See how some of our clinics and floors are staying upbeat and drawing strength from each other, determined to keep us all a step ahead of the coronavirus!
In This Together
Pulse
Send Us Your Messages of Support
If you would like to send a video message, please keep it very brief (up to 15 seconds long), and upload it to our Dropbox.
Note: for videos, please be sure to record them horizontally, and introduce yourself with your name and where you work. Thank you!
It’s the 200th Pulse: Take the Survey
We’ve been delivering the news to you every week for four years now. What’s a milestone edition without some reader interaction? Please take a moment for this short survey about our publication, and thank you for your readership!
Unda the Tunda 2020 Poll
Believe it or not, the 2020 Unda the Tunda employee appreciation event is just around the corner. This year, we want to hear from you!
Please submit your suggestions by March 12. Your feedback is greatly valued!
Meet CAO Janel Simpson
Chief Administrative Officer Janel Simpson joins UConn Health with a combination of private- and public-sector experience. For the last six years she’s been at the Department of Social Services, a $7.6 billion state agency, most recently in the role of deputy commissioner. She spent the majority of her career before that in the insurance industry, including HSB, the Hartford, and the Phoenix. Janel holds an MBA in finance and strategic initiative from Columbia University, and a BA in mathematics from Clark University. She arrived to UConn Health Aug. 30.
Describe your role at UConn Health?
My role is a little different than the former chief administrative officer. I have responsibilities for administrative services, including the oversight of administrative policy development and implementation, auxiliary operations, child care and wellness centers, parking and transportation, environment of care, and life safety. Responsibilities also include development of decision support function and liaison to the “One UConn” effort.
What brought you here?
The opportunity to work in an environment with amazingly dedicated and talented individuals where the work feels meaningful. This is a great opportunity to utilize my experience in operations, strategy, finance, IT. I enjoy working in environments where no two days are alike and you learn to expect the unexpected. I can honestly say, I have experienced all that in my short tenure thus far.
What about your experience will help you in this role?
The ability to prioritize, keep the “big picture” in mind while addressing the “smaller” items that may deliver large returns in short timeframes. The ability to multitask, crisis management, being able to operate, remain calm and make critical decisions under pressure.
At DSS your clients are individuals with food insecurities, need for cash assistance, medical coverage, fuel assistance, etc. When I started, our timeliness for providing benefits for our clients ranked us in the bottom 5% in the nation, leading to the filing of three federal lawsuits against the department. This placed us under a great deal of scrutiny by those we served, the media, state and federal governments.
The department gained a reputation of not caring or not doing enough, though we had some of the most dedicated and committed individuals who really wanted to make a difference. The agency had a 27-year-old antiquated system supporting an equally antiquated paper process. We had to change our technology, process, culture, and narrative simultaneously.
It was the most challenging time. Regardless, we worked as a team to define and achieve our goals. We restructured the organization, redesigned our processes, implemented a new $350 million eligibility system, and changed our culture. Connecticut is recognized by the federal government as the gold standard for system implementation, top two and top ten nationally for timely processing of SNAP and Medicaid eligibility respectively. With these changes, Connecticut received $6 million in bonus funding from the federal government. The department successfully satisfied all terms and conditions of all three federal lawsuits in less than three years.
What do you see as the most promising and challenging aspects of being CAO at UConn Health?
The promising thing is that whatever challenge we face, we have the team in place to tackle it. You see it exemplified every day.
Like other state agencies, and frankly, many private companies, you must achieve your goals with finite resources and fewer dollars than one’s spending needs. Here at UConn Health we all have the same overarching goal, together we must and will achieve it.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I volunteer my time mentoring middle and high school girls of color.
Campus Safety Corner: Patient, Winter Parking
Now’s a good time to reflect on why it’s important to park in our assigned areas when on campus for work or academic purposes, and to also be attentive of the winter storm parking bans.
Patient Parking
Several parking areas on campus are reserved for patients and visitors. Providing them with safe and convenient access to these parking areas and the surrounding buildings is an integral part of their experience on our campus. These areas include:
- Emergency Department and GI Procedure Center – surface parking and the rooftop of Garage 2.
- University Tower and Main Building – surface parking lots M1, M2 and H1.
- Garage 1 – convenient sections of levels 1, 2 and 3 and the valet staging area. These areas are marked by white signs with green lettering.
- Garage 3 – all spaces on levels 3 and 4 and the valet staging area unless signed otherwise.
For your reference:
Winter Storm Parking Bans
During winter storms and parking bans our Facilities Grounds personnel are out in force, supplemented by contracted snow removal crews, to mitigate the weather impacts on the roads, parking areas and sidewalks. The best way we can help is to be attentive to the UConn alerts and follow the snow ban instructions so the crews can keep our campus as safe and accessible as possible for the entire UConn Health community. Although staff and students who have arrived on campus prior to the start time of the bans are not required to move their vehicle, it is appreciated when you are able to if your work or academic responsibilities allow you the time to safely move your vehicle into one of the garages. Parking in the covered sections of the garages during the bans may seem inconvenient at times, so it can help if we try to remember that the primary reason for the bans is to keep our campus as safe and as accessible as possible.
—UConn Deputy Police Chief Maggie Silver and Parking, Transportation and Event Services Director Allan Peterson
Favorite Pulse Stories of 2019
Here’s what the metrics tell us about the most popular Pulse items from 2019:
Jan. 10 (1,284 clicks)
Look Familiar?
Building on the success of our recent “Power of Possible” television campaign, in the coming days—on a TV near you—will debut “The Power of Possible II.” While still heralding our teaching and research, the sequel begins to focus on our patient care and the advantage that is academic medicine.
Watch the preview, and look carefully—this was shot 100 percent on the Farmington campus and everyone in it works for UConn Health (except that dog!).
Over the coming weeks, it will be joined by additional new billboard, radio and other promotions as we tell our story and invite the community to join us in harnessing the power of possible.
Sept. 19 (968)
‘I’m a Nurse; I Can’t Let You Do This’
President Katsouleas mentioned it in his message to the UConn Health community earlier this month. Now, during suicide prevention month, the nurse practitioner who intervened and likely stopped a man from jumping from an elevated area on campus, Lauren Brennan agreed to share her account of that day.
March 22 (826)
Can We Move the Gift Shop?
The UConn Foundation is launching a campaign to relocate the gift shop to a prime location.
Learn how you can help, and why this is a cause worth keeping in mind when UConn Gives next week.
Feb. 7 (819)
PIC OF THE WEEK
Wearing Red Institution-Wide
Groups from throughout UConn Health, both in Farmington and other clinical offices, got their red on and gathered together for photos to celebrate National Wear Red Day to kick off American Heart Month. View larger photos.
Jan. 3 (780)
New Year’s Babies: Not 1, Not 2…
It sure was a busy New Year’s Day in our maternity unit, where a record six babies were born! The first to arrive was little Matthew, born at 1:17 a.m. to Heather and Joe Coss of Burlington.
Welcome to Matthew and all the New Year’s newborns: Beatrice (5:42 a.m.), Owen (9:32 a.m.), Muhammad (10:55 a.m.), Sofie (11:41 a.m.), and Caleb (4:49 p.m.). Find more information and photos.
UPDATE: In case you missed it, the babies are back!
Five of them returned for a one-year-later photo!
July 25 (738)
POWER OF POSSIBLE
Lowering Cholesterol Without Drugs
Our Lifestyle Medicine Program continues to help people make healthy choices to naturally improve their health.
There’s no shortage of success stories among physician assistant Brad Biskup’s patients — a recent one being that of Linda Nadeau, who reduced her LDL cholesterol by more than 100 points!
May 30 (701)
Connecticut’s Best Docs
Connecticut Magazine is out with its 2019 “Best Doctors” issue. There are 48 familiar faces this year, including a cover story on Dr. Omar Ibrahim and the advanced robotic tool he uses to get a head start on diagnosing/ruling out lung cancer.
Oct. 31 (700)
UConn Health Halloween
Many of our clinical staff are in costume today. Recognize anyone?
Plus, Drs. Gary Schulman and Bina Katechia from our dental faculty share a guest column that sheds some spooky light on what’s happening in our mouth when we eat candy. Second thought, maybe don’t read this until next week!
Oct. 10 (642)
PIC OF THE WEEK
Fall Fun Fest and Pumpkin-palooza
Congratulations to the Department of Quality, whose “Proud as a Peacock” pumpkin took first place in the Pumpkin-palooza contest at this year’s Fall Fun Fest! Thanks to an army of volunteers, our courtyard became a festive setting for employees to take a break and enjoy the season, some snacks, and some fellowship. See the photos and count the smiles, plus read a first-hand account from one of the Project SEARCH interns who volunteered at the event and helped create the second-place pumpkin!
Jan. 24 (642)
Spotlighting Our Faculty
Improving immigrant health, advancing infection prevention programs, and researching novel cancer therapies are just a few of the accomplishments featured in the winter edition of Faculty Spotlight.
The School of Medicine’s Office of Faculty Affairs’ video series celebrates our researchers, clinicians, and educators, and also includes an On-Point update from CEO Dr. Andy Agwunobi and medical school dean Dr. Bruce Liang.
Ugly Holiday Sweater Day
Employee Recognition Ceremony 2019
(Photos by Tina Encarnacion)
Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Dr. Peter J. Deckers Employee Appreciation Award: Jim Behme, simulation center coordinator! Jim was chosen among six worthy finalists who were celebrated for their exemplary contributions to UConn Health.
We also honored 508 colleagues who celebrated service milestones of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. The ceremony was attended by a standing room of friends and colleagues. If you missed the ceremony, you can still catch it on MediaSite. UConn Health encourages employee recognition at all levels and provides and offers various ways you can recognize a colleague.
Campus Safety Corner: Run, Hide, Fight
Active threat incidents are often unpredictable and evolve quickly. In the midst of the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active threat incident. The Division of Public Safety aims to enhance preparedness through a “whole community” approach by providing resources.
If there is an active threat in your vicinity, you should do the following:
Run
- Have an escape route and plan in mind.
- Leave your belongings behind.
- Keep your hands visible.
- Get as far away from the threat as you can.
- If you can’t run, hide.
Hide
- Hide in an area out of the suspect’s view. (Preferably behind large objects)
- Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors.
- Ensure the lights are off.
- Silence your cellphone or other electronic devices and remain quiet.
- If you can, have options for moving or escaping.
- As a last resort, if you can’t run or hide, be ready to fight.
Fight
- As a last resort and only when your life is in danger.
- Attempt to incapacitate the active threat.
- Act with physical aggression and throw items at the suspect. When it is safe to do so, call 911 and give the location, number and physical description of the suspect(s), and the number of potential victims if possible.
We offer free training programs on active threat, de-escalation, workplace safety, and workplace violence: recognition and prevention. These courses can be requested via https://publicsafety.uconn.edu/police/education-and-programs/public-education/.
—UConn Deputy Police Chief Maggie Silver