News from Rick

Town Hall Meeting

RC Town Hall Meetings

We’re doing our next department meeting “Town Hall” format, where you determine the agenda. I will have a very brief 10 minute presentation about what our future may hold in the year 2015 to get us started, but you choose the topics.

You have a few options to create our agenda…

• Come to the meeting and share and announcement or question, no notice needed

• Reply to my email announcement of the meeting and send a question/topic to me

• Talk to, Carol or your team leaders who can place your topic on the agenda

There have been some hot topics for discussion. Several staff have talked to me directly over worries about the economic situation, about the direction of our department, about leadership, about keeping them informed, and frustration over a few of the programs and policies we have in place. This forum will allow another opportunity to share and clarify information as well as identify anything we need to take action on.

Carol and I have two meetings scheduled as follows:

May 1, Thursday at Hillcrest at Noon in the RC Education Room

May 1, Thursday at Hillcrest at 8 pm in the RC Conference Room (we can have that earlier or later, depending on night shift preference)

The Thornton meetings will be announced as soon as we have agreed on a day.

Other meetings will also be scheduled if needed, Thanks….Rick

Staff...I am extending an offer to pay for your specialty section membership to the AARC. If you are already a member of the AARC your current dues are likely about 90$ per year. For an extra $20 you can join one of the Specialty Sections. You can learn more about the specialty sections at the following link: http://www.aarc.org/sections/index.asp

I will pay that extra $20 from some of my principle provider funds in our Medical Education account. Just stop by the office, or we can get together where we have internet access. We will pull up your AARC membership profile and add the specialty section of your choice.

If your not an AARC member, you cannot join a Specialty Section...unfortunately I don't have adequate funds in the dollars allocated to me to buy AARC membership for all, but can help with the specialty section.

Also, some have asked me about seminar funding. If there is something you are interested in attending let me know. Provided you have an acceptable performance evaluation and we have the funds...I can usually help out. We are also going to formalize the RC Education Scholorship request to better accomodate and track request and maintain equity.

Thanks,

Rick

RC in 2015

Staff,

I recently attended a special conference on the "RC Practitioner of 2015"...wow. Close loop dual feedback mechanical ventilation, iron laced aerosols with magnet induced deposition, chemotherapy and genome aerosols, and pulmonary impedence tomography are just a few of the technologies we need to prepare you for in the future. This AARC sponsored project involves a few managers, a few educators and a representative from nearly every regulatory or professional group associated with the deliver of our services nation wide...currently about 70 responding particpants. The group witll meet two more times in 2008 and will eventually issue new recommendations on the educational requirements and entry level criteria for RCPs in the US.

Your chance to winn !

Some of you are very good about checking your emails and even the BLOG, while others have room to improve staying informed. If you are reading this notice, please send me an email at rmford@ucsd.edu. For demonstrating you are reading this email you will be entered in a drawing for a 20$ target card. The drawing will take place March 10th.

Hope your reading...it can pay off in more ways than one !

Rick

Leaderhsip Development

Staff,

Many of you are aware the medical center is providing ongoing Leadership Development programs for supervisors and managers. On Feb 26th your supervisor attended a session on self improvement which included how to better manage time, stress, and to better understand their own personalities and how to be more effective in communicating and resolving issues. You may here more about this class from them, or feel free to asked them about it. I have reference materials if your interested. In the months ahead, you will hear about a special training program the medical center will offer to all employees. Sharp has a "day away" for all staff, and I am glad to see UCSD is planning the same.

Thanks for all you do,

Rick

Communications Celebration

Team, Thank you to all who attended the Communications Celebration. It was of benefit to here from so many on some very important issues. Thank you to Elsie and Herb and Dave for helping oversee all the planning and logistics, and for Sue, John, Gina, and Carol for contributing to making the event successfull. We appreciate staff who made the extra effort to attend, and understand many could not attend as our workload significantly increased. For those that missed, Herb has placed many of the presentations on line that can be accessed via our web site.

Have a great week, Rick

February Competency for RT IIs

Attention all RT IIs....every Sept and Feb for the past 2 years we have re-assessed the competencies you qualify for and made any appropriate adjustments in your pay rate. I will be checking with Carol in the next 2 weeks to get an updated list of who has participated in which teams. This is a good time to check with your PI team leader and make sure you know where you stand. Any questions, let me know. The increases will be processed the last week of February.

Thanks, Rick

Our Feb Forums

RC Team...in the upcomming weeks we will have our first Respiratory Care Forum. This forum does is different from our skills fair and is an effort to improve how we discuss and share information. Topics will be important and current to your work. Guest from other areas of the medical center will also provide information on important hospital wide issues. You will be paid, there is food, there will be prizes and I hope to see each of you there.

Thanks, Rick