Friday, June 21 is Take Your Dog to Work Day, an annual event created by Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters. For obvious reasons, employees of a medical center can’t participate. However, two UAB Medicine employees “take their dogs to work” several days throughout the year to provide animal-assisted therapy for those who need it.

Congratulations to Sarah Shipley, RN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist with UAB Hospital’s Emergency Department who recently received the CipherHealth Nurse Award for Outstanding Patient Care.

We are pleased to announce this month’s UAB Medicine DAISY Award, recognizing the super-human work that nurses do for patients and families every day. Submissions and stories are reviewed each month, and then the winner is surprised at a special ceremony. You can submit a DAISY nurse nomination using the box on your unit.

It might not have snowed, but we still had FUN!

UAB Medicine has been named one of the “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare” by Becker’s Hospital Review for the fifth year in a row, the only Alabama-based health care entity to be so honored. The list recognizes hospitals, health systems and organizations committed to fulfilling missions, creating outstanding cultures and offering competitive benefits to their employees.

UAB Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Terri Poe, DNP, RN, NE-BC, was awarded the 2018 “Outstanding Nursing Administrator Acadame or Service Award” from the Alabama State Nurses Association in October.

The UAB Outpatient Clinical Decision Unit (OCDU) expanded in early September, relocating to P7 in the West Pavilion and greatly increasing its capacity to 51 observation and treatment spaces. Formally created in July 2015 to help ease demand for inpatient beds, the unit delivers nursing-driven care for non-emergency patients who need more attention than an outpatient visit provides but less than a full hospital admission.

UAB Medicine is the Best Medical or Healthcare Workplace and the Best Workplace for Technology/Research according to the 2018 Best of Birmingham awards, which are voted on by readers of Birmingham magazine and featured in its September edition.

UAB nurse leaders recently discussed how to confront and stop workplace bullying. By joining #NursesSupportTheirYoung, they pledged to reinforce kindness, compassion, and civility in the workplace. Take a moment to consider how you can support those around you, sign the pledge along with us, and don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel that you’ve witnessed bullying or been bullied yourself.

The UAB Medicine Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit, the first such specialty unit in Alabama, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Supported by UAB Hospital-Highlands and the UAB Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, the unit was created to address geriatric syndromes that can negatively impact outcomes for frail, older adult patients during a hospitalization.

UAB Medicine staff are known for their compassion toward patients and coworkers alike during difficult times. So when one of the nurses in The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital Infusion Clinic was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year, fellow employees stepped up to show their support.

UAB Medicine nurses do extraordinary things every day, going above and beyond for our patients and living our Core Values. Their stories of excellence are passed along too seldom, so let’s give kudos to the three nurses highlighted below, who each earned recognition for devoting themselves to advancing the profession and furthering their education.