At Year's (but not Wit's) End

This year (like all of them since I got on the other side of 30) has flown by. Seems it was just yesterday that we were reviewing the branding agency finalists (it was December 2008) and here we are with 3 months of the strategy live and kicking (and being very well received). In 2010 (why do some people say "20 and 10"), I am looking forward to more fabulous one on one (or one on two or three) lunches/breakfasts with staff members I don't get to spend as much time with as others. I have really enjoyed those this year and have learned a lot. As I shared with my lunch mate yesterday, I want to hear your ideas for how we can serve BJC even better. So, send them to me at anytime -- I am always e-mailable and really appreciate hearing from you. I also hope to get out of the office more and do something I encourage each of you to do -- take a CLL course or two, attend a conference, and do more continuous learning in the fields that will help make one of the best departments even better (gee, seems I have seen those words before).
I could not let the year past without saying thanks to each and every one of you who do such great work (I know I did this in the last post, but you can never be too appreciative). I also want to especially thank, Barbara Reynolds, who goes above and beyond in everything she does to support our department. It is fabulous to have a true partner who is always willing to go the extra miles that are sometimes required and to go those miles with such a wonderful spirit. She is among the true blessings in my life.
Have a great 2010 and I look forward to hearing from you all.
J

Doing More

How about this? I am posting exactly 2 weeks (my new goal) after my last one. As we near the end of another year, I marvel at how quickly time flies and how much we are able to get done in such a short span of time. For example, we developed a relationship with a new web vendor and are migrating all of our websites to that vendor. This will allow our IS department to focus on the many clinical information services needs of BJC and allow us to keep content fresh and evolving on our websites -- which we know have exponentially elevated in importance to consumers. Thanks to Patt and everyone on her team for the due diligence and hard work to get us where we are. If you want to see an early glimpse of what the move to our new vendor will produce, check out the new website for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It is truly stunning!
Our Creative Services team continued to serve more and more client requests with the same number of staff. The comments on the quality of work by this 'inhouse agency' continue to be very positive. Whether it is designing a simple (is there any such animal) brochure or developing new logos (I think we did about 4 hospitals this year) and icons (too many to count) the clients are happy with their products. Thanks to Andy and team for all you do.
Kudos continue to pour in for the work done by our Media Services team. They are adapting to all the demands of new media and not missing a beat. They took on the added duties of providing video services as part of communications training and the clients who have taken advantage of this training share that being able to see how they look when answering questions has been very helpfu. And, the Media Services space looks better than ever. A big Shout Out (what happened to these) to Tracie and her team.
Every other week, we are fortunate to have a newspaper that not only looks great (love the new design that incorporates one photo on the front page), but has information that is need-to-know, interesting-to-know and fun-to-know (Off the Cuff) for our employees. As hospital dedicated staff for the paper has shrunk, our BJC Today team has managed to make sure that the content has not missed a beat. Patty and her team truly do a great job in publishing a paper that is worthy of bearing the BJC name.
When it comes to making a difference in the community, our small but mighty, Community Affairs and Community Benefit team goes the distance. From overseeing the Healthy Mind Body Spirit initiative to working with other non-profit organizations focused on the underserved in our communities to gathering all the data from our hospitals/service organizations to ensure we are accurate in our reporting, Debra & team and Karley are to be commended. It is work that is both rewarding and challenging.
Positively positioning BJC and our service organizations and selected hospitals has never been more important and Karen and her team have consistently managed to stretch very limited resources and create value-added strategies for their many clients. I continue to be amazed that so much can be achieved by such a small staff. In the words of a luncheon master of ceremonies that I heard yesterday, You Go Girls!
And, last month we welcomed Kathleen and her portfolio of Health Literacy, School Outreach, Community Health Services and St. Louis OASIS to our department. Aligning these functions with us will allow even more opportunities to work together in improving and communicating BJC's commitment to healthy communities. This team is expert at this work as evidenced by the recognition of BJC as THE health care organization in our region focused on keeping people healthy. Congrats to Kathleen and her team and welcome!
Lastly, a huge thank you to everyone on our team for helping to birth our new BJC branding strategy. From Barbara who is the meeting coordinator guru, to Sylvia who helped to manage gathering of talent, to Kim who helped with content and context for the new social media site, I cannot say thank you enough. The campaign has been embraced by our employees and that is truly the audience that matters most. It has been a busy year, but a rewarding one and I am so blessed to work with each of you.
J

The Power of Within

This week, I had the pleasure of announcing the promotion of an employee who began her career with BJC 16 years ago. I knew she was good, but have been really pleased (and a bit surprised) at the overwhelmingly positive response to this news. While I think much of it is about who she is, I have also gotten feedback that many are pleased at the decision to promote internally. I understand and appreciate that. I believe in finding the absolute best person for the job that needs to be done now and in the future. Sometimes, the skill set is inside and sometimes it is outside. Before I came to BJC, I was a candidate for a position at a large company in St. Louis. I remember the CEO confiding that he was wrestling with the decision of whether to go outside and hire me or promote from within. I shared with him that if he had an outstanding candidate inside, he should promote from within. Not only would it be well deserved recognition, but it would speak volumes to the employees of the possibilities for growth and advancement. Ultimately, he agreed and while I lost out on a job, he and I have continued to stay in contact and the employee he promoted and I also became good friends. It was a good outcome all the way around, as just a couple of years later, I was fortunate to find BJC. And, the rest is what's happening now.
I wish you all (whoever the faithful readers are) a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine will be quite busy as we host my husband's very large extended family and my much smaller family at our home. I am very excited that all three of our kids will be home from school, but my excitement pales in comparison to Flint's. He's like a kid looking forward to his 21st birthday. Okay, so I have gone a bit off track with this posting, but I couldn't let the holiday pass us by without acknowledging it and the fact that we had lots of sunshine today!

Am I just talking to myself?

Where did everyone go? On the last post, there were no comments shared. Does this mean that no one is still reading? Is it because I post so infrequently? Is it because what is being said, makes one go "Hmmmnn", but does not lead to a necessary reply? Or, have I been abandoned? These are the questions I am asking myself. You guys will remember that one of the reasons I began this BLOG was to get a feel for what it is like to play in the world of social media so that we could make an informed decision for what BJC should do. Well, since that time BJC has entered that world with both feet -- heck with entire body. www.makemedicinebetter.org continues to get a lot of visits and the registrations exceed the normal conversion rate. However, I am surprised at the number of folks who visit and don't share any ideas or nominate a person to be a Hero. But, then I thought of my own behavior. I visit lots of sites and never register. I read lots of articles on line and think of all kinds of responses to share, but often do not leave a comment. So perhaps there are lots of people out there who are more like me than I imagined (my family is likely thinking -- Please say it isn't so). So, to all of the former readers of this BLOG, come on back. Let me know what you are thinking, wondering, hoping that I will address in this space. Right now, I am thinking it is great to see the sun (the sunless days of last week sealed that I could never live in Cleveland or Seattle or Ireland), wondering when (not if) the Rams will win their first game, and planning to tackle the piles of work that are on my desk (part of what makes my posts much more infrequent than I would like). What are you thinking, wondering and hoping? Would love to know.
J

Join the Discussion

I hope that many of you have taken time to visit makemedicinebetter.org. A huge thank you to all the BJC staff members who helped to bring this new site to life by reviewing the inititial design and making recommendations to make it better; going out and playing on the site during its pre-launch phase and making recommendations to make the navigation better; and being willing to share suggestions and comments to ensure that the site was visitor-ready. To be sure, the site is still evolving and while the number of visitors continues to grow, the site will only be as good as the content that is included. The great thing about a social site is that while we have the ability to post lots of content, there is freedom for anyone who registers to share what is on their mind in the "Who's Talking" section. Also, we encourage everyone to nominate a hero -- someone who is doing something swell for others, share ideas on how medicine can be made better and participate in the online polls.
I also want to encourage you to send suggestions to me on how to make the site even better. We look forward to posting Day in the Life videos, new blogs and other information that will keep the site fresh. But, I am sure that many of you have recommendations that I (and others working on this site) have not considered, so please share them. We also know that getting traffic to an online site is not as simple as the Field of Dreams mantra of "If you build it, they will come." Thus, BJC's new billboards and tv and radio spots all invite the public to visit makemedicinebetter.org. I hope you will do the same.

A Tribute

We heard what we knew was on the horizon at 2:43 a.m. on September 16. For the past three weeks we had prepared emotionally for this time, but that did not make it any easier. Flint (my husband) walked downstairs and for the next 5 hours stayed at the side of our beloved dog, Weasel who could no longer support her weight and whose breathing was labored. I admit to being too much of an emotional wreck (and a wimp) to join them. Flint actually shared that it would be best for me to stay upstairs. So we all waited for the change we knew would come. At 8:00 a.m. we made the second trip in as many days to the vet who had so lovingly cared for her since we brought her home from the Humane Society in 2000. When Flint and our three kids selected Weasel (the name she had at the Humane Society) they were given several facts -- that she was a German Spitz Chow mix, that she had been abused, that she had been with them for almost 8 weeks and that she was approximately 2 years old. She was such a sweet and mellow dog that she suited our erratic, ever on the run family to a tee. At her first visit to the vet, we learned that she was much closer to 4 that 2, but that she was otherwise in great health.

For the next 9 years, she was the source of much joy and laughter caused by a number of interesting behaviors. First, Weasel would not leave the house without being on a leash (we joked that she remembered a door being opened, running out and never being let in again). Like any Chow, she had a spotted tongue and did not allow her feet to touch puddles of water. She tended to lay down like a bunny rabbit with all four legs very flat to the floor. She also laid down when she ate from her bowl. She also never barked and was not much for playing dog like games such as fetch the ball. Like many loved family pets, she did not think she was an animal at all.

On her last night, Weasel again exhibited some interesting behaviors. She walked all around the house (all three stories) -- as if wanting to experience all parts of her home for the last time. While she started out sleeping in our room, she eventually went downstairs to a corner of the family room to sleep. It was there that she and Flint shared those five hours. Weasel had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia and while her red blood cells were beginning to show signs of regeneration, she had no platelets. But, she continued to cling to life and we got her to the vet and said our goodbyes.

I am thankful for all the moments we shared with our Weasel. I will forever be indebted to Flint for the courage and care he provided to her in her final hours. I will always appreciate the understanding of the veterinary staff as I fell apart and the empathy as they ushered her through with dignity and grace.

Lunching and Learning

Hi to All:
I know, I know -- it's been a really long time since I posted. It's not that I have not had anything to say (I've got plenty), but like all of you, time is just crammed full of lots of opportunities to explore and challenges to be overcome. Enough of my excuse making and onto the subject of today's post. So, for the past few months I have been having a ball going to breakfast and lunch with many of the staff that I don't get to spend much time with very often. These have been fun meal times for me and so far, the staff members I have dined with have not run out of the restaurant screaming "Don't ever call me again" so I take that as a good sign. Seriously, I have learned something useful from all of the lunches and breakfasts (including some really cool restaurants that I had either never been to or had not visited in a long time). Most people really love their jobs, are energized by the people they get to work with each day and are proud to work for BJC HealthCare.
In my last lunch experience (which was about ten days ago), I experienced a first hand teachable moment with respect to generational difference. There were four of us at lunch, with me as a baby boomer being the oldest by a good margin. One of lunchers was part of the baby boomlet, another a GenX'r and another a GenY. (I know that boomletters and Gen Xers are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference). We were discussing the passing of Les Paul and the conversation went like this: Me -- I heard on NPR that Les Paul died. Boomletter -- Yea, I saw it online. Gen X'r: I got a Tweat about it. Gen Y'r -- Who's Les Paul?
I absolutely LOVED this exchange (of course since it was almost two weeks ago, my memory may be a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.). This kind of reminder of generational difference is especially helpful in some of the work that we are engaged in now. Understanding how people receive and share information is critical for those of us in the business of communicating. What I learned at this lunch is that sooner rather than later, we have all got to embrace new technologies and methods of exchanging information. When I was a younger boomer, that was much easier. I moved seamlessly from vinyl to 8 track to cassette to cd. However, those changes were not as hard to navigate. I admit to having not Twittered, to only going on my Facebook page to accept a new friend (and only if it is someone I know) and I continue to get some of the names wrong -- it's rss feed, right?
I am determined to try to carve out time to get more knowledgeable about this new world of information. After all, at some point in time it is likely to be the only way I will be able to communicate with those grandchildren to come. While that is not happening anytime soon, as an empty nester of 3 days now, I know those days are coming! So thanks to my Boomlet, GenX and Gen Y companions for a memorable Lunch and Learn.
J

That's Trillion with a T

Like many who work in health care (and some who don't), I am watching the discussions/debates/proposals/revised proposals on health care reform with much interest. One of the things that has intrigued me is the ease with which incredibly large dollar amounts are communicated. I mean when did "trillion dollars" sneak so comfortably into our vocabulary? I remember when I was a little girl (which I admit was a really long time ago), "million" was more a concept than an amount as it seemed so far out of any normal person's grasp. I remember vividly that if someone had a million dollars, they would never have to work again. Winning a million dollars would have set you on that street called Easy. I know lots of people who don't bother to play the lottery if the pot is not lots and lots of millions -- not that I am encouraging people to gamble, it is just something that I have observed. I have asked my family and friends who only buy tickets when the lottery pot gets to that over $100 million mark, "Why don't you play when you could win $2 million?" The general answer is "It's just not as much fun to dream about what I could do with $2 million. Now, $200 million, I'm on Easy Street."
I understand inflation and that a dollar is not what it used to be. Is that why we have moved so comfortably from talking about millions to billions to trillions? Is it because the television news anchors say it with such ease? Even though I am pretty horrible at math, I am fascinated by numbers. (As an aside, I thought July 8 was very cool because the date was 7-8-9. And yesterday (July 16), if you added the month and the year, the sum was the day). So, for the first time ever, I numerically wrote 1 trillion. It doesn't just easily roll off the pen and required me to go back and count more than once to make sure I had included the right number of zeroes. I think if we took the time to write numbers out (sorry AP Style Guide) or to imagine what a trillion of anything would look like (would a trillion baseballs fill a stadium?), we might have a deeper appreciation for what these numbers mean. This is not a political statement, just one woman's observation.

Laughing Out Loud and All Things Political

So, I was just about to update my BLOG (knowing it would be wrong for June to let the month of June pass and not write afewjunethoughts) when I read two recent posts. One gave me information and one (from Patt C) made me laugh out loud. Really, Patt when I wrote that I would update the BLOG weekly, I really meant "weakly." Just joking.
This has been quite the week -- the passing of three iconic figures of popular culture, the blazing heat (why don't we get spring anymore), and the debate over passing an indoor smoking ordinance in the City of St. Louis. BJC has gone on record as supporting the proposed ordinance and Leann Chilton (our Director of Government Affairs) and I were at today's committee hearing on the ordinance that lasted for approximately 3 hours. Leann shared BJC's position of support and I spoke in support as a St. Louis City resident. As a former government employee, I really do love all things political. I love that we live in a country where we have the freedom to adamantly disagree with one another, yet still maintain order and lawfulness. It is a true strength of our system of government that citizens on opposing sides of this issue sat respectfully next to one another, listened to positions they did not agree with, yet did not become disagreeable. The standing room only attendance at this hearing showed that it is an issue that people care about greatly. You just gotta love democracy.
J

Twitter, Yammer, Second Life yada yada yada

Okay, since I am so bad at keeping my BLOG updated, you have to know my intimidation at the world of all things Social Media. I am so pleased that at our upcoming BJC HealthCare Marketing & Communications Conference we will have the opportunity to hear from those who have been at this much longer than I and with much more commitment and diligence than I. Yes, I have a Yammer account, but as some of you who also are a part of that social network know, I have yet to tweet or yam on it. (Maybe it is because I kinda giggle every time I read the words that are used to identify social sites and the actions for participating). However, it is becoming clear that this form of communication is here to stay and as a person who has Communications as part of her title, I have to get over my fear (and giggles) and dive into the waters.
On another note, it has been great to see that we are using technology to recognize co-workers doing good things. I love reading the Shout Outs and hope that those who are the subject of them enjoy the recognition that comes from their co-workers. While not as far reaching as Yammer or Twitter, Shout Outs provide us the opportunity to share within our own Communications & Marketing social network the great things done by our fellow staff members. As I did a Blog or two ago, I encourage you to keep using this recognition program.
Finally, you should have all received an e-mail sharing the date of our Our Staff Meeting (OSM anyone?) on July 8. In addition to sharing the 487 digital photos from my first-ever trip to Paris (just joking), we will spend the morning getting updated on what is happening around BJC, our department and in the community. We will meet at the brand new BJC Learning Institute and a formal agenda will be sent a few weeks prior to the meeting, but I hope you are looking forward to another opportunity for us to all come together. No date is ever perfect and for those who can't attend due to other commitments, I will send you a tweet or yam to keep you in the loop (again, just joking).
Finally, an informal survey -- are any of you active in the social media world? And, if so do you have a preference (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc)? And, if you are not active, what keeps you from jumping into the waters?
J

What happened to the frequent Postings?

It is called work and family and just everything getting in the way. In case you haven't heard they have been some changes around these parts. Kim, Mary Elizabeth and Sylvia have recently abandoned me for different office space. It is amazing how something that should be as simple as an office move can throw things topsy-turvy. Additionally, there has been a spat of time where I have had more off-site meetings, retreats and conferences than you can shake a stick at (okay, can you guys tell I spoke to my grandmother over the weekend)? And, in the midst of all of this, we are preparing to send our last child off to college (and yes, that is me doing the Happy Dance). I would give anything to be in her head as she has narrowed her selection (finally) to two schools -- DePaul in Chicago and University of Miami in Florida (no extreme temperature difference there).
But, that is no excuse for how long it has taken me to update this Blog. A Blog is only good if it contains new information that makes the readers want to come back. Now, while I liked the Friday Fun Game, I did not intend for it to stay the newest posting for three weeks. So, my apologies to all. As for the answers to Co-Worker Jeopardy:
1. Who is Becky Slatin?
2. Who is Mike Quinn?
3. Who is Kim Kitson?
4. Who is Gary Stolz?
5. Who is Karen Stewart?
6. Who is Patty Johnson?
7. Who is Emily Barklage OR Tiffany Dabbs OR Barbara Reynolds OR Scott Suppelsa OR Karen Stewart?
8. Who is Patt Christie?
9. Who is Debra Denham?
10. Who is Libby Coleman
Hope it was fun for you guys. More much sooner.
J

Co-worker Jeopardy

1. This co-worker was recently spotted at a high profile event in the town laid out by L'Enfant.

2. This co-worker (along with their spouse) has an ear for interesting music with colorful lyrics.

3. Horses and dogs, but no bears -- oh my!

4. Even thought not a member of Interactice Services, this co-worker is very up-to-date on tweets, twitters, blogs, kindles, and all things social media.

5. This co-worker has a granddaughter so photogenic (as evidenced by her BJC Today photo shoots) she is bound to be America's Next Top Model in 17 years?

6. This co-worker not only writes up a storm but also cooks (along with their spouse) up a hurricane.

7. For this co-worker, BJC is a family affair.

8. This co-worker would never say "No Soup For You!"

9. This co-worker is All Community, All The Time.

10. For this co-worker, baking is an award winning sport.

Since I have heard that posting on the blog site is a little difficult, feel free to shoot me an e-mail with the 'answers' to the jeopardy statements. And, the prize for winning? The joy of realizing how well you know your co-workers. Have a great weekend!
J

Giving A "Shout Out"

Too often we notice that our co-workers have done something wonderful, gone above and beyond in providing service, or been a good listener when we needed to vent. You probably always planned to send a note or stop by and let that co-worker know how much they were appreciated, but somehow time got away from you. Well, BJC Corporate Communications & Marketing to the rescue! In the next few weeks, Debra Denham and Mary Elizabeth Grimes will be coming to one of your staff meetings to introduce the BJC Corporate Communications & Marketing SHOUT OUT Award. I don't want to steal their thunder, so I won't go into a lot of detail here, but am pleased that they have created an easy and accessible opportunity for us to share our appreciation with one another. And, it will encourage you to use this space (which I think is a good thing). So, to Debra and Mary Elizabeth, I am sending a very public SHOUT OUT for a job well done!

Another quick note, I had the pleasure of having lunch with Becky Slatin a week ago and truly enjoyed getting to learn more about her. I am looking forward to the next lunch which will be with "DRUM ROLL PLEASE" Tiffany Ann Dabbs, administrative assistant to Mary Elizabeth and Sylvia. So, Tiffany, this is your notice that Barbara will be contacting you to set up lunch or breakfast at the restaurant of your choice (this was a bit of a challenge for me and Becky) and you may feel free to invite a co-worker or dine with me alone.

Finally, at a recent staff meeting I shared with the managers and directors some of the projects that will keep me busy in 2009. List includes community benefit, branding, community hospital & Kingshighway campus signage, BJC national positioning, economic stimulus package projects, more earned media, delivering communications & media training, gaining local approval of hospital construction projects, etc. etc. etc. What will keep you busy this year?

I am Inspired

Today I had the pleasure of attending the newly branded "Souper Bowl" Luncheon hosted by BJC's Media Services Team. It was a wonderful experience to sample different varieties of chili and soup prepared by communications and marketing staff from across our organization. I certainly had some favorites, but everything I tasted was good. What a talented bunch. It was also nice to get to chat (even if only for a few moments) with marketing & communications team members from near and far.
What was also very cool was getting a tour of the 'renewed' Media Services space. The team took the opportunity to get super-organized in preparation for new carpeting and paint. As Taunia led our tour, she shared how much more efficeint she feels now that the work space was so much more attractive.
Which brings me to the "I am Inspired" part. I am embarrassed to admit that I have been here for slightly over five years, but still have files (that I have not reviewed) in my office of the person who preceded me . Now, it should be really easy to just throw them out, because if I have not looked at them in five years, I obviously don't need them, right? Wrong -- it is impossible for me to just pitch something until I look at it to make SURE I don't need it. But, I am going to do just that over the next several Saturdays. Because, like Taunia, I want to feel much more efficient.
So, I thank the Media Services Team for a great lunch that came with non-edible extras!
J

The Year Ahead

Oaky, I will admit it -- I have not yet completed my goals for what I will accomplish at work this year. Not because I don't think this is important (it is), but because I am still digging out from several large end of the year projects that commanded much of my attention. One of the reasons I started writing this BLOG was feedback that some Communications staff members wondered how I spent my time. Two of the projects that consumed time at the end of the year will hopefully prove to be very beneficial for BJC and the region as a whole. One was completion of the contract to facilitate the reconstruction of the Tower Grove/I-64 interchange near the Kingshighway campus. This project, which will not begin until the New I-64 construction (another project that has taken a lot of time and allowed me to stand on an overpass at 5:45 a.m. and talk to all three news stations) is complete, will provide the public with a much improved interchange.
The other project involved a cross-organizational task force of health care providers, elected officials, educators and others who examined access to health care for residents living in North St. Louis City. This was a fascinating (and very worthwhile) effort that yielded a report with 18 key recommendations submitted to the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis. It also yielded new relationships and a commitment among the participants to work together to address this very important issue.
When I looked back at my 2008 goals, only one of these projects was on the list. But, we know that as a client-serving function, our job is to meet the needs of our clients. It is great when those needs are anticipated early and we have lots of time, but in reality that is often not the case.
So, I am resolving to complete my 2009 work goals within the next 7 days (that's kind of a goal, right?). One of them is to find time to come visit and talk with each of you more regularly. I always learn a lot from those rare visits and there is generally something shared that makes me laugh. This is also the month that I will also start hosting lunch/breakfast with a staff member or group of staff members. So, someone should look forward to a call from Barb Reynolds next week to schedule our 'date' for the last week of January.
I am also working on personal goals. Over the holidays, a good friend shared that he and his family each write down their goals for the year and talk about them together. They include things like spending more quality time together, volunteering to help others, and getting closer to neighbors. I was very impressed, but a little embarassed to realize that my personal goals would not be nearly as lofty -- I mostly want to figure out how to keep my closet from becoming a wreck two weeks after I have cleaned it.
Have you completed your work goals for 2009? How about any personal goals? Would love to hear from you.