Category Archives: Honors
Congratulations to Barbara Bor, 2012 Distinguished Nurse of the Year
The March of Dimes recognized Gillette nurse Barbara Bor as its 2012 Distinguished Nurse of the Year. Bor was recognized at an Oct. 27 ceremony for her role as the infection prevention coordinator at Gillette.
Barbara Bor - 2012 Distinguished Nurse of the Year
Bor had no idea she would receive the top award. “I just thought it was lovely they invited me to the dinner,” she says.
By advocating for and launching simple hand hygiene solutions, such as collaborating with Facilities and Housekeeping to set a standard layout of hand hygiene products and lotion at sinks and placing waterless hand hygiene rubs in patient care areas, Bor has positively influenced infection prevention policies at Gillette.
How nominees educate others is a key factor in selecting the winners. “The job of a nurse is to be a resource every day,” Bor said. “Nurses challenge themselves to be better, and Gillette nurses stimulate each other to find the best care practices that help prevent infections associated with health care.”
March of Dimes celebrated Nurse of the Year winners in 15 categories. Patients, colleagues, friends and family nominated more than 300 nurses from across the state.
Additional Gillette winners included:
Leadership – Paula Forté
Mental Health – Leslie Larson
Pediatric – Sarah Conlin
Perioperative – Katherine Houle
Congratulations to our nurses!
Best Children’s Hospitals 2012-13: The Honor Roll
Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare is now ranked 12th in the nation for pediatric orthopedics and 39th in the nation for pediatric neurology/neurosurgery in U.S. News Media Group’s 2012-2013 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. Last year, Gillette ranked 25th and 44th in the two areas.
Gillette occupies the largest market share among Twin Cities hospitals for pediatric orthopedics, and has one of the highest concentrations of pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the nation. Its Center for Pediatric Orthopedics is the largest such program in the five-state region. In addition, each year Gillette neurosurgeons perform more surgeries for children whose spasticity (muscle tightness) impacts their movement than any other hospital in the five-state region.
“There are many reasons we moved higher on this prestigious list, including our low incidence of surgical site infections—especially given the high volume of surgeries performed here,” said Gillette President and CEO Margaret Perryman. “U.S. News has increasingly focused on patient safety initiatives as a key component in its ranking methodology.”
The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 children’s hospitals in 10 specialties: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology; neonatology; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; pulmonology; and urology. Seventy-six hospitals are ranked in at least one specialty. This is the fourth consecutive year Gillette has been ranked in orthopedics, and the second it has ranked in neurology/neurosurgery.
This year, U.S. News surveyed 178 pediatric centers to obtain hard data such as availability of key resources and ability to prevent complications and infections. The hospital survey made up 75 percent of the rankings. A separate reputational survey in which 1,500 pediatric specialists—150 in each specialty—were asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty made up the remaining 25 percent.
The full rankings and methodology will be available June 5, 2012, at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals. The rankings will also be published in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2013 guidebook, which will be available in August.
Gillette Nurses Expand TCAB Initiative
When we ask patient families what they love most about Gillette, an answer we frequently hear involves our fantastic team of nurses. Did you know that, in addition to nurses that care for our pediatric patients, we also have a specially trained team dedicated to caring for adult patients who have disabilities?
Last fall, nurses on Gillette’s Adult Inpatient Unit began participating in Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB), a nursing initiative aimed at optimizing patient care by increasing the amount of time nurses spend at the patient’s bedside. The Adult Inpatient Unit is Gillette’s second inpatient nursing unit to implement TCAB, making improvements to supply organization and scripting for patient families, providing an information binder to families, and moving into a new location on the hospital’s 7th floor.
“After watching the TCAB process unfold on the Orthopedic/Surgical Unit, I knew I wanted the adult unit to be part of this exciting movement!” says JoAnn Pesek, manager of Gillette’s Adult Inpatient Unit. An early adopter of the TCAB initiative in Minnesota, Gillette’s nursing team plans to continue expanding TCAB in the future, and in May, will connect with Minnesota’s 24 other hospitals to share best practices.
Nurses involved in the Adult Inpatient Unit TCAB movement get creative to help spread the word about this important patient care initiative.
PICU Celebrates 500 Days Infection Free!
Nurses in Gillette’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) noticed something rather unusual when reporting to work this morning: gigantic “500” balloons adorning their circulation desk! That’s because today marks an important milestone in the unit’s push to prevent central-line associated blood stream infections, or CLABSI.
Two years ago, our PICU joined a national collaborative of children’s hospitals aimed at decreasing the infections, which can occur among certain patients during inpatient stays. PICU nurses have led the charge to review, and improve, nursing care practices for central lines—introducing new infection-prevention products and procedures, and tracking and reporting care to a national quality database.
Since joining the national collaborative, our PICU hasn’t seen a single central line infection (and today, celebrates 500 infection-free days!) Nationally, the CLABSI collaborative has saved thousands of lives and millions of health care dollars. What’s next for the CLABSI team? They’ll continue marking milestones – and sharing their practice improvements with Gillette’s other inpatient units.
Gillette nurses marked an important milestone today: 500 days central line infection free.
Congratulations, Gillette nurses!
Whether they’re brightening a hospitalized child’s day, calming an anxious family before a surgery, or helping to navigate a busy outpatient clinic appointment, nurses play an essential role in the work we do at Gillette.
It comes as no surprise that, last weekend, three of our nurses were recognized by the March of Dimes’ Nurse of the Year Awards for their dedication, compassion, and contributions as nurses. Gail Busch, a nurse on our orthopedic/surgical unit, and Jennifer Essen, an education specialist in our surgery department, received Nurse of the Year recognition in the Pediatric and Rising Star categories, respectively. And in an exciting surprise, pediatric nurse practitioner Sarah Gutknecht was named 2011′s Distinguished Nurse of the Year! Click here for more on our Nurse of the Year awards winners.
We know that Sarah, Gail, and Jennifer’s recognition reflects the outstanding work performed daily by Gillette’s more than 250 nurses. Congratulations to our entire nursing team!
Sarah Gutknecht, 2011 Distinguished Nurse of the Year
We Are (Again) a Top Workplace!
The Star Tribune has again named Gillette among its Top Workplaces of 2011, a list of the 140 best places to work in Minnesota. This year, Gillette ranked 8th in the Top Large Companies category, which includes both public and private companies, as well as nonprofit organizations like Gillette.
So, how does the survey work? Companies choose to take part, agreeing to allow employees to take a confidential survey. Organizations are then ranked within their size group (categories include small, medium, and large employers) based solely on the employee responses.
We can’t thank our staff members enough for their hard work and dedication to providing the very best in pediatric specialty care. It’s because of their expertise, and their commitment to our mission, that families seek out Gillette from throughout Minnesota, around the U.S., and even from other counties.
Want to see the passion of Gillette staff members firsthand? Take a look at this video — featuring rehabilitation care coordinator Jill Olson, along with several other employees — telling the world how they feel about working at Gillette.
Gillette Ranked Among Best in Nation for Orthopedics, Neurology/Neurosurgery
This spring is an exciting time for everyone here at Gillette — and it’s not just because our healing garden and expanded surgical suites will open in only a few weeks. Springtime also brings U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. This year, we have even greater cause for excitement (and pride!) because Gillette has been ranked 25th in the nation for orthopedics and 44th in the nation for neurology/neurosurgery. That’s not all. Gillette is the only Twin Cities children’s hospital to be recognized for these two areas of care.
We’ve been providing top-quality pediatric orthopedic care since our hospital was founded by Dr. Arthur Gillette, himself an orthopedist. Today, more than 100 years later, we occupy the largest market-share among Twin Cities hospitals for pediatric orthopedics. Similarly, Gillette excels in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery services. Each year, our neurosurgeons perform more surgeries to help kids whose muscle tightness impacts their movement than any other hospital in the five-state region.
While U.S. News & World Report recognized two key areas of care, we know that all of our unique specialties and services — from orthopedics and neurosurgery to inpatient rehabilitation and craniofacial surgery — make Gillette an invaluable resource for children. And not just children here in Minnesota. Families from throughout the country — and, around the world — seek out Gillette. Why? Because we have the specialty care knowledge to remove barriers, and expand possibilities, for the children we serve.
Click here to read the news release with more on our rankings.
Gillette Nurses Honored for Excellence
A nurse wears many hats. Dedicated caregiver. Experienced clinician. And oftentimes, family confidante. In the many roles they play, one thing is clear: nurses are vital to the work we do at Gillette. It’s no surprise that patients and families consistently rank our nurses among the best parts of their hospital experience. And since many of our patients require care throughout childhood and into adulthood, nurses often become like a second family.
Outstanding nursing care is truly a team effort. That’s why, when the March of Dimes Minnesota Chapter named two Gillette nurses among its 13 Nurse of the Year Award winners, the honor reflected our entire nursing staff’s caring, dedication, and professionalism. Patrick Rivard, recognized for Ambulatory, Long Term & Rehabilitation Care, and Kim Marben, recognized for Leadership, are both longtime Gillette nurses with years of experience caring for kids with disabilities and special needs.
Congratulations to Patrick, Kim, and our entire nursing team! Click here for more on our Nurse of the Year Award winners.
-
- Patrick Rivard, R.N.
-
- Kim Marben, R.N.
Gillette: A Top Workplace In Tough Times
Here at Gillette, our employees frequently tell us how proud they are to work at an organization dedicated to not just excellence in patient care, but a positive and rewarding environment for staff, too. Our high employee satisfaction and low turnover rates validate the great things they’re telling us.
Yesterday, we received some exciting news — news so many Gillette employees have known for years — and we’re excited to share it with our friends and followers. The Star Tribune has ranked Gillette among its Top 100 Workplaces in the Twin Cities! More specifically, we’re ranked third in the Private/Nonprofit sub-group.
So how did the Star Tribune decide the rankings for its first-ever workplace survey? First, employees took a confidential survey and gave feedback on things like job satisfaction, working environment, and interaction with management. Results were decided based on employee responses and size of the organization. Click here to read the Star Tribune’s article — and see below for a sample of what our employees said about working at Gillette.
Thank you to ALL of our employees for making Gillette an amazing place for our patients, families and staff. We appreciate you!
Here are some of the things our employees shared in their survey responses:
“There is such a long-standing history of employees staying on for many years- that speaks highly of how well we are treated and how we love what we are doing.”
“Working with children with disabilities has made my journey in life a very pleasant one, knowing that part of my life’s reward is seeing a smile on a child’s face. That is just priceless.”
“I am able to work within a team of specialists and provide nursing support and gain valuable knowledge each time I work with these patients.”
“I enjoy the people I work with – I enjoy doing my job, I also feel fulfilled when I can be helpful to others. I do enjoy learning more.”
It’s Official (Again) — Gillette Among Best Hospitals for Kids
We have great news to share. Today, we learned that U.S News & World Report has, for a second year, named Gillette among its America’s Best Children’s Hospitals annual rankings! The issue hits newsstands in late July, but we just couldn’t wait to share our exciting announcement with patient families, friends, and supporters.
While U.S. News & World Report specifically recognizes our expertise in pediatric orthopaedics, ranking us 17th in the U.S., we have each and every Gillette specialist to thank for this honor. After all, it’s their expertise — and their dedication to providing the best possible patient care day after day, year after year — that’s helped us become a resource for patients here in Minnesota, throughout the U.S., and even around the world.
Dr. Gillette was our co-founder, and our first pediatric orthopaedic surgeon.
It’s even more special because orthopaedics is such a huge part of Gillette’s history. In fact, when our hospital first began caring for children with disabilities more than 110 years ago, Dr. Gillette himself was an orthopaedic surgeon. Today, we have one of the highest concentrations of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the country.
Click here to learn more about the America’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. And, as always, thanks for reading!
