tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post7879957769646405116..comments2024-03-26T00:25:34.026-04:00Comments on Not Running a Hospital: Please check with mom before writingPaul Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065446378970179507noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-60552487685101729372009-03-12T22:34:00.000-04:002009-03-12T22:34:00.000-04:00Hi Paul,I was surprised and delighted to read toda...Hi Paul,<BR/><BR/>I was surprised and delighted to read today about your solution to the possibility of layoffs at Beth Israel. When there is so much talk in the media of greed and corruption among top executives today, it is refreshing to see your brand of compassion every now and then.<BR/><BR/>Full comments here: http://thefutureamerican.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/voluntary-pay-cuts/<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/>Jess ChapmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-74055254046115886572009-03-12T20:49:00.000-04:002009-03-12T20:49:00.000-04:00Dear Paul, There's a place in Heaven for you. You...Dear Paul, There's a place in Heaven for you. Your family should be very proud. Thank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-40759661397952259182009-03-12T20:42:00.000-04:002009-03-12T20:42:00.000-04:00Dr. Levy,I have absolutely no affiliation with you...Dr. Levy,<BR/><BR/>I have absolutely no affiliation with your hospital at all, but I just wanted to say that I am so impressed with a CEO with this much empathy and compassion. Such a rare commodity in this world today. I truly hope and pray that you can find a workable solution to keeping as many of these hard-working people employed as possible. God bless you for caring!<BR/><BR/>~~ Pam Llewellyn<BR/>MarylandPam L. in Marylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16363175184067651107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-36613219993400380512009-03-12T20:39:00.000-04:002009-03-12T20:39:00.000-04:00I just read an article about you on Yahoo. I wish...I just read an article about you on Yahoo. I wish everyone had such vision and responsiveness in this economic crisis. You are truly a leader. I hope more are inspired by your approach. <BR/><BR/>Best of luck to you and your Beth Israel community.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04448169193673641765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-54047066824130374312009-03-12T18:09:00.000-04:002009-03-12T18:09:00.000-04:00Hi Paul,I think you're great and are the type of l...Hi Paul,<BR/><BR/>I think you're great and are the type of leader we need more of. I have always been impressed with your insight and the way you've tackled different issues at Beth Israel, and when I saw you featured on the front page of Yahoo (the Globe article was linked) I thought I'd come back here and tell you what I think :-)<BR/><BR/>~Susan SteinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-22079451053945782862009-03-12T17:20:00.000-04:002009-03-12T17:20:00.000-04:00Today I read a news article online about your effo...Today I read a news article online about your efforts to keep staff employed by opening the floor to employee suggestions and involvement. After reading that article I looked you up and found this blog. I just want to tip my hat to you, sir. The empathy and compassion that you are demonstrating is so encouraging and enormously important!<BR/>I don't work in the health care industry. I'm just a regular guy who heard about what you're doing and wanted to send you some much deserved praise!<BR/>Thank you for your efforts.<BR/>Be well.Nathanael Larkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01614967420006279112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-70437106624941355532009-03-12T17:14:00.000-04:002009-03-12T17:14:00.000-04:00I work as an RN at the University of Utah Hospital...I work as an RN at the University of Utah Hospital Health Care system and am impressed with what you are doing Mr Levy. Kudos to you and your employees and sticking to your beliefs of an open forum.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-56642490831535145742009-03-12T15:01:00.000-04:002009-03-12T15:01:00.000-04:00I've always liked the solution proposed by this we...I've always liked the solution proposed by this webcomic: http://xkcd.com/481/<BR/><BR/>My rule of thumb is to never say anything on the internet that I would not say face to face with someone.Daisy Razorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12340625946177901043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-65161631911652680662009-03-12T11:17:00.000-04:002009-03-12T11:17:00.000-04:00Paul,Just wonderful to read the article in the Glo...Paul,<BR/>Just wonderful to read the article in the Globe this morning. Your leadership in these troubling times is a model for its compassion and effectiveness. <BR/>Maureen BisognanoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-21936925313154831152009-03-12T09:39:00.000-04:002009-03-12T09:39:00.000-04:00You should capture ip addresses for those who post...You should capture ip addresses for those who post comments. Track them back to their workstations and take the issue up with their manager!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03353325017248453796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-83840922623878602782009-03-11T18:52:00.000-04:002009-03-11T18:52:00.000-04:00In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity.- ALB...In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity.- ALBERT EINSTEIN<BR/>Take a second, take a breath, and remember why you're doing this. It's for patients like me!<BR/>You are doing good things.Hillary St. Pierrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14047012304987154704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-90729635812772776392009-03-11T17:32:00.000-04:002009-03-11T17:32:00.000-04:00I work at BIDMC as well, and wondered why the sarc...I work at BIDMC as well, and wondered why the sarcastic and rude posts have been left to stand. I will be honest--by yesterday afternoon I was starting to get demoralized, thinking I must have missed the good intent of your letters and that I must be naive to believe that our ideas really count. Plus, it is hard to wait to see what will be happening in a couple of weeks. I feel a little better today, but I think I am going to stay away from the blog until your next letter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-91636356871882989102009-03-11T13:55:00.000-04:002009-03-11T13:55:00.000-04:00Hi Paul,I have been very interested in reading my ...Hi Paul,<BR/><BR/>I have been very interested in reading my colleagues suggestions and have to say that it seems they are overwhelmingly positive. I also wanted to add that I, for one, appreciate the chance to participate in the process regardless of the end result. It is one of the many things that make BIDMC an incredible place to work.<BR/><BR/>Jerry KellyJerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00384607904876881525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-25085100883717217062009-03-11T11:53:00.000-04:002009-03-11T11:53:00.000-04:00Hi Paul, Thanks. The stimulus money might show up...Hi Paul, <BR/><BR/>Thanks. The stimulus money might show up in three ways: 1) increased NIH funding for our researchers; 2) funds for certain information system projects; and 3) aid to the state that might help the Governor not have to reduce medicaid payments further in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-23345567505748650422009-03-11T11:35:00.000-04:002009-03-11T11:35:00.000-04:00Hi Paul,It's sad that a few people can ruin a foru...Hi Paul,<BR/><BR/>It's sad that a few people can ruin a forum with nasty comments. It's a bad representation of the majority of employees who are working hard and trying to be creative.<BR/><BR/>Also, a quick question. Do you think any of this stimulus money that is going to the state of MA will help the hospital at all?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-14347387292277255282009-03-11T08:45:00.000-04:002009-03-11T08:45:00.000-04:00As a BIDMC employee I have been gratified to see t...As a BIDMC employee I have been gratified to see thoughtful, sincere suggestions being made by the majority of posters. The few that are mean-spirited stick out like sore thumbs. Thank you for your leadership.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-41809939595623630652009-03-11T08:39:00.000-04:002009-03-11T08:39:00.000-04:00I'm very glad that you chose to keep the lines ope...I'm very glad that you chose to keep the lines open, Paul, by deciding not to close the anonymous forum. I would guess that a hospital which seeks to nurture an "open, caring and engaged" community and workforce does not need to impose or threaten tacet censorship. Just the goal of<BR/>he goal of encouraging real-time conversations is admirable. And the fact that real conversations do produce as well as reflect emotions, I am grateful to you and others for your leadership and, frankly, for your lack of timidity on the issues we face right now. It takes a little more faith than most of us have had to muster<BR/> to believe financial recovery is as much a reality as the financial hurricane we experience today<BR/><BR/>MbHowardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-42074789214561960642009-03-11T00:14:00.000-04:002009-03-11T00:14:00.000-04:00Hi Paul, It seems we are all having these conversa...Hi Paul, <BR/>It seems we are all having these conversations at our own institutions. It is at the same time an opportunity while also an exhausting proposition for everyone. It is interesting this time, not the first time we are dealing with budget cuts in academic institutions, that there are also more principles at stake. How to deal with the budgets while also saving energy, or streamlining the administrative processes, or digitizing and getting rid of paper, etc., etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-77663205205492109452009-03-11T00:01:00.000-04:002009-03-11T00:01:00.000-04:00If it really gets out of hand a consensus policy a...If it really gets out of hand a consensus policy about conduct might be a good idea. Different online cultures do it in so many different ways. Keep pushing back though, don't allow the culture to accept the negativity. If there is a policy it should come from the community, but they need the tools to do it. If it's really bad, the idea of deleting things isn't terrible, I assume people aren't directly insulting each other etc. If you want to be more creative something like <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disemvoweling" REL="nofollow">disemvoweling</A> might be fun. :) Wikipedia has a very strong culture of <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Civility" REL="nofollow">civility</A>, but I would assume such an *ahem* mature (some might say bureaucratic ;) policy might be a little much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com