Friday, March 27, 2009

A Head with a Heart

The following is an article taken from the Boston Globe in March of 2009. The author is Kevin Cullen and it demonstrates that even in an economic crisis, the "whole" is more than simply the sum of its parts. No ones job in unimportant and that caring can extend beyond one's inner circle. Several Scoop readers suggested that Paul Levy's innovative thinking would be a great model for DRMC.

It was the kind of meeting that is taking place in restaurant kitchens, small offices, retail storerooms, and large auditoriums all over this city, all over this state, all over this country.

Paul Levy, the guy who runs Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was standing in Sherman Auditorium the other day, before some of the very people to whom he might soon be sending pink slips.

In the days before the meeting, Levy had been walking around the hospital, noticing little things.

He stood at the nurses' stations, watching the transporters, the people who push the patients around in wheelchairs. He saw them talk to the patients, put them at ease, make them laugh. He saw that the people who push the wheelchairs were practicing medicine.

He noticed the same when he poked his head into the rooms and watched as the people who deliver the food chatted up the patients and their families.

He watched the people who polish the corridors, who strip the sheets, who empty the trash cans, and he realized that a lot of them are immigrants, many of them had second jobs, most of them were just scraping by.

And so Paul Levy had all this bouncing around his brain the other day when he stood in Sherman Auditorium.

He looked out into a sea of people and recognized faces: technicians, secretaries, administrators, therapists, nurses, the people who are the heart and soul of any hospital. People who knew that Beth Israel had hired about a quarter of its 8,000 staff over the last six years and that the chances that they could all keep their jobs and benefits in an economy in free fall ranged between slim and none.

"I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Levy began. "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them.

"Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice," he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits."

He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause.

Paul Levy stood there and felt the sheer power of it all rush over him, like a wave. His eyes welled and his throat tightened so much that he didn't think he could go on. When the applause subsided, he did go on, telling the workers at Beth Israel, the people who make a hospital go, that he wanted their ideas.

The lump had barely left his throat when Paul Levy started getting e-mails.

The consensus was that the workers don't want anyone to get laid off and are willing to give up pay and benefits to make sure no one does. A nurse said her floor voted unanimously to forgo a 3 percent raise. A guy in finance who got laid off from his last job at a hospital in Rhode Island suggested working one less day a week. Another nurse said she was willing to give up some vacation and sick time. A respiratory therapist suggested eliminating bonuses.

"I'm getting about a hundred messages per hour," Levy said yesterday, shaking his head.

Paul Levy is onto something. People are worried about the next paycheck, because they're only a few paychecks away from not being able to pay the mortgage or the rent.

But a lot of them realize that everybody's in the same boat and that their boat doesn't rise because someone else's sinks.

Paul Levy is trying something revolutionary, radical, maybe even impossible: He is trying to convince the people who work for him that the E in CEO can sometimes stand for empathy.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

A REAL leader - unlike Ray H.

Anonymous said...

and now dr. louwrens has left--i guess that's another good dr. ray ray has run off.

Anonymous said...

Anna Casey's restaurant shut their doors this weekend. Soon we will be a city of fast food ONLY!

Anonymous said...

Mary Kate joined the angels in heaven, please pray for her family.

Anonymous said...

Anna Casey is in the wrong location. If they would move to the south part of town. They would do good!!

Anonymous said...

Anna Casey's is going to be reopened by another owner. Its location should be good being the only non-fast food restaurant on Hwy 82 near the motels. The problem is that no one can afford to eat out anymore in this economy. Good luck the the new owner.

Worried... said...

Has Dr Steven Chapman, heart doc, left the area? I noticed his name was not included in this past Sunday DDT's list of docs practicing at DRMC.
Does anyone have info on him?

Anonymous said...

who is the new owner of anna casey's?

kennard said...

I believe Ray Humphries bought Anna Caseys.

Anonymous said...

Dr Louwerens and Dr Chapman are still practicing at DRMC as of today.

Anonymous said...

Anna Caseys was purchased by the person who owned the bar... and the Shotgun Bar-B-Q... That's what I hear.

Anonymous said...

Anna Casey's was purchased by John Dobbins.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I hope they keep the same good food.

Anonymous said...

They've got a good steak! Hope they keep the same cooks.

I've heard that there wouldn't be major changes. Let's hope so!

Anonymous said...

where is dr. richard young (ebc's preacher) moving to? doesn't seem like he's been here that long.

EBC Attendee said...

In answer to Anonymous 8:13AM, Dr Young is moving to O'Fallon, MO right outside St Louis. He was the pastor at EBC for 3 years. A former pastor, Rev. Bob Smith who now resides in TX, has agreed to come for several weeks beginning with Easter Sunday. He pastored the church in mid-80's, he is blind by the way.

Anonymous said...

**http://www.ddtonline.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/news3.txt **

**“Greenville, Miss., is still Queen City of the Delta,” Hudson said.**


Queen??? Our Mayor needs meds, what lala land does she live in?

Greenville is shriveling up to a slow death....and she is dancing in the streets to her own tune...as usual!!!

Anonymous said...

David Shamoon shut down his Hot Tamale store located behind the Skating rink off VFW road in the last few days. What a shame! He had a great product!

Anonymous said...

I understand that David Shamoon will be making hot tamales at Stareka now.

Anonymous said...

That is good news, but I still hate to see him shut down his own location. Thanks for the update.

Anonymous said...

Different subject...Surely the DDT could have printed more about the large golf and tennis tournament that was held in Greenville last week-end. Much revenue was brought into Greenville, and VERY little coverage. I believe that the sports guys could do a little better job.

Anonymous said...

don't be anonymous contact the sports dept. and tell them so, their e-mail is: ddtsports@ddtonline.com

Anonymous said...

WHAT WENT ON IN SHAW WITH THE CITY INSPECTOR AND DOLLAR GENERAL..
AT ONE TIME, DOLLAR GENERAL WAS BUILDING A STORE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SHAW(WHICH THEY DESPERATELY NEED) AND THE NEXT THING THEY ARE PULLING OUT,, BREAKING UP THE CONCRETE AND GETTING THE HECK OUT OF SHAW.. WHATS UP CITY INSPECTOR.. YOU DONT WANT INDUSTRY TO YOUR DRYING UP DELTA TOWN.

Anonymous said...

The inspector must be from Greenville