One Week Proves Why We’re So Much More Than Just a Hospital

January 24, 2012

It only took one week to prove a point that I regularly tell people: Henry Ford Hospital is so more than just a hospital, a place to care for patients.

We’re a destination in Detroit for education, culture and some truly unbelievable events for our employees, patients and the community. (And it all happens while our health care teams do what they do best: provide the absolute best care and service to each and every one of our patients – each time, every time, every encounter.)

Many of my regular blog readers have already gotten a glimpse at some of the amazing things that have happened recently at Henry Ford Hospital.

It all started with a community event to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which showcased some of the amazing choral talent in our city (and in our hospital), as well as a keynote address by Bankole Thompson, the senior editor of the Michigan Chronicle.

God's Hands of Praise performs at Henry Ford Hospital

If you have not heard Mr. Thompson speak, you have missed the brilliance of passionate commitment and challenge. Sam Logan, rest in peace; your charge will continue.

And the choirs from the Mosaic Singers, Detroit Rescue Mission, God’s Hands of Praise, and our own Martina Gifford and the Henry Ford Health System Choir stirred the blood as much as the soul.

Each year, this event is better than the last, and serves as an important reminder of how Dr. King’s visions and principles continue to drive and inspire us in the work we do every day. 

Only a few days later, our employees welcomed the Detroit Tigers 2012 Winter Caravan to our hospital. With Miguel Cabrara, Brennen Boesche and several other Tigers stars in attendance, we were reminded why baseball is such an important part of the growing excitement surrounding our city.

Ramon Santiago with Marla Hull, Inpatient Case Management.

Baseball is one of the constancies in American life (all respect to James Earl Jones and Field of Dreams).

Those of us around in 1968 know the way baseball and the Detroit Tigers calmed and soothed a battered city. 

Dr. King’s vision was seen in the stands of every home game, and showed us that how even in the most polarizing situation most of us are alike with common goals, aspirations, and dreams.

Countdown to Opening Day at Comerica Park: 11 weeks. Continue Reading »One Week Proves Why We’re So Much More Than Just a Hospital

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Heart of the Tiger at Henry Ford Hospital

January 20, 2012

 

Talk about great customer service.

Tigers at Henry Ford Hospital

The Detroit Tigers traveled across Michigan – through our first “major” winter snow – as part of their annual Winter Caravan to thank fans and get them excited about the upcoming baseball season.

(Spring training and warmer weather are right around the corner!)

Henry Ford Hospital was one of many Detroit-area destinations on the 2012 Winter Caravan route.

We were thrilled to welcome Tigers Vice President and Assistant General Manager Al Avila and players Collin Balester, Brennan Boesch, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Hoffman, Andy Oliver, Ramon Santiago and Tyler Stohr, as well as the “voice of the Detroit Tigers” on Fox Sports Mario Impemba.

Tigers’ team physician Dr. Michael Workings of the Henry Ford Department of Family Medicine was also in attendance.

Henry Ford employees cheer for the Tigers

Our hospital team gave the Tigers an amazing Henry Ford welcome, cheering and swinging Tigers towels in the air.

Some employees even had the chance to ask the Tigers about their most memorable moments during the 2011 season, and a few lucky employees received special prizes from the Tigers.

The visit got me thinking about how  much Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Tigers actually have in common when it comes to our long history in Detroit.

Take 1968. It’s the year the Tigers won the World Series AND Henry Ford Hospital performed Detroit’s first kidney transplant. Continue Reading »Heart of the Tiger at Henry Ford Hospital

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Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 16, 2012

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Henry Ford Hospital was honored today (Jan. 16) to host a great celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not only for the man, but the vision and principles that he continues to inspire in all of us.

The Mosaic Singers perform at Henry Ford Hospital.

This site on West Grand Blvd. has been the home of the Henry Ford Health System for more than 96 years. It houses our flagship, Henry Ford Hospital, a great clinical and academic sciences center in the heart of Midtown Detroit.

One of the reasons we’ve been able to achieve such prominence at Henry Ford is evident each day on our campus; the rich tapestry of our diverse work force is a fundamental advantage in the way in which we conduct our work and view the world around us.

You can see it every day in our hallways, emergency rooms, clinics and operating rooms; individuals within our team working together, as a unit, for one common cause: to restore the health and wellness of those we have the privilege to serve.

We’re far more than just a health care facility; we’re an economic engine for the City of Detroit and a beacon of hope for many of those who have been at disadvantage by financial shackles. Continue Reading »Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Dream Big in 2012

January 9, 2012

“You can learn a lot about a person from his dreams. What we dream is a reflection of who we are. It is the measure of our aspirations and goals, and of those values we hold dear and place above all else.”
- Zadok Rabinowitz

The New Year offers each of us a point in time for reflection, renewal, and most importantly, resolution.

It’s one of the many reasons (along with football and fond memories of my Grandma Mary’s roast pork and Romanian sausage dinner) that New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays.

Every year I have made – and kept – the same resolution: To thank, challenge and even inspire my family, friends and colleagues, as well as myself.

As part of that resolution, I started a holiday tradition as President and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital to send my colleagues and team a New Year’s card with a very special message.

In 2011, that message was BELIEVE. Our belief in our mission, each other, our work and our city is what drives our relationships and emotional engagement in what we do every day.

When you truly believe, there’s no limit to what you can achieve and dream…which brings me to this year’s message. Continue Reading »Dream Big in 2012

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The Greatest Gift

December 15, 2011

The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration.

At the Henry Ford Hospital campus, there’s much to celebrate for our accomplishments of this year and for the future accomplishments that we’re about to achieve.

I want to thank each and every one of the Henry Ford team members who have worked so hard in 2011 for all that we have accomplished.

During the holiday season, we often spend a great deal of our time and energy worrying about the perfect gift, the perfect menu or who we should invite to the celebrations we hold.

But for all of us, the greatest gift is right before us.

And that is the gift of each other, and the kindness, caring and compassion that we give to one another.

It is my wish that each of you receive – and give – the greatest of all gifts:

The gift of each other.

From all of us at Henry Ford, I want to wish you a joy-filled holiday and a healthy New Year!

 

 

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Want a friend and good health? Get a pet.

December 5, 2011

One of the great lines from the 1987 movie Wall Street uttered by Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, was, “If you need a friend get a dog.”

Well, who doesn’t need a friend?  Who doesn’t need a lot of friends?

Coco

Here is my friend, CoCo, a 5-year-old Schnoodle (schnauzer poodle mix), who runs to the door when I come home, no matter what time,  doing her dance, before running to the couch where she expects me, no matter what time, to pet her and tell her she is the best.  She then stays at my side on the couch until I shut the light off in our family room, after which she runs and jumps into bed.

Every morning when I walk to the kitchen, CoCo jumps around me like it was the return of a long lost pal.

CoCo is known by everyone who comes into the Popovich house, where she greets them with the same happy and playful dance.

Talk about first impressions and service excellence!

MoMo (aka Mr. Mo/Uncle Mo)

The second picture is our family’s newest addition, MoMo, also known as Mr. Mo, Uncle Mo, and a number of other spontaneous names.  He is my daughter Chris’ toy poodle, and he has assumed the same act when I get home.  He also has added chin kisses to CoCo’s routine.

Both CoCo and MoMo like watching the hockey games and the NHL network , and are particular fans of the Red Wings. CoCo favors Nick Lidstrom, while MoMo continues to root for the recently retired Mike Modano. Both prefer the NHL go to a bigger ice surface.

How does this relate to health? 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a great piece on its website about the benefits of pet ownership, including the science that pets can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of loneliness.  Pets increase our opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities, as well as opportunities for socialization.

Continue Reading »Want a friend and good health? Get a pet.

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Driving Innovation (and an Electric Car) in Detroit

November 29, 2011

When I last met up with Frank Venegas, we were at the Detroit Institute of Arts talking about Frida Kahlo and her ties to Frank’s family, as well as Henry Ford Hospital.

Henry Ford Hospital also has something else in common with Frank and his company, Ideal Group:  a focus on innovation in Detroit.

One of Ideal Group’s customers, General Motors, is responsible for creating one of the bigger innovations to recently come out of Detroit – the Chevy Volt, a plug-in, range-extended electric vehicle with an on-board gasoline generator.

Not only did Frank show support for GM’s innovation by buying two Chevy Volts, he’s also been documenting his driving experience on his blog, “Frank’s V in the D.”

Frank’s even been handing the key fob (no keys needed for the Volt) to business colleagues in Detroit, giving them the chance to test-drive this game-changing product.

I recently had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of Frank’s Volt. (And, yes, it does comfortably seat someone taller than 6 ft.)

I thought that one of the best ways to really test the car’s electric charge and gas mileage – and continue the conversation about innovation – was to drive to a few Henry Ford sites in and around Detroit, where innovation is changing how we care for our patients.

Continue Reading »Driving Innovation (and an Electric Car) in Detroit

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On the Journey from Good to Great: The Baldrige Award

November 23, 2011

I cannot tell you how proud I am of everyone at Henry Ford Health System for winning the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Let me make that clear:  YOU WON THE BALDRIGE AWARD.

Nancy set the goal, Bob and the Executive Team set the framework, Bill Conway drove the quality agenda, and Sue Hawkins, Edie Eisenmann and their teams created the work plans and applications.

But they could not win the Baldrige Award even with all of their aspirations and actions. Only you could.

Nancy and I spoke about this after the site visit. I cannot tell you how we were in awe of the way in which every employee surveyed, individually or in groups, expressed our mission and vision, as well as identified how their work fit into the greater whole of what we do each and every day in restoring patients and communities to health and wellness.

You know that something different is happening when medical and nursing students, who are not yet Henry Ford employees, can express what we do, how we do it, and what it means in their evolution as the next generation health workers.

After winning, my deep reaction to the award is we must get better, as an organization and as individuals making up that organization.

Justin Verlander knew he won the MVP. He already is thinking about how he can be better. We should too.

Continue Reading »On the Journey from Good to Great: The Baldrige Award

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It’s Good for Your Health to Give Thanks, Part II

November 21, 2011

When I invited you to join my virtual thanksgiving table on Doc in the D, I felt pretty confident that you would provide responses. But I didn’t expect the sheer volume of diverse and positive responses from across the entire Henry Ford Health System.

Deborah Gough, Maplegrove: “The staff at Maplegrove work with people that have lost hope that recovery can ever happen for them. We teach them gratitude and hope every day. Today I want to share how grateful I am for team Maplegrove."

Many of you wrote about your families, both at home and at work; others commented about their health and the gift of life. Several of these posts are featured in a photo slideshow that you can view here.

(And you can read all of the comments here.) Thank you to all who shared on the blog.

Not only am I thankful for your comments on the blog, but I am thankful for many of the same things you are: family, friends, good health, and the work that we do.

This Thanksgiving, I would like to take note of all the people we serve who would love to be able to do what we do everyday. Our patients are constant reminders of our ability to contribute to the well-being of others.

Continue Reading »It’s Good for Your Health to Give Thanks, Part II

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A Thanksgiving Rx: It’s Good for Your Health to Give Thanks

November 7, 2011

Last November, I wrote a Thanksgiving-themed post about the positive impact a grateful and positive attitude can have on one’s emotional and physical health.

So in the spirit of good health, I want to try something a bit different this year on Doc in the D. I would like my 2011 Thanksgiving blog post to be about you, the team of health care workers who give of themselves daily to care for others.

If giving thanks truly is good for your health, it’s something that every CEO should prescribe (especially if he or she is a doctor).

Here’s my Thanksgiving prescription to you:
In the comments section on this page, tell me what you’re thankful for in your life, your career, your families, your friends, or the simple comforts in life.

Think of it as a virtual Thanksgiving table, where we all have a turn to share and give thanks for what makes us happy in life.

During the week of Thanksgiving, I’ll randomly select some of your responses to feature on Doc in the D and the Henry Ford Hospital Facebook page!

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Category Categories: Holiday Care, Patient Care, Vision & Values  |  Comments 29 Comments »