Up and Running.. Okay so I am Walking Slowly

Still with the Prison Shots

The End of an Era

and then Family Services

We had dueling Acrostics  - Finance

Helen Browman has resigned as CEO at Mercy Hospital.   There was a farewell event provided by staff and board and students.    Helen has worn many senior management hats at Mercy since assuming the role of Administrator after Sister Sheila Walsh left many years ago.     

Sheila asked me what I had thought of her; and to be fair I said, "Well, she definitely has better legs than you do."  While at the time it may have seemed to be one of my usual slightly-less-than-politically-correct comments, it proved that I was speaking metaphorically.   Helen did have "legs".   She was thrown into the deep end with only a couple of months' crash course in hospitals and doctors, started at Mercy to be baptized with the huge (literal) fire of 2010.  She led the staff in getting everyone out and safe.  And so it continued until this week.   She was [and is] committed to Mercy and its vision.   

I would have bet she was off to the States, but she has chosen to use her skills in the GT area.   I'll write more in a couple of weeks because Helen is in Miami but only for holidays... just in time for Hurricane Irma's arrival.

Helen looks a little too happy to be leaving.

On a personal note, Helen has always greeted me and my colleague volunteers with enthusiasm.   I made many requests during the years and many of them were complaints [believe it or not].    I doubt that I could have had a more supportive and accommodating boss.    It has been one of my pleasures at Mercy to see Helen mature into a strong leader... and now taking on another project.

 And A Continuing Gift

Yes, once again many people have donated dollars so I could provide the new First Year Students with internet tablets in order to do their research in the PBL course.   I had thought that many would have a tablet already and I would have a few leftover; but none of this years students had one.  Many have phones but no data plans... They thanked me again and again.   I said they should thank all you who support me.   I love it when they have the resources to do good work because, to share a Guyanese Proverb,

"Harse nah know how fast he can run
till tigah ah chase am."

And then I ask them who are the Harses and who is the Tigah?  I don't have to be nice; they have more than enough resources to all get A's.   Well,  most have no internet connection at home; several hours of chores; and, some an hour's journey each way; and some still have not enough money to have lunch.   But I just see those as minor inconveniences -- and hope they do, too!.  

This year we have set a record for males in the class - Five! The males are going to find it hard going because there will be too many of them to take advantage of the women ..... I mean their generosity in helping with the one poor male in a whole class of women.

You Know You are Old When...

 Do you see any resemblance?  

And it is not that one is tough and mean-looking and the other cheerful and sweet...  Actually, they are father and daughter... Taju was a first year student in 2003 and now Althea is in my class.  I have known Althea also for many years when I would visit Taju's  (really, Allison's) restaurant, Princess Kitchen ..... I can't ever remember her expressing an interest in nursing and I can't think how she got so grown-up!

 Robin Hood was Never like This

For one of my first classes, I use an old "values tool" called Robin Hood -- with Maid Marion, Little John and the Sheriff of Nottingham... Basically Maid Marion chooses to sleep with the sheriff to save the lives of Robin and Little John who are imprisoned.  They are freed and Robin calls her a Slut.  Little John takes her away to live happily ever after.  They have to rank the characters 1 to 4 as most to least moral ....  This is hard enough for them as there is not a right answer, but then I get them out in front of the class to defend their position against others who thought differently --  and Out Loud!   No one has ever died, but this year it was close!  Remember the Tigah...

Great News for Psychiatry Residency - Hopefully

And no it is not that the Grand Old Master - Dr. Tony Carr is coming back again for three weeks later to teach in person with the Residents and (because he is truly a workaholic) with Mercy Nurses as well.

Now Tony is good ..... and there have been some very recent phone calls with people from the University of Texas Southwestern, Department of Psychiatry to explore possible collaboration with the Master's Programme at the Public Hospital.  Dr. Adam Brenner is the Residency Director there and along with several senior residents (Monica Gonzalez and Theresa De Freitas Nicholson and an Ethicist professor, Dr. Elizabeth Heitman) he and Tony are already enthusiastically providing support. The Texans knew of a colleague from Vanderbilt who has established a Master's Programme in Emergency Medicine at the Public for several years.   Dr. John Paul Rohde is the Faculty doctor from Vanderbilt and by great fortune, he was in Georgetown now.

Left: Dr. Elizabeth Nikram, Chief Resident, Dr, Harry,
Dr. Veneta Gangaram, Resident, Dr, John Paul Rohde, Vanderbilt,
and the non-doctor John.

We were able to arrange a meeting on Friday and it was an exciting time thinking about all the future opportunities in working with UT Southwestern.  Dr. Rohde did try and bring the docs from Texas in, but the internet was acting up.      I will certainly be updating you on the progress of the adventure.

My Girls at Saint Ann's

Yes, I did get there and they were wonderful.  Many of the older girls have left and a whole new crop of girls are there whose names I will never get straight.  This is long enough, so I'l save their stories for next week.

Rashleigh found me... we were going to watch
Manchester United play on Saturday at Frenzy's.  But the Game got
bumped for coverage of Irma on the local? South Florida station.  While
I wouldn't say that the tv signal is stolen, I suggest
that it is "used under a somewhat questionable license".

Thanks for reading, John