Dear ASHHRA Colleagues,

November already? Where has this year gone?

Like many of you, in the past several weeks I have been very involved with the concerns raised by the Ebola virus. While very unfortunate for those directly affected by this disease, it has been a good wake-up call for many of us in health care. We routinely do disaster preparedness drills. However, the unique qualities of this highly contagious disease have uncovered holes or weak spots in our readiness. The focus and teamwork that we have had to share within our organizations and within our industry has been an unexpected benefit. There is no doubt that we are better prepared today, as health care professionals, to deal with a mass event than we were two months ago. It reminds me of a Mark Twain quote that goes something like, "When you carry a cat by the tail, you learn something you can learn in no other way." 

November is also a time to celebrate the veterans around us. This past year, I was able to join with an outstanding group of military and health care leaders to discuss ways to strengthen the connections between health care organizations and returning veterans who were also health care professionals. We collaborated on this project with the White House and its Joining Forces initiative because we believe the experienced health care workers who serve our country in the military can provide our hospitals and health systems with not only their extraordinary clinical skills and training but also their tremendous leadership abilities. The result was the development of a new toolkit from the AHA. It was released this week, just in time for Veteran’s Day. It is available online at www.aha.org/hiringveterans. 

Finally, let me be among the first to extend wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for in this great nation. Here’s hoping you have a blessed, restful holiday!

ASHHRA 2014 President

Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

St. Luke’s Health System

Boise, Idaho