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FOMO

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As I hear recaps of the HLTH 2021 conference in Boston last week and see colleagues posting about the upcoming CHIME Fall Forum, I admit I have a little bit of FOMO (fear of missing out). The HLTH conference was never on my radar given my work and moving schedule though it was nearby. I had looked forward to attending the CHIME Fall Forum in San Diego this coming week and seeing colleagues in person after all this time with only virtual events. But for several reasons, I won’t be attending.

John Lynn with Healthcare IT Today and Bill Russell with Today in Health IT provided highlights of the HLTH conference for those of us not attending. I expect Bill will do the same during the CHIME Fall Forum between daily recaps and live interviews while there.

There will be the usual excellent keynote speakers and track sessions with members presenting at CHIME. One of the highlights I am sorry to be missing will be Wednesday’s pre-forum session – “CHIME’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Retreat”. It will include speakers on “Unpacking Identity and Bias” and a panel session with CHIME members titled “Sharing DE&I Successes, Challenges and Next Steps”.  As a member of the CHIME DE&I committee, I value the connections made and candid conversations we’ve had in the planning of these sessions. We are continually learning from one another on this journey. It was after watching/listening to the DE&I session at the virtual CHIME Fall Forum a year ago that I decided to join this committee and help with this important work finding yet another way to get involved and give back.

Virtual events have been abundant and gotten better over the past 20 months as organizers adapted to the tools and speakers got used to monitoring online chats and Q&A vs interacting with live audiences. Continue reading →

Never too late to make time for a break

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Labor Day weekend is upon us. The last holiday weekend of the summer. A summer that we hoped would be more normal. One where we could enjoy vacation travel, visiting family again, and spending time with friends.

Was your summer what you expected? Did you get the break from work you needed? Did you get to see family?

Talking to my oldest daughter this morning, she described it as “the summer of yes”. She is a nurse practitioner and given what last summer was like with COVID-19, this year she was able to do short trips with her family and friends to Martha’s Vineyard, New Hampshire, and Maine.  My youngest daughter and her husband finally got to see his family in Florida taking a road trip there with their two kids.

For our first vacations since before the pandemic, my husband and I planned a long Memorial Day weekend in New York City and a 2-week vacation in California that was to include a several day visit to my Minnesota family who I hadn’t seen since October 2019. Neither trip went as expected for health reasons. Over Memorial Day weekend, we spent two of the four days in a New York City hospital after my husband had another serious medical incident. I could write Part 2 of my September post “When healthcare becomes personal” at some point – this one would be a focus on the lack of interoperability. I’m happy to say he is fine but there are still medical mysteries for us. Our California trip had to be scrapped due to my injury from a bad fall though we still visited family in Minnesota where I was able to rest and take it easy.

But I can’t complain. It is truly heartbreaking to see the current COVID-19 surge with exhausted frontline healthcare workers and so many preventable deaths of people who are unvaccinated. We all long for better times.

If you have not found time this summer to take a break, even a “staycation” if you’re concerned about safe travel, or quality time with family, I hope you can find time in the coming weeks. I have written in the past about the importance of finding time to reboot, putting family first, and prioritizing self-care. Now more than ever we all need it.

Related Posts:

Take time to reboot

Renewal, big rocks, and the elusive work life balance

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Treasuring family after a long year

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I hesitate to say “post COVID” or “post pandemic” even though there are signs of the new normal as organizations roll out their plans for employees to return to the office, states drop their mask mandates and businesses are allowed to open at full capacity. But when will we be truly “post COVID”? While the U.S. COVID-19 cases and deaths are at new lows, the global situation is far different and the variants continue to be a concern. Globally, there have been more deaths in 2021 than all of 2020. So it is far from over.

I am glad that I live and work in states with high vaccine rates and where mask mandates were accepted and not protested. In both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, over 60% of the population has received the first dose. In fact, all the New England states are at that level of vaccination, and all are over 50% fully vaccinated.

In the past few weeks, I have experienced more “firsts” in this transition to the new normal. We had friends over for dinner. Our Saturday morning outing at the local farmers market no longer requires masks. Wandering the stalls with our two little dogs, it is good to chat with strangers like we used to. We went to a Red Sox game and seeing so many people in one place was a big change. The wave doesn’t catch on the same at partial capacity but the enthusiasm for the Red Sox hasn’t changed. At my hair salon, my most recent haircut was the first without a mask; they are no longer required if you are vaccinated. On my daily walks, I no longer cross the street when someone else is walking towards me with their dogs but rather stop and talk and let the dogs do their sniffing thing.

Being in public places without a mask is one thing. But being with family is what I have truly missed. Our immediate family (our two daughters, their husbands and all the grandchildren) has not all been together since early November. Our few get togethers last year were outside socially distanced with masks as needed. We respected everyone’s comfort level and deferred to the least comfortable. Continue reading →

Treasure the good

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The past 14+ months have been a period of loss and sadness. Even if you and your loved ones have remained healthy and employed, the pandemic has impacted all our lives. Now that over 200M people in this country have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 87M people are fully vaccinated, and the vaccine is available to anyone over 16 who wants it, we are on our way to a new chapter. But we still need to get to at least 70% for herd immunity and continue with precautions.

I don’t want to appear Pollyannish as we look to the future, but let’s ask ourselves what good has come out of this past year.

Have you had more quality time and connections with your family being home so much?

Have you found new ways to connect and celebrate milestones with family and friends at a distance?

Have you simplified your life and decreased your consumption?

Have you found new hobbies or restarted old ones?

Have you spent more time reading and learning?

Have you spent more time outside enjoying nature?

Have you explored cooking new foods and eaten healthier at home?

Have you become a kinder person, more caring about your community and people you don’t know?

Have you come to know and appreciate your co-workers in new ways after working together through tough times, and perhaps meeting their kids on video calls and hearing their dogs bark in the background?

Have you converted your work commute into something positive for yourself?

Have you spent time reflecting on your career and what truly is important to you? Continue reading →

Make your voice heard, your vote counts!

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Like more than 75 million people, I have already cast my vote. My husband and I were there on the first day of early voting in our state. Millions of voters are willing to stand in long lines to vote. And at a time when new COVID-19 cases are averaging over 72,000 a day.

We are on track for record voter turnout before the election is over. In 2016, about 60% of eligible voters actually voted. Given early voting numbers, the projected 2020 total votes could be record breaking at over 150 million compared to about 135 million in 2016. Voter suppression is real and has taken many forms in this election cycle. It is already too late for mail-in ballots in many states – you will have to take it to a dropbox. And yet, early voting is at a record high.

Yes, I voted for Biden. That should be no surprise if you know me or have read many of my blog posts. I do believe this is the most consequential election in our lifetime. When the votes are counted, it will be either Biden or Trump.

The number of undecided voters is at a record low. If you are one of those undecided voters or leaning towards Trump despite all your concerns, I offer up a few statements for your consideration from some unlikely sources on why they also support Biden:

  • Former Republican Party Chairman, Michael Steele has endorsed Biden. He clearly and thoughtfully articulates his position as a longtime Republican in a recent podcast “My Country Matters: Why I am Endorsing Biden”. In the last few minutes of it, he talks about leadership, decency, and character. He quotes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in saying “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
  • A conservative New Hampshire newspaper, The Union Leader, has not endorsed a Democrat for President in a 100 years. Their editorial “Our Choice is Joe Biden” says “We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to be a president for all of America, and we take him at his word. Joe Biden may not be the president we want, but in 2020 he is the president we desperately need. He will be a president to bring people together and right the ship of state.”
  • The CEO of Expensify, David Barrett, has publicly endorsed Biden in an email to 10M customers entitled “Protect democracy, vote for Biden”. In his opening he says, “That’s right, I’m saying a vote for Trump, a vote for a third-party candidate, or simply not voting at all — they’re all the same, and they all mean — I care more about my favorite issue than democracy. I believe Trump winning is more important than democracy. I am comfortable standing aside and allowing democracy to be methodically dismantled, in plain sight.” His full email is included in this Business News article.

I saw a story of a 102-year-old woman born before women had the right to vote who said this is the most consequential election in her life as she cast her vote. If she can get out and vote, so can you.

Don’t sit this one out. Make a plan to vote and help your family and friends make a plan. Make your voice heard. Every vote matters. This election must be decided at the ballot box by your vote, not the courts.

Resources and Related Posts:

I Will Vote

When We All Vote

Fair Fight

Vote your values

Forward together

12 more days – forward together

Physical distancing: finding our way

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We saw our grandkids again on Sunday. A small family get together for Father’s Day and our youngest grandchild’s 4th birthday. As we all find our way and do our best to minimize our risks of COVID-19, being able to hug my grandkids brings me great joy and is one of the things I have missed the most these past few months.

There is a reason many people want to refer to this new practice as physical distancing, not social distancing. We need each other. Social isolation is not healthy. Technology has helped but it is not the same. Just ask someone who said their final goodbye to a loved one on FaceTime or Zoom.

Living in Rhode Island, my husband and I have taken the shutdown very seriously. Governor Gina Raimondo got ahead of it early with the shutdown order and then a slow, phased reopening. From mid-March until a few weeks ago, we have mostly stayed home except for the weekly groceries, a few trips to the garden nursery and Home Depot, the occasional takeout order, and the daily dog walks.

We limited family visits to outside spaces at our homes at a distance and no hugs. We are gradually loosening up on the hugs. As we all learn more about how the virus is transmitted, spending time with close family who have also been strict during this period seems reasonable.

My 4-year-old grandson first told me back in April on a family Zoom session that he was going to have a birthday parade, no gifts, and a small cake only for his mom, dad, and sister. It was sad to hear him explain this at such a young age but I thought it was probably a reasonable plan. The idea of a parade was exciting to him. But two months later we decided it was ok to do the backyard immediate family only gathering, which was 12 adults and the 4 young cousins, aged 4 through 7. The grandkids gave us hugs and briefly sat on our laps. It was good to not feel like we were all radioactive.

The slow opening of our own circles is a challenge we all must deal with. I do not take this virus lightly. I read a lot and listen to many interviews and podcasts with experts. I try to be as informed as possible about the science. And I take cues from my sister who has a public health background and my daughter who is an NP and has cared for COVID-19 patients in Boston. Continue reading →

Taking stock – goals for your next decade

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January 1, 2020 marks more than just another new year, it marks a new decade. And a good time to take stock.

What are your personal highlights of the past decade? What does the new decade hold for you? Are you living the life you want to live?

I have never been a “bucket list” kind of person, but I did set four big, broad goals for myself early in this decade. They involved family, work, travel, and friends.

My family goal involved grandkids that weren’t yet born. I told my husband that I wanted to spend a lot of time with my grandkids if I was fortunate enough to have them someday. That someday came for us four times between 2012 and 2016. Happy to say, I’m meeting my family goals. Once we had grandkids, there was no question I wanted to make the changes needed to live near them so I could see them often. We made the move back to New England in 2016 and it was one of our best decisions ever. They are now 7, 5, almost 5, and 3 ½. I fondly call them the “Fab Four” and we see them often.

That decision to move was tightly coupled with a major career decision. Leaving a fulltime position as a healthcare CIO to start down a path of interim management, consulting and leadership coaching. It’s a decision I have never regretted as I now have more control and flexibility in my career and work. This period has included launching and growing a successful health IT advisory firm, StarBridge Advisors, with two colleagues for the past 3 years. Continue reading →

Holidays aren’t fa-la-la for everyone

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In past holiday seasons I’ve written about managing stress and remembering your big rocks, STEM gifts for kids, and girl power gifts. What to say that is new and different? Not to be a downer, but this year I want to comment on loss.

My husband and I visited Washington DC the past several days for a mini vacation. We saw two excellent plays, went to a holiday choral concert, and spent a day touring the Capitol including visits to both the house and senate galleries. We visited several museums, saw the lights at the national zoo, shopped at the holiday market, and had several delicious meals. And after 43 years of marriage, we continued to enjoy each other’s company everywhere where we went.

But of all those outings, what struck me the deepest was the Judy Chicago exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts called “The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction”. The artist who is famous for her feminist and minimalist art turned 80 this year. In her words, she has been thinking a lot about her own mortality. While the doctors and nurses I know may be more used to dealing with mortality, it is a subject most of us try to avoid thinking about.

This powerful art exhibit is divided into three sections. The first depicts the five stages of grief – denial, anger, negotiation, grieving and acceptance. The second begins with a sculpture of an older deceased woman clearly at peace followed by pieces that speculated on how the artist herself would die – in peace, in pain, or you can imagine. The third was about extinct species – a very powerful message in a different way forcing the viewer to think about how we are slowly destroying wildlife through our actions and inaction.

I know several people who have lost someone they loved dearly this past year. Some said goodbye to elder parents and grandparents after long illnesses. Others in my circle of friends and family had more sudden and unexpected losses – a beloved spouse, a parent, a brother, a sister, a child. Many people say the first holiday season after losing a loved one is the hardest. I have no doubt about it.

As you celebrate the joy and wonder of this holiday season, make room for those who are grieving. Find kindness in your heart for all around you but give special support and love to those who may need it the most at this time of the year. If you have experienced loss, let those close to you surround you with their love.

May your holiday season and new year be one of peace, health and happiness.

Related Post:

Do you know your big rocks?

With Gratitude

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I was struck by the recent Becker’s Hospital Review article highlighting healthcare CEO messages of thanks to their staff. I saw gratitude, humility, commitment, servant leadership and a true passion for what we do in healthcare and how we serve our communities. Jim Hinton, CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas) said Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday because the focus is not on gifts but rather on thanks. He quoted John F. Kennedy who said, “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” So true. And so important.

I am thankful for my family who are my “big rocks”. My husband, Tom, has been my best friend for over 45 years. My daughters, Katie and Ann, now have families of their own. We all get along and live close enough to see each other often. My grandkids who I fondly call the “fab four” bring energy and fun to every get together. And I am thankful for my siblings and their families who I do my best to keep in touch with halfway across the country.

I am thankful to my StarBridge Advisors colleagues, David Muntz and Russ Rudish, who started this adventure with me three years ago. And I am grateful for the talented team of advisors who have chosen to work with us and to all the healthcare organizations who have trusted us enough to hire us as interim leaders, advisors and leadership coaches the past few years.

I am thankful for my team at the University of Vermont Health Network where I have served as interim Chief Technology Officer since late May. I am grateful to everyone who is part of “team Epic” and worked so hard to ensure a successful go live a few weeks ago. The staff who worked many 12-hour shifts, the operational leaders who partnered with IT, and all the users who were patient with us as we diligently fixed issues.

I am thankful to all my health IT colleagues across the industry who I continue to learn from and who help make me a better person.

And I am thankful that I work in an industry that makes a difference in peoples’ lives every single day.

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Do you know your big rocks?

 

Another opportunity to be generous

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Hurricane Dorian has dominated the news cycle for the past week. As this powerful storm moves up the east coast, we are learning the scale of devastation and human suffering in the Bahamas. The pictures canstockphoto18234898and stories of survivors are heartbreaking.

It is a humanitarian crisis that requires an international response. With airports under water, their lifeline for the basics of safe drinking water, food and supplies is extremely limited. Health workers are on the ground doing what they can.

There are many ways to give. I encourage you to find a relief organization that you can support and give generously.

As you think about those affected by this devastation, be thankful for the everyday heroes who are helping with the rescue and recovery operation as they so often do.

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Everyday heroes among us

Humanitarian crisis, American crisis

HIEs matter