Message from the Superintendent (February 15, 2008)

“To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world”. - Anon.

I need to take a moment and correct something I said that was in error. At the town hall meeting on Tuesday, I mentioned that the hospital was implementing a “Student Loan Re-payment Program” as a method of recruiting and maintaining our nursing staff. Afterwards, I was told that the hospital can not do this until after the department negotiates how to implement such a plan with the union. It is important that all parties understand the impact prior to implementing. I will communicate to you as soon as possible when those conversations are completed and Human Resources gives us the green light to move forward.

I also want to share that our great maintenance department is moving quickly to develop our sensory rooms on all units. The hospital is committed to providing a wide range of tools for the staff to use with the people we treat. I continue to be extremely proud of the work you all are doing here to reduce the use of restraint and seclusion. Weekly, I get told by unit staff of the great actions you and your co-workers are taking to support and assist those we serve. Your work is appreciated by the families, the clients, and your co-workers here, (even if you don’t always hear it).

I am under the belief, that more important then the tools on the unit to support stress tolerance are caring staff. MP3 players, heated blankets, stress balls, personnel DVDs are good to have available when clients express distress. However, it is, in my opinion, the expression of concern, interest, and caring that is made by staff by offering these interventions is what intensifies the therapeutic relationship and hope of improvement that really, sincerely, helps a person in distress. Never underestimate the power you have in helping another person just by sincerely showing interest and concern. The “tools” are, in some cases, the invitation to make human contact, the real medicine.

As always, thank you for your good work.

In Service,

David S. Proffitt

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength."- Ralph W. Sockman

Agency information

Message from the Superintendent (February 15, 2008)