start of the work week can be a major step toward enjoying everything that comes before and after Monday. With help from Duke experts, here’s how you can make the most out of Monday.
Make a plan
“When it’s written down, I think ‘Why am I stressing about that?” Remaley said. “Everything seems manageable.”
Ease in Birmingham spends much of her week teaching courses, but she tries to avoid teaching on Mondays. She knows how she works best. And having some time on Monday to prep for the week is an important beat in her work rhythm. “It’s important to know what your work flow is and take steps to make Monday not as abrupt,” Birmingham said.
Appreciate Sundays
Krystan Remaley sets the stage for a new week Knowing that the weekend is coming to Remaley started making her Sunday by writing down a game plan each Sunday in a an end can create the “Sunday Blues.” lists a few years ago, when Mondays left her notebook. Photo by Stephen Schramm. Noga Zerubavel, assistant professor in scattered and overwhelmed. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, said that At work, Mondays are when she organizes and distributes when feelings of anxiety or malaise hit, it’s important to not lose a weekend’s worth of messages and firms up the week’s sight of the moment and enjoy your Sunday. appointments. “The thing that is causing our suffering isn’t in the present Joy Birmingham, assistant director of leadership and moment,” Zerubavel said. “We’ve darted into the future and that professional development for Duke’s Learning & Organization brings down our mood.” Development (L&OD), said making a plan is a simple and Zerubavel, an expert on mindfulness, suggests consciously effective step to avoid feeling ambushed on Monday. focusing on savoring the weekend’s last moments. Happy, healthy “It’s important to have a plan instead of thinking ‘Oh my Sundays can steel you for the week to come. God, what am I going to do?’” Birmingham said. “Even if you “If we realize that we’re stealing from the moment we want have one or two things on your to-do list to start your Monday, more of, we can shift back into the present,” Zerubavel said. it’s excellent.” By Stephen Schramm Remaley makes her list on Sunday, but you can plan for the start of a new week on Friday.
Get help managing your work flow with Learning & Organization Development courses: hr.duke.edu/training 10
WORKING@DUKE
Guiding the Way Home Duke Police program links homeless to help
F
ive years of being John Dailey “We wanted to homeless pushed make things better, and we Tiquan McMillian needed a person dedicated to to his breaking understanding the processes point last summer. and who had the time to Addiction and mental follow through.” illness left him sleeping Kennedy, who joined on benches and walking Duke Police in 2013 as a Durham’s streets in security officer, has proven to threadbare shoes. His goal be that person. each day was survival. In 2017, Kennedy earned The Duke University Police Department’s Malik Kennedy, left, helped Tiquan McMillian, right, get One night, McMillian off the streets. Photo by Stephen Schramm. a Presidential Award, one ended up in Duke of Duke’s highest honors, University Hospital’s for his compassionate work emergency department with nowhere else to go. with homeless people and the strong relationships he’s built “I was at the end of my rope,” McMillian said. “I was just tired with community non-profits working to address multi-layered of the way I was living.” problems that leave people on the streets. When members of the Duke University Police Department “He continues to hold the hope that people can get better found McMillian, one asked a question McMillian wasn’t and it shows in his dedication to the job,” LaKeyta Johnson, expecting. Emergency Department Liaison with Duke Population Health “If I could do anything for you right now, what would you Management Office, wrote in a letter supporting Kennedy’s want me to do?” Malik Kennedy asked. nomination. Kennedy is the Duke Police’s Housing Abatement Liaison Kennedy estimates that around half of the roughly 230 people and runs the department’s Homeless Abatement Program as the who have accepted his help find housing and begin the process of initiative’s sole staff member. rebuilding their lives. The program was created by Duke officers who wanted to McMillian, whom Kennedy encountered last summer, is one address issues at the root of homelessness and find an alternative of them. to citations that could hinder future attempts to find housing or In the past few months, McMillian has lived in a drug-free jobs if left unpaid. home in Durham for men in recovery. It’s where he’s untangling “Our officers have hearts,” Kennedy said. the complicated problems that left him homeless and healing a Started in 2016, the program links the homeless encountered body that, after years on the streets, makes him feel much older at Duke with existing resources – temporary housing, substance than 27. abuse and mental health counseling and job training programs – “I appreciated that someone took time out to help me,” that can help them. McMillian said. “There’s still work that needs to be done. “Although Durham has many resources, navigating them But I’m OK.” can be time-consuming and confusing,” said Duke Police Chief By Stephen Schramm Learn more about the Duke University Police Department at police.duke.edu
working.duke.edu
11
Get the Most from Your
Pharmacy Benefit
Victoria Grice, shown with her daughter, Miriam, has used Express Scripts to handle long-term prescriptions.
V
ictoria Grice jokes that she got to know the staff at her local pharmacy pretty well during her pregnancy last year. With doctors adjusting treatment for her type-2 diabetes, she made frequent trips to the pharmacy to get new medications. “I felt like I was there all the time,” said Grice, a Duke Regional Hospital patient advocate. Now, Grice is relieved to have a healthy daughter and treatment plan that allows her to reliably source her testing supplies and medication. She uses the long-term mail order feature provided by Express Scripts, the national pharmacy benefit manager serving all four Duke medical plans. “It allows me to be sure I’m not running out of medications,” Grice said. “There are no last-minute races to the pharmacy, hoping they’ll have enough in stock to fill my prescription.” Receiving medication by mail is among the helpful features offered by Express Scripts, which also handles prescriptions at retail and participating onsite Duke pharmacies. In 2017, the nearly 65,000 people covered by Duke’s pharmacy benefit filled 621,916 total prescriptions. “Our goal is to remove barriers that keep people from obtaining their medicine,” said Victoria Lee Jackson Carter, an Express Scripts senior clinical account executive based at Duke. Duke’s pharmacy benefit helps you in at least three ways.
Save Time
For people like Grice, who rely on maintenance medications, using mail order to obtain 90-day supplies through Express 12
WORKING@DUKE
Scripts for recurring, long-term medication is hassle-free. Once she enrolled in mail order after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2013, Grice no longer worried about pharmacy visits or being caught without supplies. “I know it will get here in time,” Grice said.
Save Money
With a low deductible and reasonable co-pays, Duke’s pharmacy benefit keeps members from shouldering most of the cost of medications. In 2017, Duke covered $84 million of the $96 million spent on medications for members of Duke’s plans. You can learn about the cost of your medication and potential alternatives on the Express Scripts website or mobile app. Visit hr.duke.edu/pharmacy. Also, opting for generic medications or receiving 90-day supplies of chronic medications through Duke’s pharmacies or Express Scripts provide other cost savings.
Get Healthy
Express Scripts reported that, in the first nine months of 2018, 87.8 percent of Duke plan members who received diabetes drugs by mail were considered adherent – meaning they had their drugs on hand 80 percent of the time. However, Duke plan members who got their diabetes drugs in shorter supplies from retail pharmacies were adherent just 58.1 percent of the time. “It’s about saving money, it’s about convenience and it’s about your health,” said Carter of Express Scripts.
By Stephen Schramm
Get full details about Duke’s pharmacy benefits at hr.duke.edu/pharmacy
Free Health Screening Create a personal “My Health” account to assess and track goals
W
Victoria Hall, left, a certified medical assistant, measures Elizabeth Street’s waist size during a health assessment at Duke Regional Hospital. Photo by Les Todd.
hen roving Duke nurses visited his office in May, Bill Phillips figured it was a convenient way to get a health assessment. During the free screening, nurses checked blood pressure, height and weight, and measured cholesterol and glucose. Phillips discovered his cholesterol level was nearly 70 points higher than the recommended level for adults. The nurse recommended following up with his doctor, who prescribed a daily medication for high cholesterol. By taking medicine and using the elliptical machine three times a week, Phillips lowered his total cholesterol level to a healthy 158. “It may have been years until I realized I had high cholesterol without this screening,” said Phillips, benefits project manager for Duke Human Resources. “The screening was the nudge I needed to make some changes to my health.”
Free biometric screenings are part of the Healthy Duke initiative, which offers the wellness website, “My Health,” where employees can assess, track and calculate how health and lifestyle choices influence overall wellness. Staff and faculty who create an account on My Health [healthy.duke. edu/myhealth] complete a lifestyle questionnaire that provides a summary report on physical activity, nutrition, sleep and stress. The website also provides information on how to receive an inperson biometric screening on campus to measure blood pressure, height, weight, body mass index, cholesterol and glucose. Based on results of the questionnaire and biometric screening, you receive an “Overall Wellness Score.” The score, ranging from 0 to 100, represents lifestyle choices and how they affect your health. Based on the score, you can set wellness goals and work with a health coach to create an action guide for healthy behaviors.
Create a personal My Health account at healthy.duke.edu/myhealth
“My Health provides the tools and resources to help employees better understand their health risks and how to manage or decrease those risks,” said Julie Joyner, program coordinator for Healthy Duke. “We want employees to fully embrace the many resources, benefits and services available to live their best life.” Duke University Hospital nurse Chelsea Daley made an impromptu stop for a biometric screening after attending a class about treating patients with diabetes in November. During the screening, she patiently answered the nurse’s questions about exercise and diet. Daley, a clinical nurse for pulmonary-renal surgery, wanted to know her glucose level since it can be an indicator of diabetes. The nurse told Daley she had a healthy glucose level of 83. “That’s a relief,” Daley said with a smile. “I’m glad I took time to do this so I have an idea where I stand with my health.”
By Jonathan Black
working.duke.edu
13
PERQS EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
Hey Siri, Find Me A Discount Save on cell phone repairs and other tech services
Duke employees receive 10 percent off smartphone glass repairs at Triangle Cellular Repair locations.
A
kmarzhan Kasmaganbetova was cooking dinner last spring when she heard a loud thud from the living room. She ran from the kitchen and discovered that her 3-year-old daughter Malika, who was playing a game on Kasmaganbetova’s iPhone, dropped the device on the wood floor, which shattered the glass screen. After the initial shock, Kasmaganbetova went to an email folder where she saves messages from the Duke employee discount mailing list. She found an email listing a discount for screen protectors and glass repairs at Triangle Cellular Repair, which has six locations. Kasmaganbetova visited the store in Chapel Hill to get the iPhone repaired in under an hour. Duke employees can do the same and receive 10 percent off all iPhone glass repairs when they show a valid DukeCard ID at any Triangle Cellular Repair location. “It ended up being a quick and easy experience,” said Kasmaganbetova, academic services coordinator for the Master of International Development Policy Program in the Sanford School of Public Policy. “I was able to use the money I saved to get a screen protector on my phone. It’s withstood the power of my toddler so far.” Keep your technology in tip-top shape with these other discounts.
Home security
Increase your home security with Vector Security or First Security Service. Vector of Raleigh offers a free home automation system, doorbell camera and Amazon Alexa with 10 percent off monitoring. First Security in Durham provides IP video surveillance and other systems with a 15 percent discount on equipment.
Fix a tablet or computer
If your tablet, computer or phone is in need of repair, visit Smart Fix. The Raleigh store gives Duke employees a 10 percent discount on all purchases and repairs. Walk-ins and appointments are welcome.
Boost your Wi-Fi
Need a stronger Wi-Fi or cell signal? Duke employees get 10 percent off Wi-Fi and cell phone signal amplifiers from SignalBooster.com, a website specializing in devices that increase performance for wireless devices.
By Jonathan Black
Get a Discount 14
WORKING@DUKE
Visit hr.duke.edu/discounts for a full list of savings. Your NetID and password may be needed to access deals. Your DukeCard ID is required for some discounts, too.
SUSTAINABLE DUKE YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN NEWS AT DUKE
New WaterHub Coming to Duke
O
Facility will save 120 million gallons of water annually
n an Once wastewater intellectual enters the WaterHub, level, Ryan treatment filters skim Lavinder off solid material. knew Tanks with both when he entered the oxygen-rich and greenhouse of Emory oxygen-depleted University’s WaterHub environments last summer he wouldn’t allow specific smell anything. microorganisms But with as much to break down as 400 thousand gallons contaminants. of sewage coursing The water is through the facility then moved through each day, he still caught root systems of himself inhaling deep, This is an early rendering of what the interior of a WaterHub at Duke could look like. The exact design of Duke’s plants grown in WaterHub has yet to be finalized. Courtesy of Duke Facilities Management. searching for an odor. the WaterHub’s “When you walk in, hydroponic The reclaimed water will then be you want to see if you can smell anything,” used in the nearby Chiller Plant No. 2, greenhouse, which act as natural filters. said Lavinder, who found the air in the After water is moved through a synthetic, which drives the system that cools campus facility odorless. buildings. Evaporating roughly 212 million microorganism-rich mesh, a series of fine Lavinder, a civil engineer with Duke filters and a disinfectant process, it emerges gallons of water annually in its cooling Facilities Management, was part of a as clean – though non-potable – water. towers, the plant is the largest waterdelegation from Duke who toured Emory’s consuming entity in the city of Durham. In addition to easing the strain on WaterHub, a state-of-the-art, ecologically municipal treatment infrastructure and Starting in 2021, the WaterHub will friendly on-campus water recycling system. provide around 120 million gallons of saving Duke money, the WaterHub will Later this year, Duke is expected to break provide an opportunity for the Duke reclaimed water per year for Chiller Plant ground on its own WaterHub, adding community to learn about greener methods No. 2. Combined with the roughly 80 another visible and functional campus million gallons drawn annually from Duke for treating water with tours for students feature highlighting Duke’s approach to and the public. Pond, nearly all of the plant’s needs will water conservation. “Most people never get the be met without drawing from Durham’s “This will be a real benefit to Duke,” opportunity to go to a treatment plant and potable water supply. Lavinder said. And unlike the pond, which can see its actually see what’s going on,” Lavinder The roughly 9,000-square foot said. “This will give us the opportunity to water production altered by weather, the WaterHub, which will sit across Circuit show people across the community how it WaterHub can produce consistently. Drive from Duke Pond, will intercept can be done.” “That source is always there for us,” wastewater flowing from buildings on said Myron Taschuk, the Duke Facilities By Stephen Schramm West Campus and cycle it through a 10Management project manager on the step treatment process. project.
For more about Duke’s sustainability efforts, visit sustainability.duke.edu
working.duke.edu
15
@DUKE
SOCIAL
What you’re sharing online fordlibraryweb
@fordlibraryweb • 17 Dec 2018
Get recs for new reading with our book reviews! Thanks @WorkingatDuke for the shoutout
Go online to discover more
Aaron Tharrington Working@Duke
News You Can Use:
January 7
Get moving challenge!
A Unique Milestone After more than a decade of use, Duke’s Unique ID System will crest one million. bit.ly/DukeUniqueID Commute for $25 With a GoPass, you can get unlimited rides on public transit. bit.ly/GoPass2019 Explore the World International House program matches Duke community members with students and scholars. bit.ly/ InternationalFriends
5 Ways to Sharpen Your Skills in 2019 Having obtained her undergraduate degree two decades ago, Jennifer Larke decided it was time to return to a classroom. Larke enrolled in "Administrative... today.duke.edu
Laura Brinn
@laurabrinn • 6 Dec 2018
Great to see @SonjaLikness shining on the big stage. So lucky we get to learn from her every day @WorkingatDuke Social Fresh @socialfresh "How to Source and Target the Right Content to the Right Audience” teaching everyone best practices from the #SocialMedia team at @DukeU by @SonjaLikness. #socialfresh
Connect with Working@Duke Facebook
facebook.com/WorkingatDuke
@WorkingatDuke
Share story ideas by emailing working@duke.edu Duke University Office of Communication Services 705 Broad St., Durham, N.C. 27708