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DUH veteran
Sowers
named CEO
Appointment continues
24-year career at DUH
Kevin Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN, who began his
career at Duke University Hospital 24 years ago
as an oncology nurse, has been named the
hospital's chief executive officer.
Easing gout pain New space, many smiles Red coats, Blue Zones
Duke researcher Michael Duke Perinatal Clinic moves to John Robinette recounts a short
Hershfield helps develop new newer larger space — giving history of customer service
treatment for gout. patients easier access and more efforts at DUH.
services.
Page 8 Page 7
Page 4
2 Inside Duke Medicine July 2009
on the cover
■ ■ I N S I D E V olume 1 8 , I s s ue 7
Inside Duke Medicine, the employee Contact us Staff
newspaper for the Duke University Health Campus mail: DUMC 104030 Editor: Anton Zuiker
System, is published monthly by Duke Deliveries: 2200 W. Main St., Managing Editor: Mark Schreiner
Medicine News & Communications. Suite 910-B, Durham, NC 27705 Science Editor: Kelly Malcom
Phone: 919.660.1318 Designer: Vanessa DeJongh
Your comments, story ideas and photo E-mail: editorinside@mc.duke.edu Inside Online Editors:
Bill Stagg and Erin Pratt
contributions are always welcome and Credits
appreciated. Deadline for submissions Cartoon: Josh Taylor Copyright © 2009
Duke University Health System
is the 15th of each month.
July 2009 Inside Duke Medicine 3
sowers, continued
Victor J. Dzau, MD, chancellor for health affairs at
Duke University and president and CEO of the
Duke University Health System.
to future health care providers providing excellence in patient care through the
clinical translation of innovative research, while
among the entities: the School of
Medicine, the School of Nursing, the
D uke University Hospital about working with the students.” maintaining a healthy operational and financial practice group, the hospitals and the
foundation." clinics. Over time, we need to evaluate
and Duke’s Area Health The AHEC Health Careers
and understand what integrated
Education Center are teaming up staff will follow the CMA students Duke University Hospital has been recognized as
one of the world's best health care providers by
service lines look like and how that
to provide summer internships for as they move into their final year of will allow us to better serve our
such publications as Time and U.S. News & World
students at a Durham high school high school — and into college or patients. At the same time, we have to
Report. A full-service tertiary and quaternary care
that specializes in health care other post-secondary educational hospital, Duke University Hospital is licensed for continually look at how much more
careers. program. 924 acute care beds. efficient we can become in serving the
Eleven City of Medicine That makes sense for Duke patients who need our care, especially
Sowers is internationally known for his lectures and
Academy students will spend four and for the interns, Edwards said, when we consider how alignment
writings on the issues of leadership, organizational
weeks in July at DUH and Durham especially since they are minority between our hospitals can create the
change, mentorship and cancer care. His clinical
Regional Hospital. They will students, a group under-represented research has focused on human responses to
capacity and efficiencies.
participate in group educational in many health care professions. chronic illness. He received the Duke University It will take an entire team of people,
activities, plus one-on-one activities “Diversity is one of our core School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award in from every part of the organization,
with assigned health care profes- values,” she said. “The health care 2006 and was inducted into the American Academy to drive the progress to advance the
of Nursing in 2008. He has also served in a variety of
sionals who match the students’ workforce isn’t representative of organization’s success.
leadership roles at the national level within the
areas of interest – which range our population, so it’s important Oncology Nursing Society. n What is your vision for the hospital’s
from cardiology to anesthesiology to keep improving the number of work culture?
to neonatal nursing and more. The minority care providers.”
Our patients and families are at the
goal is to create a unique learning Chambers said the internships
experience that fuels the students’ are part of Duke being a good
Bio facts: Kevin Sowers, center of everything we do. As a
team, Duke University Hospital has
desire to work in health care. community partner. “Some things RN, MSN, FAAN worked to build a work culture that
The DUH side of the effort you do just because it’s the right • He began his career at Duke University supports patient-centric models that
was spearheaded by Associate Vice thing to do,” she said. Hospital as a nursing leader in oncology improve the quality of our clinical
President MaryAnn Black of the As DUH and Duke University beginning in 1986. outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Office of Community Relations Health System continue to grow, It takes focus and tactical strategies
• From 2003 to 2009 Sowers was Duke
and by Pamela Edwards, associate the students’ career path could lead University Hospital’s chief operating officer.
that the organization has to follow
chief nursing officer for education them back to where they spent this He also served as interim CEO in 2008-2009. through on. Most importantly,
and deputy AHEC director. Also summer. it takes a team of committed
• Under his leadership, Duke University individuals to accomplish these goals.
involved was Linda Chambers, “Our hope is that they may Hospital received approval for major
a health careers coordinator and work at Duke,” Edwards said. “It renovations to the Emergency Department, a
What’s your philosophy of
fiscal director of the Duke AHEC makes sense to grow our own right modernization and expansion of the organizational improvement?
program. here in the community.” operating rooms, development of a pediatric Every day when you get up, you say,
AHEC is part of a statewide Elizabeth Shearer, Ph.D., cardiac care unit, expansion of the intensive
“What did we do yesterday that we
care nursery, and construction of a new ICU/
program establishing a community principal of CMA, said DUHS is could do better today?” and let’s try
OR bed tower and cancer center.
training network for health profes- a “wonderful partner” with the it. Challenge yourself to be better
sionals and addressing concerns school in many ways, especially • Sowers serves as an adjunct faculty member today than we were yesterday. You
about their supply, distribution, through the internship program. to Sun Yat Cancer Center in Taipei, Taiwan; do rapid-cycle improvement, to figure
retention and quality. “These internships will provide
the University of North Carolina's MPH out how you can do it better today.
program, and the Duke University School of Each and every day you come up
“Each student expressed an our students with invaluable and Nursing's graduate program. with ideas on how to improve over
interest in a particular specialty, authentic experiences that will
• His professional honors include receiving yesterday. You work as a team, and
and we tried to get them a close significantly increase their prepara- you let the staff drive the process,
the Duke University School of Nursing
match to the field they chose,” tion for college and careers, as well coming up with ideas to better serve
Distinguished Alumni Award and induction
Chambers said. “DUH educators as enhance their competitiveness in into the American Academy of Nursing. our patients and families.
and clinical staff have been excited the college market,” she said. n
4 Inside Duke Medicine July 2009
W OR K IN G @ D U K E
e d u c at i o n
AT A G L ANCE
■ ■ r eco g ni t ion
“ ”
Worker of the Year
I tell everybody I know that you guys are the best in the world, With only the faintest sense of hyperbole, his
says a patient about her recent visit to the DUH Emergency Department. Want to give colleagues say the recent history of Duke
Children’s Primary Care can be divided into two
kudos to a Health System employee? Visit http://inside.dukemedicine.org/ and look
periods – now, and the time before social
for the High Fives section. worker David Covington arrived.
■ ■ b ene f i t s
Customer service: ■ ■ pa r k in g
J
the ideas submitted by faculty and staff ohn Robinette, assistant director of areas, just like airport concourses
through the Enduring a Troubled Economy the economic downturn.
the Private Diagnostic Clinic, knows with their ordered and easy-to-follow
Web site (http://www.duke.edu/economy/).
all about the importance of helping gates. The Marriott Corp. even came “The demand for limited parking space
For instructions on using Duke@Work, go to continues to grow, and adding capacity will
patients find their way through Duke’s to campus to train managers in the
http://hr.duke.edu/selfservice/ increase the cost,” said Kemel Dawkins, vice
labyrinthine hallways. Not for nothing best practices of hospitality industry president of campus services. “The best way
did he earn the nickname “Mayor of customer service. to manage the future cost of parking and
■ ■ a t h le t ic s Duke Hospital.” Now, DUMC is even bigger – Duke reduce our environmental impact is for more
Speaking recently from his PDC North was built in 1980, and DUH is people to adopt alternative ways of getting
Good deals on tickets, office in the Erwin Square tower, from making plans for more expansion. to work and around campus. We are
continuing to develop more alternatives to
comfy seats where he can look out on the sprawl- That makes it even more important
commuting alone.”
ing Duke University Medical Center, for employees to be on the lookout
Attention cost-conscious employees who are Robinette reminisced about his work for visitors in need of a helping hand. To help manage future increases, Duke is also
fans of Duke football and Duke women’s exploring innovative ways to curtail expenses,
to improve the hospital experience for Indeed, many Duke Medicine employ-
basketball: such as evaluating campus bus routes to
patient and physician alike. ees wear a reminder of this core value
improve efficiency and offering alternative
The Employee Athletic Pass That experience, he said, often on their name badges – Service Begins transportation incentives, such as discounts for
offers faculty and staff starts right inside the front doors. With Me. local and regional bus passes and free parking
reduced prices on season
“This is a big and complicated place. “Customer service is everyone’s permits for cyclists and people who carpool.
tickets to every Duke
football and women’s We need to make every effort every responsibility — not just that of a guy
“Each time someone opts to use alternative
basketball home game. day to make it as simple as possible for in a red coat,” said Robinette, who still transportation, it helps keep the budget
the people who we take care of – the stops to help patients fumbling with down for maintaining parking lots or building
Last year, about 2,700 employees took
patients and the families and the their wrinkled paper directions. new garages,” said Melissa Harden, assistant
advantage of the pass — sponsored by the
staff – to move through our system as Three years ago, it was him. director for Parking & Transportation.
Duke Credit Union — nearly double the
number from the 2007 season. New this year efficiently and as safely as possible.” For the first time ever, Robinette More information: http://parking.duke.edu
is tiered pricing, based on sports team. In 1974, Robinette was the was faced with a mortal threat to a
Meanwhile, fans can rent cushioned stadium
youngest administrator on the staff of close family member. “She may not 2009-10 Monthly
seats for all football home games. William Anlyan, M.D., then dean of the make it,” he was told in the Emergency Parking Permit Rates
School of Medicine and vice president Department.
Get all the details here: http://news.duke. University
for health affairs. After experiencing “I’d been here at Duke for 32 years,
edu/2009/06/game.html
the exceptional hands-on customer but the moment I got hit with that, I • Remote Lots - $9.65
service of an airline, Anlyan had couldn’t find my way. ‘How do I get • Gated/Proximate Lots - $30.50
■ ■ livin g returned to Duke and tapped Robinette from here to there?’ – just POOF.”
to literally don a red coat and prowl Recounting the tale in the familiar • Premium Lots - $62.50
No bull: Durham makes the halls of Duke Hospital looking for confines of his office, his face reflected • Universal Access - $80
‘best places’ list ways to assist hospital visitors. the panic of that moment.
“I smiled a lot,” said Robinette, “All of a sudden, I became someone • Reserved Spaces - $96.50
U.S. News & World Report confirms what
many of us already know: Durham is one of
explaining his approach to the 12-hour else. I wasn’t the guy who knows where Medical Center
the best places to live in the country. U.S. days in the hospital hallways, helping the sewer runs” – he really does know
• Remote Lots - $6.80
News selected its 10 Best Places to Live 2009 lost patients, answering employee where the sewer runs. “All of a sudden
based on their strong economies, low living complaints and triaging the issues of I’m a guy with someone near death, • Gated/Proximate Lots - $34.75
costs and fun things to do. the moment. and somebody’s helping me get from
• Garages - $52.25
The article notes that Durham is called the A year later, the red coat gave way Point A to Point B. I was just totally
“City of Medicine,” has an expansive health to visitor information desks positioned overwhelmed.” • Premium Lots - $62.50
care industry and is home to “prestigious at key entries. The color-coded Robinette composed himself, and
Duke University.” • Universal Access - $80
hallways of the hospital, painted for got to where he needed to go. But that
Read more by going to http://www. easy recognition, were redecorated and lesson has stuck with him. “It certainly • Reserved Spaces - $96.50
usnews.com and searching ‘Durham.’ labeled as numbered clinics and zoned is different on the other side,” he said. n
8 Inside Duke Medicine July 2009