Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Environmental Services and Food and Nutrition Team at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center,Burlington,MA

John Brigham and Mary Pittsley
(Food and Nutrition department colleagues)





Derek Hyunh,Zahir Khalifa,Kevin Rodriguez,Johnny Tran
(Food and Nutrition department colleagues)



(Left to Right) Maria Johanna, Ana Rodrigues,Maria Vargas,Patty Vietro,John Rota,Elizabeth Latorre and Irene Camacho (Environmental Services department colleagues)



Rebecca Hecht,Johnny Tran and Stephen Davis
(Food and Nutrition department colleagues)

Go......Red Sox! Go......Food and Nutrition team!



Front row (Left to Right) Emi Rizik, Maria Petkiewich, Yuko Gosselin, Herb Rukin, Rose Noseworthy, Diane Cushing,
Rich Delacy
Back row: James Tuson, Betty De la Cruz, Jason Surette

I am going to be honest, I love the Boston Red Sox! Not based on how well they play, but it is the team spirit displayed by the team and most importantly by all Bostonians that makes me fall in love with the team. One can truly understand why we are called Red Sox Nation in Boston. You can walk around Boston and you will see everyone proudly wearing their Red Sox gear. You could go to any event, whether at someone's home or at a business meeting, and the Boston Red Sox somehow will always be in the conversation. When the team wins, everyone comes to work motivated. When the team loses, everyone feels depleted.

I couldn't help but feel this is the best team spirit that a team could display. A sense of belonging, pride and unity. I felt these feelings are similar at the Food and Nutrition department at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Recently, our team won the Spirit of Sodexo NorAm award, which is the highest honor in Sodexo North America. We also achieved a Tier 1 result, which is the highest score in the recent Hospital’s employee engagement survey.

When you walk into the department, everyone has the same goal: providing exceptional service to our patients, visitors and colleagues and there is a sense of pride, belonging and unity in the department.

I am proud to work with my team here at Lahey. Recently, Maria Petkiewich, a Jazzman's staff member submitted the below compliment about our director in Lahey's Above and Beyond page, which is a colleague recognition program at Lahey:

"Not Just My Boss, Also My Friend!
I want to thank Linda Clay. This September, the Food and Nutrition Department won the the award for being the "Best Team in North America." My colleagues in the department are very good workers, but Linda makes us be the best we can be! Under her leadership, we became not only a "team," but also a family. We work well together, not just for our paycheck, but to make the patients and visitors know that Lahey Hospital & Medical Center is a very special place. We have a wonderful role model in Linda. Whenever I have a concern or problem, she tries to solve it immediately. Every day, when I come into work, I try to be like Linda. I want to congratulate and thank her from the bottom of my heart. She is not just my boss, she is my friend!"

Exemplary service really starts from the top. I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize Linda, the Food and Nutrition management team, and all colleagues in the Food and Nutrition department for making everyday a better day for all those you served.

Go Red Sox! Go Team!

Celebrating American Pharmacists week (Oct 20-26)



Sitting – (L to R) Leon Basil,  Claire Lewis, Amanda Tulolo, Amanda Set, Lai Yee, Pat Duca, Cindy Carter

Standing – (L to R) Jason Lancaster, Craig Donahue, Patrick Lam, Pam Sherry, Mary Russo, Roza Daniyelyan, Lori MacAuslan, Tom Giglio, Josh Black, Nate Sesin, Keith Thomasset, Maryann Ruotolo, Andre Abou-Farah, Diane Houng

October is American Pharmacists Month, specifically, the week of October 20-26 which is the National Hospital and Health Systems Pharmacy week. It is a time to celebrate and recognize the important contributions made every day by pharmacists and technicians in hospitals and health systems.

At Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, there are more than 60 technicians and 60 pharmacists, who prepare and dispense approximately 2.5 million medication doses annually.

During the Pharmacy week, the team, led by Keith B. Thomasset, BS, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS, director of pharmacy services organized the below activities to celebrate and thank the team members for their contribution:

1)Technician appreciation board thanking the technicians for all they do to ensure our patients receive safe care

2)Pizza party and Pot luck challenge – Winner- Roza Daniyelyan . Her winning dish is Hummus and grape leaves

3)Guess the number of vial caps in the jar – Winner –Wael Labib

Please join me to thank our wonderful Pharmacy's colleagues during the celebration!

We've got the answer to Great Customer Service!

Should customer service be an art? Everyone thinks they know what customer service is. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes customer service is not a "one size fits all" practice. Treating each customer as an individual, listening to them and getting them what they want instead of what you think they want is the key to customer service. Of course, you having lots of smiles and enthusiasm will be an added bonus as well! However, doing all these things will only meet their expectations. Its like getting a "pass". In another words, the service is acceptable but not memorable.

In order to give a memorable experience, you have to exceed the customer's expectations. It sounds hard, right? It doesn't have to be. You can do it easily by paying just a little attention and taking one step further. For example, if someone asks you for directions, you should walk them to the destination or if you can't walk them all the way, you could walk a few steps with them until you can point them to the right direction. Often times people give you directions such as "Go straight, take a left, take a right , go through the first door and make a right......" Seriously, by then, you have already lost them! They might just be courteous and say thank you. You can lose a customer this easily as they might not want to come back due to the confusion.

After my explanation above, does exceeding a customer's expectations sounds more attainable? It's listening to your customer, treating them as an individual, providing them with what they want, and by doing the little things that matter to them. Voila! It's really that simple!

I used to work in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years before joining healthcare. I can't help but wonder why there is so much difference in service between a hotel and a hospital apart from medical assistance? Let's take a look at service provided in a hospital versus a hotel

In a hospital:
1) A telephone operator answers the phone
2) Self parking/valet parking is available
3) You check in with a coordinator/customer service representative
4) You are admitted to a room or unit
5) Housekeeping and turn down service is provided
6) Cafeteria is on site
7) Room Service is available

In a hotel:
1) A telephone operator answers the phone
2) Self parking/valet parking is available
3) You check in with a front desk agent
4) You are assigned a room
5) Housekeeping and turn down service is provided
6) Restaurant is on site
7) Room Service is available

The Sodexo team at Lahey always looks at ways to provide personalized service to our patients. We provide all the above mentioned services with a smile and treat all our patients as individuals. We always strive to provide the little things we call "exceptional service" to all our customers because we truly believe that patients and colleagues are the heart of everything we do!

Let's hear it from my colleagues in Environmental Services and the Food and Nutrition department in the following video:

Happy Bosses Day!

Just found out today is Happy Bosses Day!

Have you worked with bosses that you love? You despise? You admire?

If we take a survey today, I am sure there are different opinions on what makes a good boss. In conjunction with Bosses Day today, I gathered the top 10 list.

Feel free to drop me a note or two to let me know if you agree,disagree or you have something to add:

1)A good boss will always come to work with a smile and never brings their personal problems to work.
2)A good boss greets all co-workers each day and takes time to set the tone for the day.
3)A good boss does not just sit in the office, but walks around the operation to provide guidance,encouragement and appreciation for the staff
4)A good boss is a good listener.
5)A good boss takes critism and acts on it.
6)A good boss is not a "know it all" but someone who is humble and finds excitement and joy when the employees grow.
7)A good boss does not live in denial but engages the team to work together to achieve the department goals.
8)A good boss is fair, consistent, has high standards and holds people accountable including themselves.
9)A good boss knows his employees' names and takes the time to get to know them.
10)A good boss loves their job!

Happy Bosses Day to the management team at Lahey Hospital and Medical center and to all the Bosses out there!

Food and Nutrition Management Team

Environmental Services Management Team

Patients are the heart of everything we do.......

Patients are the heart of everything we do……

Have you ever heard the phrase, “do what you love and you will never work a day?” I always wonder if this is just another cliché or if there is some truth to it? Perhaps it is just another one of those “pick me up” lines when one needs some motivation. I started to look around and found my inspiration in two of my colleagues in the Environmental Services department- Irene Camacho and Gustainvil Lozius.

Irene Camacho, supervisor in the Environmental Services department has been working at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center for 21 years. She comes to work everyday with a smile and a positive attitude. Last week I got a call from her. She sounded so happy and excited and I had to tell her to calm down so I could understand her. She told me she was checking her floor and came across a patient who needed assistance to scratch her back. She offered to help the patient. The patient was so shocked when she realized Irene works in the Environmental Services department and she will help the patient even though it is not part of her job. Irene told the patient that it is her job to take care of the patient and she is more than happy to assist the patient whenever she can. The patient told Irene that this is the first time the patient is admitted at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center and she is very impressed with the hospital and everyone who works here. Irene was so happy to hear the compliment about the hospital and it just made her day. When I saw Irene later, she still had a smile on her face. The smile of satisfaction and happiness.

Gustainvil Lozius, “Gus”, linen handler and turndown service attendant has been working at the hospital for 8 years now. He also comes to me each day with a smile of satisfaction on his face and I enjoy hearing the story about “his patients”. Due to patient privacy, he did not share patient information with me. Just brief information on how he makes a difference in the patient’s day by making them smile, assisting them with their needs or when a patient told him they missed him and hope to see him again the next day. We receive compliments from patients almost once a week on Gus. A few days ago, a patient called down to the office to compliment Gus and told our administrative assistant she believes he’s the one that helped her make it through her surgery! I went up to see the patient with Gus to thank the patient for her recognition. When we left, the patient asked Gus “Will you come back to see me later?” .The patient already missed Gus.

I believe the stories from these two individuals provide me with the answer. It is indeed true that if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. You make a difference for everyone you serve and take joy and satisfaction just by looking at their smile.

Thank you Irene and Gus! Thank you for putting patients at the heart of everything we do…..

Irene Camacho and Gustainvil Lozius

Diwali Celebration at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington,Ma

I grew up in Malaysia which is a multiethnic country. The main ethnic groups in Malaysia consist of Malay, Chinese and Indian. Hence, I am fortunate to be able to celebrate the different festivities of all three ethnic groups.

Diwali, the festival of light, is one of the most significant holidays for the Hindu community. This year it falls on November 3- 7. It also happened to be one of my favorite holidays. My childhood memory of the festival begins with the clay lamps. I was mesmerized by the small clay lamps filled with oil that are lit in all Hindu households. The small clay lamps signify the triumph of good over evil, and the lights are kept on during the night. I remember asking my mom’s permission to do the same in our household. Unfortunately, I was being turned down due to fire hazard. In recent years many households switched to the electric version.

Homes are also cleaned prior to the festival to welcome the goddess of Lakshmi and the smell of food and cookies fill the entire household. Paper lanterns and incredible Rangooli (A design on the floor made from colored rice and powder) are used to decorate the household and shopping malls. Rangoli is used as a joyful way to welcome the Goddness of Wealth and Prosperity. Hindu women will adorn their beautiful saris (a traditional Hindu dress), colorful bangles and earrings and Men will wear dhoti (sarong wrapped around the waist and leg) with an oxford shirt.

I got so excited when Sodexo Executive chef at Lahey, Dave Cox and line cook, Ravi Rajkarnikar, introduced Indian cuisine at the cafeteria in Lahey Hospital and Medical Center this week in conjunction with the upcoming diwali celebration.

The menu consists of: Plain Pulao ( Basmati Rice cooked with a touch of Butter, Green Peas, and Raisins) Plain Naan (Indian Bread) Polak Rahma Masala (Spinach cooked in a sauce with Kidney beans and Peppers) Vegetable Pakora (Indian Mixed Vegetable Fritter cooked in Chick pea flour) Makhani Chicken (Butter chicken, a popular Indian dish, cooked in Tomato based gravy, Butter, Cream, and Nuts) Onion Chutney, Tamarind Chutney

As I savor every bite of this sumptuous meal, it brings back my childhood memories and a taste of home. What a wonderful way to celebrate the festivity and introduce diversity at work.

Kudos to the Food and Nutrition team. Happy Diwali everyone!