This week I had a delightful, and far-too-long-overdue discussion with my neighbor of 16 years, Asma Ghannam. After graduating from the American University of Beirut (BSN) and the University of Pennsylvania (MSN), Asma spent her career in clinical research and operations as the Director of Medical Communications at Merck.
Having recently come together to create a volunteer pool safety program for our community, this time we transformed our usual, brief casual poolside chat into a brainstorming session that spanned from Delaware Valley appreciation to the intricacies of healthcare innovation. (See also: Dipping into Executive Skills)
I was impressed and inspired as Asma told me about being part of Doylestown Health’s volunteer program. This robust program that includes hundreds, is renowned for its exceptional impact. These dedicated individuals seem to form the heart of the organization, providing compassionate care, essential support, and a warm presence to patients, families, and staff. Their contributions are invaluable, and the program stands as a testament to the power of community involvement. Asma’s delight and pride in being able to put her skills to such a worthy purpose was palpable.
We speculated about the tremendously positive educational and healing value Penn Medicine will bring to Doylestown Health, an already vibrant health system as they acquire it. I was excited to share with her that one of my very favorite people, the most conscientious employee ever, and a performance improvement genius, Erica Hummel, along with my cousin, the safety samurai, environmental engineer and firefighting warrior, Tom Smith, were both proud members of the Doylestown staff as well.
We went on to talk about our shared love for our little slice of paradise, Anglesea (North Wildwood). We reminisced about the many summers we’ve spent here, building relationships and soaking up the sun. It was then that the conversation took a productive turn.
Asma mentioned having seen Drass and Associates Legal Nurse Consulting’s website, and asked about my recent LegalNurse.com certification journey in #legal nurse consulting. I talked about how incredibly fortunate I was to go into this venture with members of my trusted and brilliant nursing team as support. I explained how, for example, Mary Wust created a case log- very similar to a census sheet in our previous hospital life- and how Nadiyah Gary turned our case management and treatment planning knowledge and skills into a framework for life care planning in the legal world.
When Asma asked about a LNC typical day, I responded that I have come to accept that between DME/IMEs and spontaneous adventure days (like this: SURPRISE!), there are no “typical days” anymore. This led us to both express our gratitude for the flexibility afforded by #entrepreneurship and remote work, allowing us to enjoy the best of both summer worlds: stunning beachside living and fulfilling professional endeavors.
Next we explored the current state of US healthcare delivery. We touched on how my consulting with Kevin Hyer and The Hyer Calling Foundation as well as participating in defense medical exams keeps me clinically relevant with current evidence-based- and best- practices (see: GiGis, LeeLees, DMEs, LNCs, Victories, and an ODE to JBJ).
We also talked about the implications of for-profit providers and insurers, e.g., see: Private Equity and Addiction Treatment and Profits over Patients Probe.
Agreeing on what an informational platform LinkedIn is, for the third time this week, I recommended following David Nash and Eric Topol for current, credible information on healthcare, populationhealth, publichealth, longcovid (see: Behavioral Health Implications of Long Covid, The Indomitable Covid VIrus and ai, e.g., Powered Mental Health Chatbots.
The conversation took a totally fun turn when we learned that as Bruce Springsteen is a source of joy for me, for Asma, it’s men’s tennis (and especially in the Olympics). While seemingly unrelated, it sparked a discussion about the power of passion and dedication in learning, teaching, and achieving goals. We also exchanged restaurant recommendations, with a follow-up date at North Wildwood’s own Swine Bar being decided upon in the end.
Nancy McCormack, Me, and Bruce
Our healthcare chat naturally flowed into a celebration of the advances in the nursing profession and speculation about what’s next. I immediately suggested that Asma follow Rhone D’Errico, one of my favorite top voices for nursing on LinkedIn. I was also excited to share that I had registered for the upcoming American Nurses Association American Nurses Credentialing Center 2024 MagPath Conference in New Orleans in October.
One of the most inspiring parts of our talk was learning about Gladys Mouro, Asma’s friend and an international healthcare consultant with focus on nursing, Magnet [status] and accreditation. I was amazed to learn that Gladys had, as her profile shares, “More than 40 years of Nursing and healthcare with a focus in Lebanon and the Middle East. Consultant for a number of hospitals involving restructuring Nursing, Quality, Training programs, JCI accreditation, ANCC accreditation, and Magnet Designation.”
For my non-nursing colleagues, “The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) runs the Magnet Recognition Program, which recognizes organizations worldwide that align their nursing goals to improve patient outcomes. The program is intended to motivate hospitals to improve the working environment for nurses, which in turn can improve patient care. As of 2023, 608 hospitals worldwide are designated as Magnet hospitals, but 98% of them are in the United States…
Establishing standards, policies and procedures that achieve Magnet Status is a rigorous certification process that only about 8% of US hospitals achieve. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) sets the standards for Magnet status, which include quality care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice. The process to achieve Magnet status can take two to four years and involves: application, written documentation, on-site evaluations, and public comment.”
I had never much considered the possibility of foreign hospitals accomplishing this feat, and I am absolutely astounded and impressed to hear about it. I was thrilled when Gladys accepted my invitation to connect on LinkedIn, and I look forward to learning more about and from her and her astounding accomplishments.
Like I said last week, hope and inspiration are probably in your own backyard, see: Motivational Monday with the Bentleys. And when you ARE your brand, and the important information matters, being present on the right platforms are critical: 41 LinkedIn Stats You Need to Know
