Cel­e­brat­ing Our Suc­cess and the Jour­ney Ahead

Happy holidays! What an amazing year this has been. As One Great Team, we have accomplished so much together. Most noteworthy are the substantial improvements we’ve made in patient throughput. From the Emergency Department to our Patient Units, we have once again prioritized our patients, resulting in better outcomes and a significantly enhanced experience. This is a true reflection of what we can achieve when we strive toward a single purpose.

Knowing what we’ve accomplished this year, I am incredibly excited for the year to come. The New Year is a time for hope and the anticipation of things to come, bolstered by the faith that our hard work will bear fruit. Looking at our strategic plan, we can see the progress already in motion as the Medical Office Building comes to life. This bright, shiny new space signals a new era for our physician practices, serving as a hallmark of efficiency and a better experience for patients who can now receive the services they need in one convenient location.

We also look forward to deepening our relationship with our system partners at UNC Health. We are currently evaluating the implementation of EPIC@UNC and the ISD Shared Services platforms. This comes alongside our continued progress in quality metrics, safety advancements led by our Workplace Violence Committee, and the culture journey we are embarking on with our UNC Health culture champions.

Today, in celebration of the season, I was able to share some homemade hot chocolate with the team (a huge thank you to Brent Shaw, Chef Tom, and the FNS team for making that happen!). Walking through the bustling units, I was so impressed by the "joyful noise" of teammates helping one another. Our culture is one of mutual respect, caring, and an abiding appreciation for everything we do.

I see every day that your work comes from a sincere desire to care, to help, and to ease the pain or anxiety of others. My hope for you this holiday season is that all the peace and joy you bring to our patients comes back to you tenfold.

With gratitude, Penney