Please read this end-of-the-year letter from Janet Hadar, UNC Hospitals President, and Matt Mauro, MD, UNC Faculty Physicians President, to colleagues at the UNC Medical Center.
Dear colleagues,
After nearly a year of fighting COVID-19, watching our UNC Medical Center co-workers begin to receive vaccines last week was an absolutely joyous moment. If you haven’t taken time to savor this incredible landmark, please watch the videos of the first shots being administered in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. We were also honored on Thursday to have a brief visit from Gov. Roy Cooper and DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen, who toured our co-worker vaccine clinic and shared words of support and encouragement for our efforts.
In just a few short days, more than 1,000 UNC Medical Center co-workers have taken their shot and many more have already scheduled appointments. We know rollout of this process has not been perfect, but we thank you for your patience while we continue to refine workflows.
As we were all gearing up to distribute vaccines, another big achievement was announced last week that we would also like to celebrate. The Leapfrog Group has once again awarded the UNC Medical Center an “A” on their Fall 2020 patient safety report card. All of you deserve huge praise for this recognition and for all the work you’ve done during this incredibly challenging year. This is our ninth consecutive A grade from Leapfrog, an incredible achievement that would not be possible without everyone’s hard work.
As we close out the year, we wanted to take a look back at some of the other amazing achievements your hard work has made possible:
- When COVID-19 began to appear in our communities in March, we asked all of you to adapt very quickly and frequently to radical changes in how we operate. You all rose to this challenge and we are in a better place to care for our patients and one another as a result.
- This summer, as the country rose up to demand racial justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, we came together to advocate for health equity in our communities.
- In August, we added a very important tool to our patient safety toolkit with the launch of our Daily Safety Huddles. This important work is necessary in continuously building our culture of patient and co-worker safety.
- In September, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® designated UNC Hospitals as a Magnet Organization for the third time. Our Magnet re-designation would not have been possible without the help of our One Great Team and the hard work of many dedicated, diligent nurses.
These are just a small sampling of the amazing things that we have accomplished this year. Again and again, you have shown that our values of One Great Team, Leading the Way, Carolina Care and It Starts with Me are more than just what we do. They are part of who we are.
Please find some time in the coming weeks to safely spend time with those you love, and to reflect on the amazing things Our One Great Team has accomplished during a year that none of us will ever forget.
Happy Holidays! Be Well,
Janet Hadar, UNC Hospitals President
Matt Mauro, MD, UNC Faculty Physicians President