This summer has seen a real increase in the activity in our clinics, in our educational programs and in our basic and clinical research activity. The addition of Dr. Wakefield and Dr. Fangman has increased the number of clinic sessions in 3K by approximately 50%. This is a substantial increase in activity. We are moving more patients through clinic, checking more patients in and out, and scheduling more patients in the appointment hub. We are doing more biopsies, ordering more lab tests, cleaning more rooms and doing everything it takes to care for patients. We have new research and clinical fellows, have received new clinical and basic science research grants and are in a constant grant writing frenzy. It is clear that we are working harder and I hope smarter.

 

With these new challenges obviously come opportunities to learn how to run our clinic better. We are working on new encounter forms that will improve our lab ordering by eliminating duplicate forms, making the task easier for a busy front desk and markedly reduce mistakes. Dr. Fangman has done a great job at revising our consent forms so that, if desired, one form can be used for all biopsies and for photography. Dr. Fangman has also developed a new patient form that allows us to collect more information before we see the patient, improving our efficiency in seeing the patient and making our dictations better and easier. These are just a few of the steps that are constantly occurring that make our clinic better. These changes have been made by DOERS, by people who see a problem, find a solution and get it implemented. We are very lucky to have a Division full of people who think critically and then act to improve. We have a Division of ‘Doers’.

 

This philosophy of being a ‘doer’ is clearly demonstrated in our new Dermatology

Ambassador program. This program developed out of a need in the clinic to have people that can help with getting patients to rooms, to communicate better with patients waiting and to integrate some of our office staff with the patients they talk to during the week. This program has allowed us to solve problems such as our long hallways and our need for chaperones and to provide our patients with an opportunity to meet the people who they talk to in the offices. All of this makes for a better patient experience and a more efficient clinic.

 

The Dermatology Ambassador program however came about because of ‘Doers’. Under the leadership of Edna Atwater and Linda Schaeffer the various regulatory requirements were outlined. Mapoo Gittens, Donna Prince, Susan Primrose and Eric Lai have completed their training and are making great contributions in clinic.

 

The DOERS in our Division are not limited to our clinical activity. Dr. Myers, Dr. Malik and Dr. Cook, with critical help from Sharon Rose, are formulating a new ‘Procedures rotation’ that will help in our resident education. Dr. Jennifer Zhang has begun a new Dermatology Research Journal Club that is going to advance our ability to collaborate and utilize the great expertise in our research labs. Dr. James Grichnik has coordinated a new joint Duke/UNC Research Conference that has great potential for increasing research collaboration between our two institutions. Debbie Hannah has implemented a monthly Clinical Research meeting so that our common problems and solutions in the field of clinical research can be identified and be made available for all.

 

The key to the development of all of these new advancements to our Division is that they arose through a process. A problem was recognized, a solution was proposed and DOERS made it happen. The critic is important but nothing gets better without DOERS. DOERS are the ones who figure out solutions and get them working. People on the outside seldom implement successful new ideas and programs. They are never done by consultants and rarely accomplished by management. It is the DOER, the one in the fray, working in our case with the patients, the doctors, the staff and the administration that gets it done.

 

We are lucky in our Division to have many DOERS. We are lucky to have people who see problems, find solutions AND get them done. I want to thank all of you for being DOERS. A DOER does not ignore problems. A DOER does not criticize and then withdraw to let others figure out the solution. A DOER realizes that the first solution may not work but does not get discouraged. I feel very lucky to have DOERS everywhere in our Division. We have doers in the residency program, in the clinic, in the research labs and in the administrative offices.

 

Having DOERS doesn’t guarantee that things will always run perfectly or that our proposed solutions will work every time. There is risk to be a DOER and one risk is that sometimes our efforts fail. Our solutions are often not perfect and occasionally make things worse. Having DOERS in our midst however does ensure that we will continue to work to improve. DOERS continue to critique, to propose solutions and to implement. DOERS cannot be stopped. Thank you all for being DOERS. Thank you for seeing problems, for helping to figure out solutions and thank you for DOING. Thank you all for being in the fray and getting the work done. Our work is teaching, investigating and caring. You are all the DOERS who get it done.