New Job

Started work this past Monday working 8 - 4:30. The Baylor University Medical Center is so big and includes 5 hospitals plus a children's skilled nursing facility, a specialty hospital for long term acute care patients giving them 21 days to gain strength to go to a rehab center, and a separate Baylor Institute of Rehab, School of Dentistry, School of nursing, a hotel for family members and staff when needed, MD office building, and other smaller buildings too numerous to count. I park in Lot 45, which is out in the south 40. A shuttle bus runs from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm shuttling staff to and from various parking lots to places of work.

I began feeling tremendously overwhelmed with the size of the campus, but have now accepted that I will eventually learn how to get everywhere I need to go. There are signs at intersections in the buildings, as well as wonderful staff who always offer their help without my having to ask.

This group of hospitals has not only attained Magnet Status but was just re-certified for another 3 years. To attain Magnet Status, an oversimplified explanation is that you must do well on all inspections have no major problems, have a working staff retention program, and staff must be happy as evidenced by the atmosphere within the walls of the hospital.

The Care Coordination Department has a wonderful team of employees who work well together, help one another, and do their individual jobs well. There is a medical director, as well as two other physicians who help and are committed to care coordination, a director of care coordination and three managers who oversee the care coordinators.

This week has been exhausting, as I had not worked since April 2008. So much information has been given to me that I sense it is all just swimming around in my brain. I have walked more this week than I've walked in quite a while. I will work in all five hospitals on the evening shift. This hospital has not yet gone to Electronic Health Records. All the other hospitals within the Baylor Health System have been converted, however this is the largest complex and will be done last. So, charts have to be reviewed on the individual floors. I have an assigned lap top computer that I will carry around with me because Care Coordinator charting is done on line because this is documentation regarding admission status, with numerous reviews that are done to make sure patients meet inpatient criteria for reimbursement purposes as well as lots of medicare documentation. I am so grateful that today is Friday, I had a spring in my step as I walked quickly to the bus stop!

Employment update

My dear family,

Since accepting the offer from Baylor, I have completed background information in order for background check to be completed, as it is required in healthcare. I will be seen Monday 12:00 noon in Employee Health for TB test, UA, and if they require testing for immunization titers. When this background check and "physical" is completed, I will be told when I will start my employment. Wanted to catch you up to date.