Employee Engagement

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT:
Faculty and Staff Leadership and Diversity Programs Provide
Opportunities for Growth

During FY 2015, the Department of Medicine continued to develop initiatives to support and nurture its faculty and staff. These include the Faculty Leadership Development Program and the staff-oriented Emerging Leaders Program, DOM Executive Assistant Network and “Employee of the Month” award program. “These programs provide support and encouragement to our talented faculty and staff and help them grow in their careers,” says Brian Gittens, DOM’s Director of Human Resources.

Embracing Diversity

The department is addressing issues of diversity in its hiring practices and institutional culture on many fronts, including conducting training sessions for administrators and faculty members on unconscious bias, and working closely with the School of Medicine’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion on implementing SOM’s strategic plan, which includes diversity-related goals. Greg Townsend, MD, a faculty member in DOM’s Division of Infectious Diseases, serves as Associate Dean for Diversity and Medical Education; and the Department of Medicine’s director of human resources, Brian Gittens, EdD, SPHR, also serves in a part-time role as director of diversity initiatives for SOM’s Diversity office.

About the unconscious bias training sessions the Diversity office is offering SOM-wide — with Department of Medicine faculty piloting the program — Gittens comments: “I believe that unconscious bias is at the root of most inequity. Affirmative action programs and anti-discrimination policies are institutional responses to individual bias.” He says further, “This pilot training is a critical step in addressing the root of the issue and cultivating an inclusive community.” Dr. Townsend adds, “It’s not surprising that even physicians, who are encountering people who are not like them, are going to treat such people differently than those who are like them — and that includes decisions related to when and how much pain medication to give. Unless we address the problems of race, we’re not going to be able to address such disparities.”

Faculty Leadership Development Program

The Faculty Leadership program is designed to give junior faculty in the early stages of their careers the knowledge and skills they need to become the department’s future leaders. The program consists of 10 two-hour workshops over a period of 10 months, on topics ranging from “Strategies for Leadership Success” to “Financial Literacy” to “Making the Most of the Mentee Experience.” Sessions are presented by senior leaders in DOM, the School of Medicine and the Medical Center, with team-building exercises, networking opportunities, and a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a DOM division chief to round out the program.

Emerging Leaders

The Emerging Leaders program is intended to help DOM staff members who aspire to higher-level administrative or management positions by providing training and mentorship opportunities. The year-long, seven-module program was launched in February 2014, and feedback from the first cohort of 10 participants has been enthusiastic. The curriculum helps broaden participants’ understanding of academic medical centers in general and UVA Health System in particular, and gives them an in-depth look at the key functional areas that support the organization, including financial management, human resources and research and sponsored programs. Participants are paired with mentors in their division who oversee and encourage them as they complete individual assignments.

DOM Executive Assistant Network (DEAN)

The DEAN program helps facilitate professional, educational and personal growth among the department’s executive assistants and those who aspire to these positions. Members meet monthly for 1-1/2 hours for a DOM-hosted lunch and programming that includes speakers, skills training, sharing of resources, and discussions of current issues. The program is sponsored by DOM Human Resources and coordinated by Terri Washington, executive assistant to DOM Chair Mitchell Rosner, MD, FASN.

DOM Employee of the Month

DOM’s Employee of the Month award program, launched by DOM HR director Brian Gittens in 2012,  provides an opportunity for each of DOM’s 10 divisions, on a rotating basis, to nominate outstanding staff contributors for this award. Winners are honored at an award ceremony, presented with a plaque and gift certificate, and are eligible for consideration for DOM’s annual “outstanding staff contributor” award.

Meet some of the outstanding staff members in the Department of Medicine (FY 2015 EOM award winners):

• Jennifer Greene (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)
• Tara Herring
• Jennifer Kaisoum (Endocrinology)
• Steve Murphy (Infectious Diseases)
• Anne Shipe (Cardiovascular Medicine)
• Jennifer Taylor & Janet Tillage (Hematology-Oncology)
• Karen Rush (General, Geriatric, Palliative & Hospital Medicine)