Becker's Hospital Review

31 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP Why ChristianaCare's CEO won't say 'silver lining' By Lauren Jensik O f the many responsibilities ChristianaCare CEO Janice Nevin, MD, shoul- ders, the well-being of her staff keeps her awake at night the most. "Our healthcare workforce has been extraordinary in rising to the challenge of COVID, but it has certainly come at a cost. And you know, many in the workforce are burnt out. ey're angry," she told Becker's July 8. "I think that sort of silent relief that we thought we would get as the COVID numbers came down really hasn't hap- pened. We are busier than we have ever been before. With more patients, higher acu- ity, complicated by mental health issues. is is sort of the crisis, I think, that's facing all of us across the country." Newark, Del.-based ChristianaCare established its Center for WorkLife Wellbeing in 2013. e multidisciplinary team of psychologists and peer counselors has played an integral role in getting the health system's staff through the pandemic. "We have peer counselors, and they are out and about all the time interacting with front-line workers, offering them some resources in the way of maybe, you know, a snack or something to de-fog their glasses," she said. "I heard about caregivers who were going home, stripping in the garage, running through the house to get to the shower. And [we realized we needed] to invest in dis- posables. So that's a very specific example about how this [program] works. It allows us to bring resources that our caregivers are telling us that they need to the floor," she said. ChristianaCare has continued to advocate for mental and behavioral awareness amid the pandemic. e health system partnered with the New Castle County Division of Police in August 2020 on an initiative where a team of mental health professionals work alongside community police officers to facilitate proper treatment of patients struggling with addiction and substance use disorders. "As I reflect on what we have learned from COVID, I have been deliberate about not using the words 'silver lining,'" Dr. Nevin said. "ere's been so much suffering, and that suffering continues, frankly. e way that we really honor the suffering is to take all that we have learned and commit to building back better, and the opportunity to do that is now. We've got to ensure that we are paying attention to those partnerships that can really support the work that needs to be done to impact health, not just care. And do it in a way so that humans can flourish, and find joy and meaning and purpose in life." n Carilion Clinic CEO on getting back to building, depression study By Lauren Jensik N ancy Howell Agee is CEO of Carilion Clinic, a $2.3-billion nonprofit health system headquartered in Roanoke, Va. The health system, which serves over 1 million people in Virginia and West Virginia, includes seven hospitals, an academic med- ical center and 1,000 physicians. Though the health system's Roanoke Me- morial Hospital was forced to pause its $500 million expansion plans due to the pandem- ic, Ms. Agee told Becker's in July that those plans are back in action. The hospital's Crystal Spring Tower will include a larger emergency department than its pre- decessor and a consolidation of its nationally ranked heart and cardiovascular programs. "We're doing this with flexible space," Ms. Agee said. "When you're building a build- ing, you're looking at 30 years from now, so what's healthcare going to look like? So we're using augmented intelligence and some predictive analytics and machine learning and designing in implementing the building. So it's right back on target." Carilion is also planning to build a new be- havioral health hospital. "We have five stories of behavioral health patient services, but it's an old building. And so we've talked about whether we renovate or build new, and we really feel we need a new facility," she said. It's a fitting endeavor. Carilion is the only Virginia health system to participate in a nationwide depression clinical trial. The tri- al could make Vagus Nerve Stimulation a more widely available treatment option for those struggling with the mood disorder, The Roanoke Star reported June 28. "We have a very committed, active depart- ment of psychiatry and mental health, and our chair is passionate about this issue, and it was a concern of ours well before COVID, but of course COVID accelerated it," Ms. Agee said. "A lot of us are leading the way to look at this issue." n Jefferson names 1st female board chair in 197 years By Morgan Haefner P atricia Wellenbach, BSN, will be the first woman to chair the Thomas Jefferson University board of trustees in its 197-year history, Phila- delphia-based Jefferson Health said in a July 7 news release. Ms. Wellenbach is the president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum, a chil- dren's museum in Philadelphia. She began her career as a registered nurse and joins the board as Jefferson Health grows into an 18-hospital system. "Chair Wellenbach is a transformational leader who takes over at a time when Jefferson is transforming," said Stephen Klasko, MD, president of Thomas Jef- ferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health. "Thanks to her work, and many others, she ushers in the most diverse board of trustees in our history." n

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