To me, this time of year is about family. In our crazy busy, over-scheduled lives, it can be a real challenge finding quality time to share with the ones we care about most. I’m looking forward to some simple, quiet … Continue reading →

Like many Americans, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a time to take stock of the year that’s almost past and reflect on everything I’m grateful for (the fact that there’s usually great food involved is always an … Continue reading →

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to every veteran – not just on Veterans Day, but every day. Our world is a safer and better place because of your dedication and service. Please take a moment to remember and honor our … Continue reading →

Iron Man…Princess Leia…Unicorn…Spider Man…Viking. Super heroes from the latest action movie? Not exactly. At UMass Memorial, they’re a different kind of hero – black belts specially trained to safeguard our future through continuous improvement. To date, 100 caregivers across our … Continue reading →

With the Red Sox in the ALCS playoffs and the Patriots’ return to dominance in the AFC East, I am reminded about the importance of teamwork and how just one player, despite their best intentions, can make an honest mistake … Continue reading →

Over the past three years, UMass Memorial Health Care has been building a culture based on the belief that everyone is a caregiver. I see it every day in the halls of our hospitals, on the patient floors, in the … Continue reading →

If you ever wondered if you could make a difference in someone’s life – beyond a clinical setting – consider this: In 2016, you helped send 800 kids in Central Massachusetts to summer camp through the Summer Strong program. In … Continue reading →

As a caregiver employed by UMass Memorial Health Care, you’ll soon be invited – along with more than 13,000 caregivers from across the health care system – to participate in the 2018 Caregiver Survey if you were hired before January … Continue reading →

As stated in earlier blog posts, I am, in general, not a fan of most hospital rating systems.  Although they are well intended it’s just too hard to provide an all-encompassing rating comparing different hospitals that serve different populations and … Continue reading →

In two short years, our “Everyone, Everyday” campaign has come to symbolize our culture at UMass Memorial Health Care and the many ways we care, as individuals, for our patients and each other. Through the dozens of stories we’ve shared … Continue reading →

Over the last couple of weeks, several media outlets have published articles on our fiscal year 2017 financial results, bond ratings and, more recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) star ratings.  I very rarely blog about financial matters … Continue reading →

This week Bill Corbett, MD, and Eric Alper, MD, along with Barbara Fisher, senior vice president of Operations, sent an update to physicians about changes being made to improve the functionality of Epic in the ambulatory environment. These modifications represent … Continue reading →

Every year I’m grateful for our caregivers who take such good care of the many thousands of patients we serve. This year has been unique, and each of you deserves a special thank you. We asked a lot of you … Continue reading →

This year has been one of growth and transformation for our health care system. In order to evolve and meet the changing needs of the patients and markets we serve, we need to keep raising the bar and improving. This … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe it’s only been five days since Epic was launched. For many of us, the past few days have been a rollercoaster of ups and downs – logging in for the first time after so many months of … Continue reading →

And we’re live! Today marks a major milestone for our health care organization: We officially launched Epic, our new electronic health record system, at 4:29 am this morning and the world as we know it at UMass Memorial Health Care … Continue reading →

I am just not ready to call it a wrap on the summer of 2017. Though the leaves are turning colors and the days are getting shorter, my mind is telling me it’s still summer- and for good reason. For … Continue reading →

Since the beginning of the year we have seen a surge of activity from our nation’s lawmakers to repeal and/or replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Ultimately, the House of Representatives passed a bill that was sent to the Senate. … Continue reading →

On the wall of my doctor’s office hangs a sign that reads “If you don’t make time to exercise you will make time to be sick.” We all know this is true but as caregivers we don’t always do what we recommend to … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I had the chance to work with Dr. Eric Alper, our chief clinical informatics officer and the Epic data conversion team, to test out our new electronic health record (EHR). The data conversion team is focused on making sure … Continue reading →