Dear Colleagues, I’ve heard a metaphor describing life to be like two rails on a railroad track.  The left rail represents the hardships or difficult circumstances in life, while the right rail represents the good things in life.  Though the tracks always run in parallel, sometimes we can focus so much on the left rail that we miss what is happening on the right. The COVID-19 pandemic is a stretch of the track we must all cross right now. The normal rhythmic chugging of work, school, and community gatherings have stalled in many respects. My son misses Cub Scout gatherings. My daughter’s driver’s license test was cancelled. Both participate in Zoom classes every day but miss the personal connection with friends.  My wife, a teacher’s assistant in a second-grade class, longs to see her “kiddos.”

Conversely, my commute time is halved, dog walking is at an all-time high, and the internet is filled with hilarious memes and quirky videos of family shenanigans during quarantine. In my own family, I now routinely emerge from an evening shower with a different “hair-don’t” (slicked back, faux hawk, variously angled parts or electric shock look) and poor dress style choice (e. t-shirt tucked into sweatpants pulled up chest-high and socks up to my knees). My kids roll their eyes and, my wife questions the choice she made in 1997, but it adds levity to an otherwise stressful day.             At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, and throughout Brigham Health, imaging staff have answered the call to contribute outside of the Department of Radiology. Some are managing PPE distribution and N-95 fit testing, while others fill roles as donning/doffing monitors on COVID-19 units. Still more serve as greeters at the hospital entrances, handing out masks, and validating daily attestations. Many are working shifts that they are unaccustomed to staffing, overnight and on weekends, which adds complexity to an already challenging situation. Schedulers have deferred thousands of appointments, and front desk personnel smile behind their masks to greet the few outpatients still trickling through. Finally, physicians, technologists, and nurses remain vigilant in their clinical duties, performing essential imaging exams and procedures on patients with COVID-19.  The times call for enduring effort and innovation. I see sacrifice, personal resilience, character, and courage triumph over personal comfort and the everyday challenges.  To all of you, I offer my gratitude - your purpose is noble, and your selflessness inspires me. We will look back one day, soberly acknowledging the good work we have done and the care that was given, realizing all along we were on the right track.

Brian McIntosh, BS, RT (R) CRA Director, Department of Radiology  Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital bmcintosh1@bwh.harvard.edu brighamandwomens.org

Nutrition & Wellness

Eating For Energy

"With workdays longer and more complicated than ever, time for meals and snacks is at a premium. Combine at least two of the below foods groups every time you eat to help keep you energized and satisfied for the long periods of time between breaks. As always, thank you for all that you do." - Emily Blake, MS, RD, LDN

Easy & Filling Snacks:

¼ cup nuts + 1 apple 2 hard boiled eggs + ½ cup grapes 2 reduced fat string cheese + 6 Triscuits 1 non-fat plain Greek yogurt + drizzle honey or 1Tbs jam

Easy Broccoli and Cheddar Egg Casserole

This dish requires about an hour from start to finish so it may be best prepared on a day off. That said, it makes plenty of filling leftovers and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time:  35-40 minutes Total Time: 55-60 minutes Serves: 6 Ingredients: Cooking spray 9 eggs 1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen*) 2/3 cup chopped onions (fresh or frozen*) 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup diced potatoes (fresh or frozen*) Sprinkle of salt and pepper *If you use frozen vegetables, defrost them in the microwave for a few minutes and blot out the moisture prior to adding them to the casserole. Adding them frozen to the dish is fine but may result in a more moist texture.   Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Chop or defrost vegetables and add to casserole dish. Pour eggs over vegetables and sprinkle dish with cheese. Mix to ensure ingredients are evenly distributed. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until top starts to turn golden brown.

High Fives

Thank You Nurses!

Big Thank You for your amazing strength and courage.

"I would like to thank all of the staff who work in ANGIO and CSIR for their outstanding dedication and motivation combing both departments to provide Pre & Post‐Op care since Friday, April 3rd. The entire team has worked together to create and develop process maps in order for us to continue to deliver the high standard of nursing care we give every day." - Angela Kelly, Nursing Director

RN Charge Nurses: Heather Macaulay ; CSIR, Petra Clark ; ANGIO Maryellen Quinter ; NEURO IR, Assistant Nurse Dir.: Erin Cole .

Thank you picture from a group of school children.

Charge Nurse: Heather Macaulay; CSIR, Ben Szpak .

These pictures are examples of our COVID Information Board that we update every day and an example of one of the many process maps that was developed to assist all staff with the new workflow.

Khalilah Evora , Patient Coordinator (left) and Michelle Thomson , Radiology Receptionist (right) staff the greeter station in the Belkin House at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.

Sonographer Elizabeth Chaisson (left) is handing a catered box lunch to her co-worker, Chantell Jiminez . Elizabeth’s aunt, Sheila Sullivan, with assistance from her mom Cathy Chaisson, donated 30 boxed lunches on Friday from her catering company, Seasons Catering.

Bertucci's sponsored a luncheon for CSIR and L1 MRI. Eve Sadowsky was kind enough to arrange the treat for the department!

Donna Laronde , Lorraine Flaherty , and Pamela Strandberg from BWFH Radiology Scheduling.

2019-20 APCR Outstanding Coordinator Award Winner

Our very own Sandi Palma was nominated for and received the 2019-2020 Outstanding Coordinator Award from the Association of Program Coordinators in Radiology (APCR) yesterday! This award would have been handed out at the annual AUR conference but instead was announced virtually. Ashley Appel nominated Sandi and described her in the nominating message below:

“She is a fully committed and dedicated Program Coordinator who is extremely reliable, day in and day out. Sandi comes to work every day with positivity, enthusiasm, and a strong will to help others..” and she is “constantly using her creativity to bring new ideas to the Residency Program. We all benefit daily from having Sandi and her strong work ethic as a part of our team.” - Ashley Appel, Fellowship Program Coordinator

Some of the criteria for the award recipient is as follows, which Sandi definitely meets:

Shows commitment to the education of peers through presentations or other active roles within the APCR organization Models professionalism, dedication, and commitment Demonstrates a strong interest in education, while recognizing and encouraging others

Internal Resources

Brigham Health Gratitude Board The  Brigham Health Gratitude Board  captures shining moments and enables staff to recognize each other. Your stories remind us that we are stronger together. Take a moment to share your message of thanks, support and encouragement with your Brigham colleagues to read when they most need it.

Reflection Rooms Now Available Are you looking for a quiet moment alone? There are now three Reflection Rooms available for all employees to use. These Reflection Rooms are single-person rooms with comfortable seating, dim lighting and mindfulness resources, and they are intended to supplement existing spaces like Caritas rooms and the Chapel. Reflection rooms are located in  Mid-Campus (near the E elevator) , on  Braunwald Tower 4A  and on  Shapiro 3 . View a map of all locations  here .

We want to hear from you! How would you describe the Department of Radiology during this time? Please answer this 1 question survey . Are we missing something? Submit content for this weekly communication or provide us feedback here .