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CREATING a written legacy for her children (PG: 30) CHARTING a course for international care (PG: 26) LEADING WW’s science implementation project (PG: 25) UAB CREED HOW ALUMS ARE LIVING THE The University of Alabama at Birmingham SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS SNAPSHOTS THE BLAZER WAY ISSUE UAB // SHP Impressions of Alumni ExcellenceSNAPSHOTS 2 SNAPSHOTS 2 LETTER FROM THE DEAN Hello, If you want to get technical, a creed comes from the word credo, which literally means “I believe” in Latin. But here in the School of Health Professions’ family, our creed is not just a belief – our creed is tangible and concrete because it is our behavior. In this edition of Snapshots, we introduce you to some of your fellow alumni who represent UAB’s creed – The Blazer Way – in so many ways that touch so many people. OUR SHP ALUMNI: ◗ Represent with honor and integrity. ◗ Cherish diversity and celebrate all. ◗ Strive for excellence in service. ◗ Transform learners to leaders. ◗ Believe anything is possible. Our creed is who we – the SHP faculty, staff, students and alumni – are today and who we will be tomorrow and everyday thereafter. My best to each of you, Andrew J. Butler, PhD Dean, UAB School of Health Professions THIS IS THE BLAZER WAY “I hold myself accountable to represent our unique community with HONOR and INTEGRITY. We cherish DIVERSITY, embrace and celebrate all. We cultivate progress, strive for EXCELLENCE through innovation and service. We champion scholarship to TRANSFORM LEARNERS into LEADERS. We believe ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE and pursue knowledge that enriches the world. We remain EVER FAITHFUL, EVER LOYAL, to these shared beliefs.” ➤ uab.edu/blazerway SHP ALUMNI E-MAGAZINE • FALL 2021 33 JOIN THE FUN BY PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS MAKE AN IMPACT BY SERVING OTHERS INSPIRE OTHERS AS AN SHP AMBASSADOR ◗ SHARE SHP stories and memories with prospective students ◗ INSPIRE future generations of health care leaders with our Books with Blaze series ➤ go.uab.edu/bookswithblaze ◗ FOLLOW SHP on your favorite social media outlets ➤ Facebook: /uabshp ➤ Twitter: /uab_shp ➤ Instagram: /uab_shp ➤ LinkedIn: UAB School of Health Professions ◗ HOST Breakfast with Blazers, Ask an Alum or give a guest lecture ◗ BECOME a preceptor, clinical instructor or mentor ◗ PARTICIPATE in service opportunities ◗ MAKE A GIFT online, consider a planned gift or ask your employer to match your gift ➤ uab.edu/shp/give CONTACT: Amanda Sherman • asherman@uab.edu Traditional on-campus events and activities may be different this year, but our need to connect with the Blazer family stays the same. Learn more about the many ways you can get involved this season! ◗ ATTEND networking events, endowed lectures, class reunions, etc. ◗ UAB SPORTS: games & tailgates ➤ uabsports.com/sports/football ◗ WEBINARS: Nutrition, Health Services Administration, National Alumni Society, PT DEI Dialogues ◗ COOKIES AND COCOA WITH BLAZE: Dec 5 EVER FAITHFUL. EVER LOYAL. JOIN US: See all happenings at uab.edu/shpevents STAY CONNECTEDSNAPSHOTS 4 UAB HOMECOMING 2021 OCTOBER 17-23 Join us in the new Protective Stadium — UAB Football vs Rice Reserve your FREE TICKET by contacting: Amanda Sherman • asherman@uab.edu • 205.975.8415 VISIT: uab.edu/homecoming for event info and the many ways to show your Blazer spirit! STAY CONNECTED SHP ALUMNI E-MAGAZINE • FALL 2021 5 Greg Hulsey (MSHA Class 30) Stephanie Hickman (PT 2012) Greg Merrill (MSHA Class 28) Mazi Rasulnia (PhD 2006) Mickey Trimm (PhD 1996) Luke West (MSHA Class E51) 2021 UAB EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS TOP 25 Strive For Excellence Our alumni are consistently recognized for service to their professions and to others — here are some of our recent honorees. Adrienne Benton (MSHA Class 19) received the 2020 Inner City 100 award, recognizing the 100 fastest- growing firms in under-resourced communities across America. Brenda Bertrand (NS 1989) and Deek Cunningham (OT 1998) received the inaugural UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Shared Values. Rick Clendaniel (PT 1982) named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association. Krystle Glasgow (NMT 2010) was elected president-elect, of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section. Jim Houser (MSHA Class 51) selected into International Hospital Federation and WittKieffer’s 2021 IHF Young Executive Leaders and one of four for the USA Delegation. Nir Menachemi (PhD 2002) was awarded Health Services Research Impact Award for examining how organizational strategies and societal policies impact health care outcomes. Sarah Nafziger (MSHA Class E53) received the UAB Alumni Society Distinguished Alumna Award. Angelin Ponraj (BMD 2018) was Hueytown High School’s Teacher of the Year. Evan Ray (MSHA Class 38) won the National Diversity Council’s Leadership Excellence Award. Chuck Stokes (MSHA Class 17) received the 2020-2021 ACHE Gold Medal Award. Mike Williams (MSHA Class 14) received the UAB Alumni Society Honorary Life Membership Award. ◗ John Kueven (MSHA Class 41) Alumnus of the Year ◗ Caroline Sarratt (MSHA Class 45) Emerging Leader ◗ Jared Fitzpatrick (MSHA Class 48) Inclusive Excellence ◗ Sarah Nafziger (MSHA Class E53) Unsung Hero GPHA AWARD RECIPIENTS AWARDS AND ACCOLADESSNAPSHOTS 6 ALUMNI FEATURE Our alumni walk out the principles of the UAB creed everyday — their work and actions support the UAB culture of honor and integrity, diversity, innovation, service and scholarship.SNAPSHOTS 8 JORDAN VOIGT President, Genesis Medical Center-Davenport E ven the most dedicated ER or Grey’s Anatomy viewer will still hear words and phrases they don’t understand in the corridors of any medical center. But even Dr. Ross or Dr. McDreamy would be lost at Genesis Medical Center (GMC), Davenport in Iowa, where it is not a stretch to hear someone say, “That wasn’t very Orange.” Before we translate, know that GMC-Davenport is a 500+ licensed bed medical center covering a nine county primary service region over a bi-state region with more than 450 physicians, 3,000 staff and 1,000 volunteers. In 2018, they were about to undergo two rounds of massive cost reductions and layoffs to lower operating costs; ask staff to reduce hours, float in different areas, and take time off with or without PTO; and finally, implement significant new spending on necessary growth opportunities like cancer care and treatment. At the time, Jordan Voigt (MSHA Class 45) was leading a book club with senior leadership and came across The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. “The book has a parable about different ponds – the negative pond, neutral pond, positive pond – the orange frog is an outlier in the positive pond. We loved that it created a common language — how do you get a neurosurgeon to connect with an environmental services employee? It helped us change the context of our lens – to embrace the positivity and strength in social connections around us.” SHP ALUMNI E-MAGAZINE • FALL 2021 9 It was here that “Pathway for Positive Change” was born. Voigt and the senior management team spent two months reading and discussing Achor’s book and discussing possible solutions in the context of their own needs – a strategic and highly visible, positive psychology intervention. They began by piloting a two-day training for senior executives and management followed by a three-day charting session to align challenges and outcomes. They then established a systemwide intervention with the idea that increasing positive engagement could support the outcomes we desired for employees and patients. “Culture weathers the storm; it is there through the highs and lows, having a strong team helps you to see challenges as opportunities.” “My favorite research from Shawn is in regards to changing the context of your lens — he discusses that if you look at a hill by yourself, your brain shows you a picture of the hill which is 20%-30% steeper than when you view that hill standing next to someone who is going to climb it with you. The geometry of the challenges in our life are literally in flux based upon whether or not you believe you are alone or with others overcoming an obstacle. As the important aspects of the book discusses, the key to effective team success is finding a way to deepen the daily awareness that you are not alone (shared resources and interconnected goals), deepening social ties by creating a culture of positive change (common vision and mission), and initiating social help to others to create virtuous cycles.” In a way, Genesis Medical Center’s “Pathway for Positive Change” further proves this theory. They had such a steep hill to climb, yet the planning and dedication of their leaders complemented by the implementation and resilience of their staff resulted in immediate and lasting success. In a survey taken four weeks pre and post training, staff responses about positivity jumped up double-digit percentage points in every category: ◗ “Very expressive about optimism” up 17% ◗ “I feel connected at work” up 17% ◗ “I feel happy at work” up 19% ◗ “I feel empowered at work” up 21% ◗ “I feel energized at work” up 21% ◗ “Genesis Medical Center-Davenport is going in the right direction: a little better + a lot better (two categories combined)” up 26% All of the training results were in the midst of organizational transformational change to lower the cost structure. Even the medical staff members have been engaged in the initiative. “One anesthesiologist carries around an orange frog as a reminder because it changed him and the way he thinks. And he expresses how the change in his outlook in life enhances the quality of care he provides to his patients,” said Voigt.” “It may sound unique, but he is now in the top one percent of anesthesiologists in the country for patient experience.” From the orange frog to the green dragon, Voigt lives his Blazer Way every day: “Strive for excellence and when you commit, commit 110 percent.” LEARN MORE: Visit orangefrogexperience.com WATCH VIDEO youtube.com/watch?v=g-9y70mRBesNext >