A walk down memory lane

I have slowly started the task of organizing my files to prepare for my departure. You don’t realize how much stuff you accumulate over 12 years! I have a lot of “special” things I have held onto throughout my years as CEO at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

Cleaning my office has been relatively easy since I am only doing a little at a time, but it has evoked a wave of memories and emotions.

So, what have I found?

I found pictures from my first Halloween at Children’s Specialized back in 2003 when Elaine Mustacchio (Nursing 3^rd floor, NB) loaned me an apron to wear when I dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Of course I had no trouble finding the red shoes piece – I have a plethora of them! But my favorite part of the memory was I got to see the real national holiday of Children’s Specialized Hospital at Halloween.

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I am fidgeter; I literally can’t sit still for too long. So in especially long meetings I bring toys with me. So in my cleaning, I found my “stash” of toys. I have soldiers, little men with smiley heads; I have hearts and squares that are pieced together, and lots of stretchy Gumby dolls.

Now to be honest, many of the soldiers have stretched out arms and some are headless because I pulled on them so much. But it was fun to find them and be reminded of how much fun we had playing with them.

One of the most special things I found in office was the pile of cards and notes that I have received from many of you over the years. It was such fun to reread them and to have my heart filled again with the warmth of being part of this special family.

So as we approach what will be my final 30, 60, or 90 days at Children’s Specialized Hospital (depending on the State approval), I will continue leisurely packing and cleaning my office, but please know how I cherish the memories I’ve had here and my time as a part of this special family.

So here is my ask for you guys.

If you have a funny or poignant memory with me from the last 12 years, please share it on the blog or email it to me. 

It would be a wonderful addition to all that have already been shared. 

Question & Answer with Amy

How many of you opened this blog post and thought I was going to talk about the Q&A document on the Intranet? Nope! Today is something a little more fun. I was asked to fill out a Q&A for a  board that I sit on and thought it would be fun to share my answers with you.

1. Something most people don’t know about me – My holiday cards have to be the first one you receive in the mail.  Yes, even the Friday after Thanksgiving. 
2. Idea of happiness – Having everything crossed off my to-do list at the end of the day.
3. Biggest weakness – I over commit.
4. Enjoy the most – Working!
5. Heroes – My parents.
6. Natural gift would you like poses – I wish I could sing.
7. Pet peeve – Being disrespectful to others, regardless of title.
8. What historical figure do I identify with or admire? Winston Churchill.
9. What is my motto? It’s all good.
10. Favorite way to spend time – With family and friends.
11. Treasured possession – A big fancy ring I bought right after a friend of mine passed away.
12. Greatest extravagance or indulgence – Shoes!
13. Quality most important in a friend – Loyalty.
14. Favorite way to relax – Running.
15. I’d never – Sky dive.
16. Traits I value in a colleague – Someone who will be candid with me.
17. My greatest achievement – Even when people don’t necessarily like me, they still respect me.
18. Something I’d still like to do – Be able to sleep through the night!
19. Three words that describe my leadership style – Direct, passionate, no excuses. (Ok, technically that’s 2 words and a phrase).
20. Who has been the greatest influence on me? – New Jersey Gov. James Florio
21. My ideal day – Go for a long run, and then sit by the pool with umbrella drinks and a good book.
22. Favorite childhood memory – Being in Maine with my parents.
23. Biggest fear – Fire.

So, there you go! Who doesn’t love a good list?  I’d love for some of you to share your own answers in the comments below. 

A new year, a new group of honorees!

So, January flew by faster than I could imagine. But that just got us one step closer to recognizing our next five (5) Employees of the Quarter

Our Q1 honorees for 2016 are:

• Kaylee McGuire — Community Recreation Program Coordinator, Mountainside
• Carol Sherry — Ambulatory Care RN, Mountainside
• Luciana Mendes-McGuire — Family Faculty, New Brunswick
• Marilyn Zuniga — Assoc. Coordinator for Autism, Fanwood
• Shavane Thompson — Team Lead-PAS IV&A, Mountainside

We could tell you how great they are ourselves, but let’s let their nominator share why they nominated them:

Kaylee McGuire

“Kaylee oversees our community recreation programs. These programs include Friday Night Fever, summer day and overnight camps, Adapted Aquatics, and Martial Arts. She has been expanding programs over the past 3 years to increase our patients served to a total of 491 children. She works countless days and hours to ensure safe and fun programs for this population who have few community resources to turn to. She continues to be innovative in her planning and organization of our programs to help their growth, satisfaction, and overall participants served. She is a true team player. Kaylee often assists with inpatient and LTC coverage needs. She also serves as President of NJ/EPA TRA and as the Pediatric Treatment Network leader for ATRA. This year, Kaylee has presented at conferences/webinars a total of 10 times, not including multiple inservices to staff throughout the organization.”

Carol Sherry

“I have no words to describe how much Carol Sherry contributes to the lives of our patients and the people with whom she works. Carol is the glue that holds Mountainside ACC together. If she can be helpful in any way, Carol is always right there. She has been here for so many years and I have never seen her dedication waver, not even for a moment. Going above and beyond is Carols norm, but that should never be taken for granted. I believe Carol deserves this honor, for sure. I'd nominate her for Employee of the Decade if I could.”

Luciana Mendes-McGuire

“Luciana goes above and beyond every day in her work as Family Faculty. She is a role model for our Service Excellence Standards. She goes out of her way to ensure that our families’ needs are met no matter what the circumstance—from bringing them food, to helping them get clothing, transportation and so much more!! She partners with staff in all that she does to help make our families experiences the best that it can be (e.g. supports staff and families in family meetings, coordinates welcome bags for families, oversees the Family Resource room, partners with Brain Injury Alliance for resources etc..). Every Thanksgiving Luciana and her family cook and serve a holiday dinner for our inpatient families and staff as a way to give back to the hospital for the wonderful care that they have received.”

Marilyn Zuniga

“Marilyn exemplifies compassion for all families, especially those from underserved communities. For example, children from Spanish-speaking families who she screened in the community Kohl's clinics actually have a higher rate of follow through with recommendations versus English-speaking families, which is very unusual. This is because she makes sure that these families understand what is going on and how to link to services. Families often contact her long after their screening to keep in touch and ask further questions to make sure their kids are getting needed services. She also exemplifies Excellence in her work as Study Coordinator for one of our autism grants. This grant requires constant attention to detail, networking with community providers and providing support to clinical staff. Some of the community agencies can be quite challenging but Marilyn never gives up as she tries to find ways to meet everyone's needs. Marilyn is endlessly patient in soothing frustrated families and staff. I have seen so much growth in Marilyn as her confidence and advocacy has grown. This is shown by her involvement with the International Meeting for Autism Research where she has been worked with the cultural diversity committee.”

Shavane Thompson

When I think of integrity and excellence I think of Shavane. Shavane is someone that I can trust and this value is shown through her everyday interactions with her co-workers, customers, clinicians, and to all in which she interacts with. Shavane is has that "get it right" personality. She works to perfection, and will not stop until her work is presentable and includes what is expected and beyond. She continues to go above and beyond what is expected to get the job done; even if it requires her to stay late. Shavane has volunteered in different fundraiser events at Children’s and serves as a member of the Family Advisory Counsel. Shavane has sat on the Board of Career Vision Ambassadors and was the President of the Alumni Association at her college. She has run multiple church groups in her spare time. Shavane also sat on the Board of the Rotary Club.”

Congratulations to all five of you for being recognized for your hard work and dedication to our patients, families, and each other. You will each be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of your choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as be considered for our Employee of the Year.

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized Hospital and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

Comment below to leave a congratulations message for each of our Employees of the Quarter. 

And tonight’s Power Ball numbers are…..

Remember when I told you about having certain people who youcan really rely on? Well, today’s post was inspired by Theresa Defosse! She reached out to me to share what she would do with the money if she won the huge Powerball jackpot.

As of yesterday, the jackpot was up to $1.5 billion. BILLION! You could buy a few private islands and still have enough left over to get each Children’s Specialized Hospital employee a new car.

Theresa – who has a heart of gold – shared that she would use the money to help others and to change the world in a positive way.

“Personally, I would focus on accessible housing. I would start by building a community for kids and families who can’t go home after hospitalization. Then, I would try to expand the vision and promote accessible housing communities. I would want more medical group homes, so kids like Poppy could live with a family.”

So, it got me to thinking. What would I do if I won the Powerball jackpot (or even a portion of it). 

I just have to say that part of me feels like I’ve already won the lottery with the big Alabama win on Monday. Roll tide!!!!

I was on a golf course once with some colleagues. Instead of paying attention to the game, I started a conversation about what we would do if we won the lottery.

The woman I was playing with said she would set aside money for her nieces and nephews to pay for college.

I had just finished chairing the Capitol campaign for my church and said that I would pay off the mortgage so that it wouldn’t be such a burden for us. I would also pay off my Children’s Specialized Hospital pledge.

The woman’s husband was also playing with us and he said, “What is wrong with you two?! You are supposed to buy a jet and spend the money crazily so you end up bankrupt! You will never ‘win’ with those kinds of ‘wants’!”

Well, I still play occasionally hoping to pay off the church mortgage and my Children’s Specialized pledge, but it was still one of the funniest conversations I have ever had.

Now I want to know, what would YOU do with the money if you won? And if you’re playing tonight, “may the odds forever be in your favor.”

‘Tis the season for getting what you want

It is always interesting to me to see what “THE” gift of the season will be. I have overheard people basically negotiating their first born for one of those hoverboards. One set of parents gave their kids one for Hanukkah and already returned it after their son broke his wrists — 15 minutes after getting it!

Every one of my friends who has a child that is 10 years or under is asking for their own iPhone. Can you believe that?! The Hess truck craze was hot for a while, and they are still selling (and donating) those trucks like crazy. 

And I bet many of you remember the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, and anything Star Wars has continued to be a big hit.

The only thing I really remember coveting as a child for Christmas was this doll. Isn’t she beautiful? 

Of course that was 46 years ago, but when I found this photo on google, she is just as beautiful as I recall her to be!  

So, I wanted to know, what was your most coveted gift as a child for the holidays?

Happy Holidays everyone!

The Equipment Shuffle

Teamwork is one of our core values that we have that ensures we a) don’t burn out trying to do everything on our own and b) that our kids get the best care they possibly can while they are with us.

So when this example came across my desk (well, in my email inbox) I couldn’t wait to recognize this team.

We accept donations of medical equipment so that when families are in need of specialized equipment we can loan something out to them, or use the equipment for either LTC or the inpatient program. The donation process can be tedious for those who aren’t familiar with it. Each new piece of equipment needs to be cleaned, checked for safety, processed into inventory, and then stored until it’s needed.

Then the shuffle begins! No, not the dance (although I wouldn’t put it past the staff in Rehabilitation Technology do a little jig from time to time), but the equipment gets shuffled from one site to another, depending on where the donation is accepted and where it is needed.

Getting the right equipment to the right site and department takes a team effort!

For this story, Sheila Blochlinger (Rehabilitation Technology Manager, Mountainside) gets the lucky straw since she is the one who got to see the happy child and family when we are able to loan a piece of equipment. 

She recently shared with me that we had an 8-year-old boy who came to us because he was just diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. He could no longer walk and was falling down all the time. We have been trying to get him an adaptive stroller through his insurance provider, but it is still not approved. 

A stroller donation from the Toms River site was ready for him and Fresnel Pierre (Materials Management) had transported it to our Mountainside site. It was the perfect size for this child and it was in good working condition. 

Sheila was able to fit the stroller and show the family how to use it properly. His parents were thrilled but most importantly, the child was thrilled. He was finally able to get around without the fear that he’d fall and hurt himself.

Here is the best part. He sat in the stroller and looked in the mirror and said, “Now I look like a King, instead of a baby.” He was smiling ear to ear.

Did happy tears just stream down your face? Because they did for me when I heard this story!

This truly shows how many hands it takes to make a good thing happen and live our value of compassion and teamwork. Not just that, but this shows us all how to be an inspiration to the kids and families we serve!

Yes, we helped to make sure that this patient was safe as he moved around, but more importantly, we changed how he felt about himself. He felt like a King!

Thanks Sheila for sharing this story with me and allowing me the opportunity to share it here on the blog. And thank you to everyone in our Rehabilitation Technology department for ensuring that equipment is clean, safe, and stored until our kids are ready to use it.

Do you know someone that should be recognized on Access Amy for something they’ve done at Children’s Specialized Hospital? I’d love to hear! Share below in the comments or send an e-mail to Megan Muller at memuller@childrens-specialized.org. 

Our partnership with China begins

First, let me begin by saying what a tremendous honor it was to for Michael Dribbon (VP Rehabilitation Services and Program Development), Chris Haines (Chief Medical Officer), and I to represent Children’s Specialized Hospital to begin our new consulting relationship with LIH Olivia’s Place. So many of you have asked about our trip, so I thought this would be a great place to share with all of you!

I’m going to totally over share on this one, but Michael over packed. Ha! Standing in the United Airlines line for check in, he had to take out ½ a pound of stuff from his suitcase. He was carrying presents and other materials for the people we were going to meet, but it ended up making his bag weigh a whopping 70.5 lbs! They wouldn’t let him pay to send the bag as is, so we had to do some luggage juggling.

The first thing we noticed when we arrived was the very tall apartment buildings. Inside entire, multi-generational families live together in 1,000 square feet homes. I can only speak for myself, but it really struck me how many people are in such a small space; everything is so compact.

I have a whole new appreciation for rush hour in New Jersey! In Beijing, it took us almost 95 minutes to go 5 miles. One of our hosts described driving in Beijing to me like a boulder in the middle of a stream. The water just makes its way around the boulder on the sides and isn’t deterred. People, cars, and bikes all move the same way. It just goes. I spent a lot of time in the back of the van with my eyes closed!

Beijing Children’s Hospital had just begun to institute appointments to their outpatient clinics. Prior to the week we arrived, people would just line up at the wee hours of the morning outside of the clinic doors and wait – just like you would at a department store. When the doors would open, people would be lined up by which physician they needed to see, and then wait again to be seen.

The physician would spend an average of 3 minutes with each patient and see 500 or so patients a day. It was hard for us to conceive how all of this functions.

The inpatient hospital is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Friday. Just one nurse stays at night for the entire hospital. The families are expected to stay with their children to provide care over night and on the weekends.

Dr. Haines said he saw many children who had Guillain-Barre and other disorders that we also care for. There are so few surgeons so the things that we see as routine (e. g, feeding tube insertion) are not done because the clinicians can’t take the time away from the more traumatic surgeries that need to be completed.

Our role at Olivia’s Place is to provide expert advice as they open outpatient rehabilitation centers. Their first center was due to open the Monday after our arrival.

Their therapy staff was foreign trained and supplemented with therapy aides. The facility was beautiful and looked very much like ours. All of the patients are private pay, since the government insurance does not cover rehabilitation. It is their hope that they will be able to offer free care but that is an aspirational goal right now.

There were some things I saw there that I found hard to get used to. The signs in the bathroom at the hotel state, “Do not drink the water.” We had to use bottled water to brush our teeth. Also, in the closet there was a face mask with aerator on the front – think gas mask – in case the air was too polluted.

We got a chance to visit The Great Wall of China! It was 100 degrees outside that day. I sweated so much that the dye from my purse bled on my white shirt. There were attractive purple stains all over the back of my shirt and on my shoulder. The sights were beautiful, but I’m not sure how great I look in all the photos since I was so sweaty!

To make matters even more humorous, Michael and I have a bit of a fear of heights, whereas Dr. Haines was fearless during our adventures! Not only were we sweating because of the temperature, but I’m sure our nerves from being so high had something to do with it.

Also, giving a speech with a translator was very tough. You all know that I very rarely use notes and if I have them, I don’t keep to them. Well when someone is translating they read word for word on the slides. So, if you use words that aren’t on the slides and the translator doesn’t know them, well you can only imagine what gets translated.

It is clear to me that we have a unique ability to improve children’s lives in ways we can’t even begin to understand. We are continuing to provide assistance to our partners and hope that they will take us up on our offer to train side by side, both here and in China.

My thanks to all who have volunteered and we will continue to keep you apprised.

Twelve years and counting…

September 29th marks my twelfth year at Children’s Specialized Hospital. On one hand it seems like it went so fast, but honestly it is hard to remember my life without Children’s Specialized Hospital in it!

There is so much that I think about as I reflect back on the last 12 years.

I remember so many of specific moments—Hurricane Sandy; moving to New Brunswick; opening Lakehurst, Clifton, Bayonne, Newark, Egg Harbor, Warren, and Plum Street; and all of the renovations in Mountainside! I look back on the children who have come into our lives, and the tremendous courage of each of them as well as and their families.

The smiles, laughter, and accomplishments of so many of you who have let me into your lives both professionally and personally.

All of the trips to Washington and Trenton to advocate for our children and our hospital, AND the families who have let me drag them all over Washington to tell their stories over and over again to anyone and everyone.

As the flood of memories comes back, the one commonality among them is the smiles and laughter.

The galas, the speeches, and the fundraisers all with special moments and shared joy. In the same respect, I remember the sorrow from the children and staff who were taken from us too soon.

Prominently displayed in my office is the beautiful book I received as a gift on my 10th anniversary. It includes letters from many of you and pictures of our children. It brings tears of joy to my eyes every time I look at it.

While I have many funny stories, nothing will ever top the story about Congressman Mike Ferguson coming to a check presentation in Mountainside. The Congressman was coming to do a press event about money he had secured for us for renovations in Long Term Care. If you know me well you know I hate photos with checks so I asked if the Congressman would read a book to the kids instead.

The kids had just come home from school and one of the little girls – who was the most charismatic, outgoing, spitfire we have ever had stay with us – was giving me a hard time about coming to the event. So now here I am begging her to come to this event and she asks me why the Congressman is coming. I tried my hardest to explain to her that he was coming to read us a story and people were going to take pictures, but she was just looking frustrated because she didn’t understand why. So, I said “He is bringing us cash.”

I didn’t think any more about the conversation and went off to meet the Congressman. The little girl comes in, wheels into the front row, and when he is all done reading the little girl has this face on—I am sitting right next to him so I know something is up.

He looks at her and asks, “Would you like to keep this book?”

This is the best part…

She replies to him with, “No, I want the cash!”

Now, you can imagine my face as I’m watching this whole thing go down (actually you can sEE it in the picture above!). I told her he was bringing money! Did I mention that the Star Ledger was there? I almost died! I never tried to explain away because there was just nothing to say…but out of the mouths of babes!

I can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it is to serve with each of you in our efforts to fulfill our mission of creating a world where every child can reach their full potential. Thank you for all that you give and your dedication to our children and each other.

Cheers to many more years of great things at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

So long sweet summer

Ok, so we have passed Labor Day weekend – the “unofficial” end of summer. While the calendar says summer doesn’t actually end until tomorrow, the beginning of September is usually the time most of us think of the going back to school or back to work.

I shared some of my goals for the summer, for example my summer reading list. Out of the six books I wanted to read, I read five of the six.

The Talk Like Ted book was fabulous and I have already lent it out, especially if you do any presentations or public speaking.  The key take away I got from this book was the art of saying less but having a bigger bang with your messages.

I also read “Do the KIND Thing,” “The Vacationers,” “Beautiful Ruins,” and Sue Grafton’s “X.”

The last book I still have yet to read is “The Oz Principle.” Of course I picked up other books to read along my travels! I told you about “Touchpoints” a great management book that brought together so many of the things we have been working on as part of our management growth.

I also read "Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen which I loved and the "Beautiful Bureaucrat" which I hated.

My August was filled with travel — China and Japan you already know about, but this month also had two wedding back to back. I have now reached the age where my friends’ kids are starting to get married! Both weddings will put me back on planes to Florida and South Carolina. After doing the 13 hours to Asia, these are a walk in the park! 

While I didn't get as much relax time as I would have liked, I did spend a great deal of time thinking about the future. Not only are we working on the RWJ/Barnabas merger, we are also preparing to embark on updating our three year strategic plan in 2016. This is the time when we look both ahead and back. What have we accomplished over the last three years, what is left to do, and how does that fit with both what our families want and the current state of our health care environment?

You have heard me say many times that I do not believe the healthcare delivery system will look anything like what it does today, or in the very near future.

The minute clinics and easy access clinics are now on every major corner. I believe the next big thing will be the ability to make use of your medical information. While many of us have electronic medical records, they’re still not easy to access or are unavailable without going through many steps. I think sharing protected health information will become as easy as sharing access to an app with your provider – regardless of where you are.

The technology is coming too. Accessing doctors via telemedicine will be the standard, not the exception. While we and others have begun to dabble in it, it will be more common than going for an office visit.

So yes, I guess you could say I spent a lot of the summer thinking about how we will fit all of this in and what it will ultimately mean for our continued growth and efforts.

So how about you? What did you do or think about this summer? I would love to hear summer vacation stories too!

My most prized possessions

I’m sure we all have that one treasured keep sake from a special time in our lives, event, or loved one that brings you joy every time you see it. Right? 

In my home and my office, I have a number of pieces of art and pottery that either has been given to me as gifts or, in some cases, my Mother made. Each one has a story and brings me back to a moment or memory that makes me smile. 

There is a small round vase on the table in my office that I bought in California when I was at a Children's Hospital Association meeting with a former colleague from Robert Wood Johnson. Every morning when I walk into my office I am taken back to that wonderful day spent with her, and smile at my fortune to still have her as a friend although our roads are now much different. 

I also have a ring that I wear often. I bought it after a dear friend from church lost her fight to ovarian cancer at the age of 45, leaving three children under the age of 14– two of which have special needs – and a husband who cared for her through every moment of her illness. The ring was a splurge, but her death was a reminder to me of how precious life is.

As you know, I am still blessed to have both my parents, but I am sure that there will be things of theirs that I can't imagine living without. Fortunately I haven't had to cross that bridge yet.

What’s your prized possession(s)? What’s that one (or two, or three) thing that brings you much joy or you hold dear to your heart? 

This would make my life easier...

Think back on the last decade or so; think about how far technology has come. Portable DVD players and digital cameras were becoming popular. Today, we get both features in our cell phone!

I’m sure I don’t speak for myself when I say that I’ve taken a lot of these technological advances for granted over the last few years. For example, my iPhone!

With my iPhone, I can FaceTime all of my loved ones and relatives in a real-time way from anywhere in the world at any time. A few friends and I were recently recalling standing in line in college during the ‘80s to use the payphone! Can you imagine having to schedule a weekly call to your home from a payphone, instead of picking up your personal cell phone from anywhere and just tapping the screen?

I remember using FedEx for the first time and thinking it was insane that it could be sent over night. Today, we can “Zip” a document and send it anywhere in the world immediately. 

Ok, here is my point.

All this chat about technology got me to thinking: If I could invent anything to make my life a little bit easier, what would it be?

I think the one invention I could really use would be some sort of transportation magic that would allow me to either be in multiple places at the same time or travel quickly. You know, sort of a "Bewitched" wiggle of my nose and POOF I’ve gone from Egg Harbor to Clifton at the blink of an eye.

Another thing I thought of was to clone myself! Some days there is just SO much to do that I could really use another one of me. Could you imagine my shoecloset if that were possible?

If you could invent any one thing to make your work or personal life easier or more efficient, what would it be? 

The Winners Are…

As you know, with our redesigned Employee Recognition Program we have introduced the Employee of the Quarter/Year component. This program recognizes five (5) employees each quarter who go above and beyond in exemplifying our Core Values and Service Excellence Standards.

Our Q2 honorees for 2015 – and our Employees of the Quarter – are:

• Adrienne RobertielloAutism Educator, Autism Program, Fanwood
• Beth Anne DoboshDirector of Corporate Foundation Relations, Foundation Department, New Brunswick
• Cynthia GreenPhysician Relations Representative, Business Development Department, New Brunswick
• Haig MinassianSystems Analyst, Strategic Improvement Department, New Brunswick
• Melissa SmithClinical Lead – ST, Administration, New Brunswick

Here’s a little peak into what their nominator had to say about them:

Adrienne Robertiello

“[Adrienne] is a visionary who routinely looks for and creates opportunities for CSH to shine and to broaden our reach. For example, not only has Adrienne created resources to improve safety for people affected by ASD, she has also instructed countless emergency providers how to recognize people with special needs and how to more effectively communicate and anticipate in order to prevent emergency situations and/or to better handle situations as they arise…She tirelessly works to make improvements to the Hub and to add practical information that is accessible and also promotes the expertise of CSH…Adrienne is always willing to help others with various projects, including using her graphic arts

background to create professional posters and flyers, problem solve situations involving patient/family needs, and hook up families and staff with community resources.”

Beth Anne Dobosh

“Having grown up with an aunt who had Down syndrome, Beth Anne had a special place in her heart for people with disabilities and she knew she wanted to make a real impact for an organization that helped children with special needs. Lucky us, because during her 7 years here at Children’s Specialized, Beth Anne has developed into a dynamic, multi-skilled leader under the guidance and direction of Phil Salerno, among others. Beth Anne has too many accomplishments to list; millions of dollars raised; numerous corporate partnerships that have blossomed into signature relationships with multi-tiered levels of support from monetary, grants to thousands of volunteer and corporate service hours. Beth Anne has been a part of our Community Engagement Pillar since its inception and has helped lead many successful changes and initiatives to increase our community engagement events. What’s important to understand about Beth Anne’s work is that she has to inspire and motivate others to give, to volunteer, to grant funding and to commit to helping our cause – to be successful with any of those tasks it takes an incredible amount of passion and skill.”

Cynthia Green

“Cindy always goes above and beyond to provide VIP concierge service to every family. For example, not only does she arrange car service if needed, she gets them local gym membership, purchased a bathing suit for a child who did not have one so the patient could participate in aquatics, and found a poster of a patient's favorite hockey team for a patient who lived in California and was extremely homesick. She shows this same compassion, sincerity, commitment, and anticipation of unstated needs with co-workers. For example, she has befriended the troubled young son of one of the staff in New Brunswick, providing a listening ear when he visits, making sure that he has a snack and help with games to keep him busy while his parent prepares for home. She travels throughout the NJ-PA-NY-CT area to tirelessly promote CSH programs…Her eyes and ears are always open for patients, families and staff interests and needs…Many of the families who contact Cindy are extremely anxious about the health of their children. Cindy acknowledges their concerns and follows through 100% of the time…Cindy has been singled out by many inpatient and outpatient families for going above and beyond.”

Haig Minassian

“Haig worked throughout the past year to prepare for the roll out of both the Tablet Registration and the Patient Portal and has been the point person for both projects. Both of these projects are responses to the expressed need of patients and families and seek to improve the experience of those we serve while also increasingly efficiency and keeping our organization at the forefront of the marketplace. Haig has been working incredibly long hours throughout the state to make sure that the tablet roll-out is successful, and he balances a great deal while also training staff, anticipating concerns, and problem solving on the go. He keeps the strategic aspects of the project in mind in the face of daily minutia that also needs to be addressed…I've been particularly impressed at how I have seen him grow in recent months as he interacts with a wide spectrum of people in many roles with a wide spectrum of personalities and life experiences. He has been very encouraging to staff who are learning something new.”

Melissa Smith

“As a clinical lead [Melissa] has the opportunity to influence so many by sharing her clinical expertise using evidence based practice and the most current literature both in one on one mentoring and in workshop settings. She continues to support the inpatient teams with leadership and provision of highly skilled Speech services in a family centered environment. She is truly impacting inpatient and outpatient services by being compassionate and caring mentor to make a positive lasting difference for many staff and patients... Melissa has truly taken on her new role with a passion, she understands the importance of being committed to developing and growing her own leadership skills so that she can have a greater influence on improving our clinical lead team and in turn the organization.

Congratulations to each of you and thank you to the team members who took the time to recognize all who were nominated!

Each of these individuals will be rewarded with a $50 gift card and an item of their choice from our Give a WOW! gift shop, as well as considered for Employee of the Year.

Please join me in congratulating each of our honorees for their dedication to Children’s Specialized Hospital both in the comments below and on Give a WOW!

If you have a colleague that you feel should be rewarded for going above and beyond both at Children’s Specialized and in their community, please submit an Employee of the Quarter nomination in Give a WOW! Questions on how to do this? Please contact Megan Muller at x7135 or memuller@childrens-specialized.org.

You know you’re at Children’s Specialized when…

Have you ever caught yourself in the “outside world” doing things that you do while at work here at Children’s Specialized and wondered if people are looking at you funny?

I have!

Last week I was walking in from the Plum Street parking deck in the middle afternoon. Jagdar Tamesar (Environmental Services) was walking in with me and I bent down to pick up garbage from the floor in the parking deck.

Now, if you have been in the Plum Street deck in New Brunswick, you know that while the New Brunswick Parking Authority does great work, the parking deck has a pretty heavy flow of traffic in and out, so it is hard to keep it clean.

Stuff on the floor is a pet peeve of mine. I think of my work space the same way that I do of my home. I would never walk over a piece of garbage in my own home, so I wouldn’t leave it on the floor here at work either.

Want to hear something funny? One Sunday I came into the hospital and Marion Bethea (PAS, Mtn) was poking fun because she saw me on the security cameras picking up hairpins that were on the floor!

Another thing I do all the time is talk to random children – not just our kids, but any kid. I ask them about their day and talk to them about the clothes they are wearing. Their parents are either thrilled that someone is taking notice of their children or they think I am a total crackpot.

Let’s hear it! What little quirks do you carry with you from our work here?

Do I really write these things?

So, one of the questions that I get pretty frequently is "Who writes the Weekly Wrap Up, Access Amy, etc for you?"

One of our values is Teamwork, so believe me when I say that these are all team efforts!

The content for both the Wrap Up and Access Amy come from each and every one of you! Your achievements, your events, your questions and concerns. Sometimes you write to me about a big award a colleague recently received, or questions about a new program. But everything that is shared is about our Children’s Specialized Hospital family.

For the Wrap Up, some of the information is written by others and shared in the Wrap Up format. As for Access Amy, let me set the record straight – I write every single blog.  And because I’m a planner, they are written sometimes long before they appear on the blog – well, depending on the topic.

Like I said, it’s a team effort.

I’ll be the first to admit, grammar is not my strongest skill and my fingers often type faster than spell check can keep up with! So, I have a team to make sure I write well! Rose Allsop (Exec. Asst., New Brunswick) helps me to format the Weekly Wrap Up and send it out to everyone, after Megan Muller (Internal Comm Spec, New Brunswick) gives it a quick review for typos and errors.

For Access Amy, Megan and Rebecca Mazzarella (Comm Mgr, Mountainside) read over my posts and give me some feedback on how to make them better. They also help to publish them and get the word out about the new posts.

I am writing this post on Tuesday, August 18 from a fast-moving train in Japan on a once in a life time vacation. This picture is actually taken from the window so you could be here with me!

So you know who writes these posts and my team of helpers. The other question I frequently get is “Why?”

While the easy answer is “because I want to make sure that you have information about health care environment or things we are trying to tackle,” the other reason is that I want you to have a sense of who I am and what influences my leadership and my thinking. 

Thirteen years ago, during the interview process for this job, I was being interviewed by about 10 doctors during the physician portion when one of them said they often didn't understand the decisions that were made out of the "White House," or the upper management. I was then asked what I would do to better inform the staff about the why behind the decisions made, rather than just the decisions themselves.

Fast forward to today. My blog is a vehicle to do just that – to make sure that the all of our team members are informed in not just the final result, but the decision process and all it involves.

One of the reasons I invite you to ask questions on my blog posts, at the employee meetings or give me ideas to write about, is so I can use the forums to try and answer those "why" questions.

Even if you don't agree with decisions, I find having the background of what influenced the decisions helps to have a context for why those decisions were made. 

So, as long as you keep reading and sharing, I will keep writing. I hope you will continue to ask questions and share your ideas, even give me topics you’d like to see here on the blog or shared in the Wrap Up! They don't have to be weighty and serious (I mean, I’ve shared my shoe closet with you guys on the blog!).

So now that you know who writes the blog, I want to hear from you. What should I write about next?

Moments to relive

Sometimes, when I’m having “one of those days,” I like to reflect on some moments in my life where I felt like I was on top of the world. Those moments that put a stamp on your heart, and your memory, and always bring you back to what you were feeling on that day.

Today I want to share a few moments that really took my breath away or caused me such joy that I wish I could do them again.  And of course because you know me, there is a combination of work things and personal things. 

One of the first things that comes to mind was after my father’s surgery to remove his cancer-infested kidney. The morning after the surgery, I brought my mother to his hospital room. He looked up and said, “The doctor told me if I start walking, I could get out of here faster. We are going walking!” So, if you can imagine, my 80-year-old father was doing laps around the other oncology patients and circling the nurses’ station.

I tried to explain to him no one liked a show off and he might trip if he is not careful! Did he care? No way! He wanted to go home as soon as he could!

When the doctor came back the next day, he told him he had done 100 laps and he thought he should get to go home. The doctor looked at me and I said, “Welcome to my world!” In the end, the doctor told him he needed to stay for at least one more day. The look on his face was devastating but the moment was hysterical. This is the essence of my Dad—give him a task and get the heck out of the way!

Children’s Specialized Hospital had been nominated by NJBIZ in 2007 for being an outstanding company. The award ceremony was the same night as one of our Board meetings and all of Senior Staff was there. We knew we had made the top 25, but we didn’t know where we fell in the ranking.

So, there we all were. We had been 10th the year before and we were thinking we might move up one or two spots. But that wasn’t the case.  The announcement of the rankings began; they called 10th place, 9th place, etc, and we still weren’t called.

As we reached the final honorees it was clear we would be named either first or second. When they announced that we were the Hospital of the Year I remember the elation. Not that it was going to change the course of anyone’s life, but we were all so excited and so proud to be together and working together. I can still feel the excitement in my belly. It was a great moment!

Lastly, I am taken back to Alabama. In graduate school I was hired by a big executive of a paper company to dog and house sit for them while he and his family traveled. They had a chocolate lab and I fell in love with her.

When they bred her, I asked to buy one of the chocolate females. She gave birth to 11 pups—5 chocolate, 6 yellow. Four of the chocolate puppies were males and only one was female, also the runt of the litter. I thought it was destiny! There were no ifs, ands, or buts—she was mine.

She lived for 15 years, getting me through a marriage and a divorce. She was my last dog (so far), because it was just too hard to say goodbye to her. I’ll never forget that first moment when I saw her, all by herself when the others were trying to nurse from their mom. We connected; she was mine.

I’m sure we all have a few moments that have left huge impressions on our lives. Please share one of your memorable moments in the comments below! 

“Office” sins to avoid at all cost

We are spending a lot of time focusing on our Service Excellence Standards – in the Daily Huddles and how we live them each and every day. So when I came across this article that lists the things you should never do in an office environment I got to thinking about what would be considered a “sin” here at Children’s Specialized Hospital.

Here is my list of “Office Sins”:

1. Never yell. I have never found a reason that someone needs to yell – unless of course they are trying to prevent someone from running into traffic! If the only way you can get your point across is to yell, then you probably shouldn’t say anything. Take a breath and come back when the yell is no longer in your throat.
2. Dress appropriately. If the outfit you have on is something you second guess to wear to work because it may not be appropriate, don’t wear it. The little birdy in your head telling you that it’s not that bad, probably is fibbing.
3. Cut the negativity. Avoid talking about others in a negative way. It just isn’t nice and never productive.
4. Resolve it. If your feelings are hurt by something that has happened at work, find a way to ask the person why they did what they did – not in a critical way. Seek to understand rather than accuse.
5. Think before you speak. Never let words come out of your mouth that you know you will regret later – we have all done it. Sometimes it may be hard to swallow, but rewording what you want to say will pay off in the long run.

You’ve read mine, now I want to know yours. What does your list of “sins” look like? What are some rules you live by?

Summer vacation, had me a blast

My July 4^th weekend was perfect – sun, fireworks, and even the perfect amount of rain to cool down the heat of the day. 

I really do love summer.

My mom was a teacher, so she had summers off. So, we would spend a lot of time together during the summer months. There was always something to do, and she was a great partner in crime.

Growing up, we always had a big garden, and Mom spent a lot of time canning – you know, preserving foods by putting it in sealed cans. I am not sure that she loved to can, or if it was that we were on a fixed income and it was the only way we got through the winter months. Regardless, it was fun.

She would can everything from vegetables to sauces, but my favorite of all were the jellies and jams. Why? Well, there is something so fun about picking the fruit for the jams!

I remember when I was little we would go strawberry or raspberry picking. It always ended up with me bleeding because I refused to wear long pants and would get beat up by the briers. My mom would create competitive games for me to see who could fill up the containers faster, which often led to green berries being picked just to get the numbers. There was no quality control until later, and she never specified they couldn’t be green!

These times have always been times that I cherish.

We always took a two-week vacation the first two weeks in August, when my Dad finished teaching summer school. We would go camping in Maine and stop to see family along the way.

My favorite part of the trip was visiting with my father’s aunt in Massachusetts. We would eat seafood and visit cousins (and there were a lot of them!). As an only child myself, watching the brother/sister dynamics between my dad and his sister was always fascinating.

Camping in a tent, on the other hand, was a love-hate kind of thing. We loved it because it was the only way we could afford the vacation. However, there was always a twist.

You can’t predict or control the weather, so that always created a tremendous challenge. I remember being stuck in torrential rainstorms one year for almost all of the two weeks. My father told me if I cried to go home my mother would give in.

There was also the dreaded walk to go to the bathroom in the middle of the pitch black night to the one-stall bathroom. It always seemed like a million miles away. 

The priceless part, and the most meaningful part of the trip, was the opportunity to spend time in a beautiful part of the country with two people who I still adore to this day. We had fun, regardless of the weather or how long the walk to the bathroom was.

Playing Memory and Clue to pass the time. Finding shells and picking mussels for dinner. All of these warm memories make it difficult to resist jumping in when I see the kids playing Memory in the gym today.

So, what is your favorite memory of the summer vacations you took as a kid? 

Toms River Superstar shines in the face of Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy affected a number of our employees. One employee in particular was left to rebuild her house while also managing her every day responsibilities as the OT supervisor at Lakehurst Road.

Did that stop Nichole Turmelle from going out of her way to help others? No way!

Nichole and her daughter, Ziesha

After Hurricane Sandy, the Foundation began fundraising efforts to help provide assistance through our Employee Crisis Fund to our employees who experienced damage to their homes. Nichole didn’t hesitate for a moment to share her story at radiothons and other local events.

She even put on a tutu with her daughter and participated in our Dance Dash 5k!

She is also one of those employees who recognizes important milestones for their colleagues. When Kimberly Malony (Foundation, Lakehurst Road) returned from her maternity leave, she was welcomed with a hand-knitted sweater for her son that Nichole had made for him.

Nichole’s thoughtfulness for her patients and their families, as well as her colleagues is apparent in everything that she does. We are so thankful that she is a part of the Children’s Specialized Hospital Family.

Do you know someone that should be recognized on Access Amy for something they’ve done at Children’s Specialized Hospital? I’d love to hear! Share below in the comments or send an e-mail to Megan Muller at memuller@childrens-specialized.org. 

Summer reading, had me a blast

Summer reading reminds of Miss Hawk’s third grade class, when she told us we had to read over the summer or we would fall behind in fourth grade.

I got a “U” for unsatisfactory in cursive handwriting in third grade. So, I was already traumatized, and the reading list did me in. I don’t remember what we read but I know I finished it the first week we were on vacation.

There is something relaxing about reading a book, especially when you’re relaxing on the beach. So, over four decades later I still select books to read over the summer so I don’t fall behind.

I know, you won’t be shocked – since I am your resident nerd – but some of the books I have read (and are sharing with you today) are work related.

The three books that are in my nerd category are:

1. The Oz Principle
2. Talk Like Ted
3. Do the KIND Thing

The Oz Principle was given to me by a former Children’s Specialized Hospital employee who thought I would enjoy it. It is all about challenging your beliefs about individual and organizational accountability.

Talk Like Ted is about the secrets of public speaking. Although I do a lot of public speaking, the State Chamber Chair will require me to speak to groups outside of health care. So, this book will definitely help me step up my game.

Do the KIND Thing is written by the Founder and CEO of KIND, the company that makes those incredible granola bars. The thing that caught me about this book is not only that I love those little bars but the cover had the following words in a circle “Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, and Live Passionately.”

That was it! I was in. See after turning the age of 50, I have started to wonder: I know I work hard and am always busy, but am I truly paying attention to all aspects of my life? I don’t think it is possible to run full throttle in all areas at the same time, but I don’t want to wake up at the age of 60 and say, “Where the heck did the last decade go????”

I’m a pretty frequent customer of Amazon, so I went to the site to check out their summer reading list to add a little FUN to my summer reading.

My first Kindle purchase this season was The Vacationers. It’s a story of a family vacation to celebrate the parents’ 35^th wedding anniversary. It seems interesting but the cover caught my eye, so I’ll let you know when I’m done how it was.

My second purchase was Beautiful Ruins because it is set in Italy and that is where I celebrated my BIG birthday last year. 

On my radar for later in the summer is Sue Grafton’s new book X. It comes out on August 25 and I am impatiently waiting for the launch!

Since the summer months are in full swing, I’m going to need some recommendations. So, what are you reading this summer, and why?

Also, if anyone wants to borrow the Janet Evanovich hard cover books with Stephanie Plum – I think I have almost all of them!!! I am always in for a good book swap!