They're priceless

This morning I went by the family waiting desk in the General operating room on my way for my first surgical case of the day. As always I was greeted by Buddy and Linda two of our volunteers. Their last names are both Kaufman, fancy that. For surgeons they perform a vital job, caring for the family members during the time their loved ones are in surgery. You can imagine the stress that these families undergo. Will it turn out ok? Will the biopsy be benign? Will they get it all? In the OR time flies. In the family waiting area time is at dead slow. The clock barely moves. Our volunteers reassure the families throughout and when the operations end they escort the families into a private room where they can meet with the surgeon to discuss the outcome.

Years earlier I told someone in our administration that this job was one of the most important jobs in the medical center. I even said that it was too important to be left to volunteers. Boy was I wrong. This position takes caring and understanding. That’s something that’s hard to pay for, but comes naturally from a GBMC volunteer.

Last Friday, as I stood on the podium at the volunteer luncheon, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. The room was filled with over three hundred and fifty volunteers. My first thought was “I hope the hospital is ok, because everyone Is here”. GBMC Healthcare is blessed. At the hospital we have 466 active volunteers who gave 95,749 hours last year. That amounts to nearly two million value-added dollars. They work in 80 departments throughout the hospital and have raised millions of dollars over the years. At Gilchrist Hospice Care we have 325 volunteers who donated 17,858 hours, 6% of all patient care hours.

As we honored Mary Pat Marzullo, as she retires from her position as Director of Volunteer Services and Rodica Johnson, President of the Volunteer Auxiliary and Debbie Jones, Volunteer Services Manager of Gilchrist Hospice Care spoke, I couldn’t help but marvel. I know that nearly all hospitals have volunteers, but do they have this? I don’t think so. This is way beyond over the top.

I left the group with some quotes about volunteers and giving back, which I share with you now.

Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer. ~Author Unknown

Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him. ~Albert Schweitzer

Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless. ~Sherry Anderson

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference. ~Tom Brokaw

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~Elizabeth Andrew

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. ~Oscar Wilde

How far that little candle throws his beams!

So shines a good deed in a weary world

David Seltzer for the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (adapted from W. Shakespeare)

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~Mark Twain

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. ~Author Unknown

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~Nelson Henderson

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill

God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through. ~Author Unknown

Things of the spirit differ from things material in that the more you give the more you have. ~Christopher Morley

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you

truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need

to be able to throw something back. ~Maya Angelou

Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you volunteers!

Earth Day, April 22, 2010

GBMC Celebrates Earth Day

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. It was the brainchild of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. In 1962 he convinced President Kennedy to go on a five-state environmental tour, which he took in 1963. There was not much press. In 1969, at the height of the Viet Nam war and numerous anti-war demonstrations, Nelson envisioned a “teach-in” on the environment. Approximately 20 million Americans participated on that first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Groups that had been fighting against specific environmental issues now had a common voice and the environmental movement had begun. Today Earth Day is celebrated by nearly 500 million people all over the globe.

Although April 22 is the birthday of Lenin, it is also the birthday of Eddie Albert (Green Acres fame and dedicated environmentalist) who spoke at the first Earth Day.

GBMC’s Green Team is hosting our celebration of Earth Day 2010. Employees, volunteers and members of the community are all invited to attend the “Farmer’s Market” themed event on Thursday, April 22 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Civiletti Conference Center rooms B and C. Earth Day 2010 will feature:

Recycling stations – Bring in one or more of the following items for recycling and your name will be entered into a prize drawing!
Cell phones/accessories
Eyeglasses
Computer equipment from home (PCs, monitors, keyboards, speakers, etc.)
Household batteries

Giveaways – Sign GBMC’s pledge to be environmentally responsible and receive a FREE reusable cup! Each time you use the cup in the GBMC Café, you’ll receive an extra 10¢ discount off the cost of a 16oz. fountain drink or coffee.

Refreshments – Free popcorn and lemonade will be available!

It’s a Jeans Day! – Buy a sticker for $5 and wear jeans to work on Earth Day. Come to the dining room on April 15, April 16 and April 21 between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to buy a sticker to wear with your jeans on April 22. Proceeds benefit Herring Run Watershed Association. *Check with your manager to determine whether jeans are appropriate for your department.

Numerous “farmer’s market stands” will be full of useful information such as
· The history of Earth Day
· Your carbon footprint
· Environmental benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet
· “Greening” Maryland Hospitals

Find out what GBMC is doing to minimize its impact on the environment through its energy-conserving Peak Load Contribution (PLC) program, expanded recycling capabilities and plans for a new Farmer’s Market this summer. Some participants include Baltimore County Recycling, Herring Run Watershed Association and several of GBMC’s energy management partners.

Also in honor of Earth Day, GBMC’s Café will serve an assortment of fresh local foods like chicken, bison burgers and vegetables to encourage interest in eating healthy, sustainable foods while supporting Maryland farmers.

Please direct questions to Barbara Nagle Bodyk at ext. 2945. See you at the “farmer’s market!”

Some Earth Day links:

1) MDH2E - Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment http://cms.h2e-online.org/stateprograms/current-programs/maryland-h2e/ (GBMC is a member of this org)

2) Practice Greenhealth - http://www.practicegreenhealth.org/
(GBMC is a member of this org)

3) Herring Run Watershed Association (money collected for wearing jeans on Earth Day will benefit this group) - http://baywatersheds.org/

4) Earth Day Network - http://www.earthday.net/

High and Dry at GBMC

Just two weeks after World Water Day, we had none. A fire knocked out power to a local reservoir pumping station causing water to stop flowing in the Towson area. Here we go again. Code Yellow.

We drink it. We bathe and swim in it. We cook with it. We take it for granted. We turn on the faucet and expect instant, clean water. But, have you thought about how much water is part of your daily life? When it’s not there you may start to think about the possibilities. How much water does a hospital use? Lots.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, hospitals are better prepared to handle a variety of conditions that might arise. All hospitals are stocked to be self sufficient for 96 hours. That includes water.

As tankers brought extra water on site yesterday morning, Tressa Springmann, VP and CIO, took command in the GBMC Command Center. With the emergency management team, she outlined the priorities. It was déjà vu. Only this time rather than two feet of snow outside it was sunny and nearly 90 degrees!

As the hospital’s water pressure dropped the team acted quickly. From prior experience we know which areas use the most water. The chillers providing HVAC to the adjoining office buildings were brought down. Outpatient appointments were cancelled. All operating rooms and patient care areas were kept open and running. All surgical sets for the next day’s 125 cases were sterilized and ready. Bottled water was delivered to each patient’s bedside. Alcohol based hand cleaners became more plentiful. The kitchen switched to cold food preparation. Portable eye-wash stations were positioned in the laboratory. “Bucket-brigades” were formed to flush toilets, signs were posted and broadcasts issued.

When I asked Tressa what her biggest concern was, she quickly replied “fire”. There would be little support from the fire department. Fire rounds had started early in the day visiting all areas of the medical center and keeping a log.

Water Facts:

· Although a person can live without food for more than a month, a person can only live without water for approximately one week.
· Only 1% of the earth's water is suitable for drinking water.
· The average person in the United States uses 100-150 gallons of water each day, Europeans use an averageof 74 gallons, Africans use 17 gallons and the Chinese use about 23 gallons.
· About 70% of water is used for agriculture globally, while 20% is used for industry and 10% for residential use.
· Asia has significant water challenges with 36% of the world's water supply, yet 60% of the total population.
· Leaks are an enormous problem. In developing countries, nearly 40% of the water is lost before it reaches its destination.
· In the US, we pay about $.005 per gallon of water. Compared water to a gallon of milk at $3.50--700 times the cost of water.

How can hospitals save water? Here are two case studies from Massachusetts.

Case Study Example #1 Carney Hospital in Dorchester is installing flow control fixtures on all patient and exam room faucets at their facility. The existing flow rate of the faucets was measured at 5 gallons per minute (gpm). After retrofitting the faucets the flow was reduced by 3.5 gpm to 1.5 gpm. The average usage of sinks at the facility is estimated at 25 minutes per day. This results in a water savings of 88 gallons per day, or 32,000 gallons of heated water per year for a combined water and energy savings of approximately $280 annually per sink. The cost to retrofit one sink is estimated at $12 resulting in a payback of less than one month.
Install flow control fixtures on all faucets.
Install water saving shower heads.
Retrofit flushometer toilets and urinals with low consumption valve replacement kits.
Replace existing higher consumption toilets and urinals with Massachusetts Plumbing Code conforming Ultra Low Flush (ULF) toilets and urinals which use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) and 1.0 gpf respectively.

Case Study Example #2 New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham has over 300 flushometer toilets in their facility which use approximately 4.5 gallons per flush. Replacing all the existing toilets with ULF toilets would save over 5 million gallons of water annually based on estimates of average daily population in the hospital and information on toilet use. The cost of this measure is estimated at $65,000 and the water and sewer savings of approximately $42,000 result in a payback of 18 months.

By 7:30 p.m. the water was restored. Water pressure in the hospital quickly rose. Toilet valves that stick when water flow is interrupted for a period of time, were all changed by 9:00 p.m. The hospital was back to normal. We could flush again.