Last week we did not have the Thursday staff meeting because so many were out of town. Nancy is currently on leave as well so I'm covering her patients as well as mine. There were three patients who got admitted, a major case conference to deal with a particularly challenging patient of mine, and just lots of stuff to deal with.

We are in the trenches; it feels like we're hitting the ground running from morning to night.

I'd have to say that the "keyword' for this week is TEAM. Frequently through the week, I was impressed by the sense of team and focus I've encountered everywhere. We had a lengthy and challenging Implementation Core Team meeting on Wednesday, starting at 0700. There we were around a large table: an amazing gathering of physicians, nurse practitioners,  IT specialists, hospital quality staff, and our own project staff wrestling with the realities of implementing parts of the project. Something as simple as installing a computer in each clinic has become a formidable task. This isn't a complaint, it's merely a reality. Sheer logistics, budgets, timelines and tons of real work all become barriers to completion of a task. And it's only one task of many. But here we have a determined group of people willing to take on their part whenever and wherever they can.

Our TEAM was suffused with support by Mary Minniti, our Project Manager. I wonder how many who read this can remember starting a staff meeting with a comment of appreciation for each individual staff member. It is so affirming! I do not believe I have ever encountered this level of team building in any other work setting in my entire professional life!

This positive energy flows forward and out into the pilot sites. It seems like I always receive a positive welcome from clinic staff, in spite of the usual hectic pace in all our sites.

So, it's a bright crisp autumn day in northwestern Washington. Think I'll enjoy the weekend!