Around BIDMC

Dreamday at Fenway

	Top: A winning team of BIDMC staff volunteers. Left: Maxwell Solomon, age 1, enjoys the view. (Photos by Justin Allardyce Knight Photography)

On June 26, 50 BIDMC staff members generously donated their time to help 3,000 special guests of BIDMC enjoy a behind-the-scenes event at Fenway Park during Dreamday at Fenway. The family fun day, sponsored by BIDMC’s office of development and chaired by BIDMC Director John F. Fish, and Overseer Melissa Weiner Janfaza, was a way for BIDMC to say “thank you” to its supporters and introduce new friends to the medical center. Guests checked out Fenway from the batting cages to the top of the Green Monster, took photos with the 2004 World Series trophy, tried on a championship ring and received autographs from Red Sox Legends. They also heard BIDMC’s Mark Callery, MD, Lara Kelley, MD, and Arun Ramappa, MD, discuss surgery, dermatology and orthopaedic surgery – from a sports point of view.

BIDMC One of BBJ “Best”

Recently BIDMC ranked among the Boston Business Journal’s Top 20 large employers for “Best Places to Work in Massachusetts 2005.” The results were based on confidential, five-minute online and paper surveys submitted by BIDMC staff. Questions focused on a variety of topics, including teamwork, benefits, working environment and relationships with management. “It’s very gratifying that so many employees were enthusiastic about the medical center,” says Lisa Zankman, senior vice president of human resources, of the results. “It’s a great motivator for applicants to join a place where employees like their jobs and their work environment.”

Celebrating Our PRIDE

BIDMC marked its 12th annual PRIDE Week June 6-10, recognizing service to the Lesbian and Gay community as an employer and care provider. During a June 10 ceremony, BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy (above, left) congratulated 2005 Lesbian and Gay Achievement awardees Christine Sweeney, (center) manager of BIDMC’s Parent Connection, and David Morris, (right) former BeWell volunteer. Not present: Awardees Tracy Rich and Ash Turnbull, founders of the Gay and Lesbian New Parent Support Group, part of BIDMC’s Parent Connection. Lee Swislow, the new executive director of GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders), gave the keynote address.

Password, Please

Starting later this summer, BIDMC clinicians will use a single username and password for e-mail, network access, BIDMC clinical systems (including CCC Classic, WebOMR, Provider Order Entry, Logician Web, Automated Discharge Pharmacy and the ED Dashboard) and most portal functions on home.caregroup.org. All network users will need to pick a “strong” (hard to guess) password that is at least eight letters long, does not contain a dictionary word or their name, is significantly different from their previous password and uses at least three of these four attributes: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.

Here are some tips to create a secure, easy-to-remember password:

• Choose a line from a song or poem, and use the first letter of each word. For example, “Four Score and Seven Years Ago Our Forefathers” becomes “4S&7YAOF”.
  
  
• Choose a short word or group of words, and replace one or more of the letters with a symbol or number. For example, “Los Angeles” would become “Los_@ngeles”.
  
  
• You will still be required to periodically change your password, but, instead of remembering one for ITS, one for CCC, and so forth, there will be only one. This increased convenience and security will benefit all the users of our electronic systems as well as better protect confidential patient data.

NYLF Forum in MedicineTours BIDMC

Thirty-nine high school students from across the United States learned firsthand about careers in medicine when members of the National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine (NYLF) visited BIDMC on June 23 and July 7. During the day-long sessions, students shadowed BIDMC clinicians in the GI Endoscopy Suite, surgery, the medical intensive care unit, an outpatient clinic, the emergency department and radiology. The students also accompanied clinicians in their office practices and clinics and shadowed housestaff on their morning work and attending rounds. "These students are invited to NYLF based on their outstanding high school achievements and potential to pursue medicine as a career," says Ron Silvestri, MD, pulmonary and critical care, who directs the clinical NYLF experience at BIDMC. "It has been a real thrill to showcase our institution and highlight the breadth of professional possibilities in medicine to such a bright and promising group of young men and women." Above: Student William Harmon (l) shadows ED physician Michael Burns, MD.

Knitting for Newborns

Visitors from Newborns in Need, Inc., (NIN) a non-profit organization with chapters throughout the United States, stopped by BIDMC's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on June 29 with some very welcome donations. The charity, which serves the needs of premature and newborn babies, donated hand-made sweaters, hats, booties, blankets and other materials to the NICU, and has offered to start doing so on a regular basis. More information on the group is available at http://www.newbornsinneed.org.

Above (l-r): Susan Kraft, RN, labor and delivery, Director of Volunteers Julia Dunbar, NIN's Elizabeth Cameron and Suzanne Woulfe, NICU Nurse Specialist Susan Young, RN, and NIN's Stephanie Woulfe.