Doing the right thing at work

Transcription

september/october 2006
published for our employees, retirees and their families
Integrity in action
Messenger September/October 2006 President
John Mendelsohn, M.D.
Vice President
for Public Affairs
Messenger is published six times
a year for our employees, retirees
and their families.
Requests and submissions should be
directed to: The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center,
Publications and Creative Services,
Unit 229, 1515 Holcombe Blvd.,
Houston TX 77030-4009;
(713) 792-0655; or via e-mail to:
[email protected].
Stephen C. Stuyck
Executive
Director, Internal
Communications
Sarah Palmer
Director, Publications
and Creative Services
David Berkowitz
Carol Bryce
Design and
art direction
Production
assistant
Kelley Moore
Contributing writers
published for our employees, retirees and their families
september/october 2006
Illustrating integrity
Writing about integrity is tough,
and so is illustrating this core
value. Maria Dungler, Messenger’s art director, rose to the
challenge. “The cover concept
depicts a surreal interpretation
of integrity. The mind’s ‘good’
inner voice prevails as the
opposing ‘dark side’ is upset
by defeat,” she explains.
Integrity in action
Messenger September/October 2006
The mission of
The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation and
the world through outstanding programs that integrate
patient care, research and
prevention, and through
education for undergraduate and graduate students,
trainees, professionals, employees and the public.
Editor
Maria Dungler
On the cover
Mission
Tracy Buchanan
Jay Edwards
Laura Harvey
Jonathan Lowe
Megan Maisel
Pam Paaso
Heather Sessions
Stacy Swanson
Contributing
photographers
F. Carter Smith
Joi Holcomb (page 2)
Vision
We shall be the premier
cancer center in the world,
based on the excellence of
our people, our researchdriven patient care and our
science. We are Making
Cancer History®.
Core values
caring
By our words and actions,
we create a caring environment for everyone.
integrity
We work together to merit
the trust of our colleagues
and those we serve.
discovery
We embrace creativity and
seek new knowledge.
in this issue
Volume 35, Issue 5
SEPT/OCT
06
Contents
12
2 Who is ... ? Becky Peebles
3 First person:
Anu Rao 4 Off the record Ombuds Office provides options
6 Integrity
What’s it all about? 9 Show me the money!
Cracking the case on
compensation
14
What's on your mind?
Do you have a comment about a Messenger
story or an idea for a future story? Let us know
what you think. If we use your story idea, we’ll
print your name in that issue. Just send an
e-mail to [email protected] or a note
to Messenger, Unit 229. Be sure to include your
name and phone extension or Lotus Notes
address. We look forward to hearing from you.
— Editor
2006 Grand Prize
Best Employee Publication,
Nonprofit Magazine
12 I.V. (inside view):
The savvy staff of Scientific
Publications
14 On a mission
New labs offer the “gold standard” for studying behavior change
16 Let’s make a deal
Supply Chain Services helps
save dollars
18 Off the clock
Employees give of their free time
20 ‘Too Cool to Smoke’ Puppet show teaches tobacco
dangers
Back cover: Tasty facts about Dining Services Messenger September/October 2006 Who is ...
Becky Peebles?
?
by Stacy Swanson
B
ecky Peebles is a part of
the fabric that makes up
M. D. Anderson.
Working more than 130 miles
away from the main campus in
Houston, in Bastrop, Texas,
Peebles has been a member of the
M. D. Anderson family for 21 years
as an administrative assistant.
“I still remember three of us
sharing one archaic computer for
billing, accounting and purchasing,”
Peebles says, recounting her early
days on the job in 1986.
Nowadays, she uses her own
computer to take care of all the
travel arrangements for faculty,
process check requests and coordinate departmental billing, among
other responsibilities. She’s moved
to a different office building, the
number of faculty has doubled and
the number of research animals has
grown by leaps and bounds.
Peebles is one of 108 employees
at our Michale E. Keeling Center
for Comparative Medicine and
Research–Department of Veterinary
Sciences. She will retire in January
2007.
Bastrop has a more leisurely pace
of life than Houston, but that hasn’t
slowed Peebles. Now she’s looking
forward to something other than
going home at the end of the day.
“I’m an advocate of work-life
balance,” she says with a smile. “I’m
just ready to enjoy more of what life
has to offer me.”
Peebles is no slouch when it
comes to hobbies. She still goes
for a swim in Bastrop State Park’s
outdoor pool each morning, as she
Becky Peebles’ quilts include an international array of fabrics, from Seattle to
Sedona and China to Australia. She encourages her colleagues to bring her
pieces of fabric from their travels so she can fashion them into her quilts.
has since childhood. She also quilts,
knits, volunteers at her local church
in ministries for kids, bakes cakes
and recently has taken up kayaking
with her husband.
She refers to her passion for
quilting as her “meditation in
motion,” and works on her quilts
during breaks. Peebles often asks
for pieces of fabric from colleagues’
trips to incorporate into her quilts.
She even attends the International
Quilt Festival in Houston each year.
Working for M. D. Anderson
has been a family affair. Peebles’
tight-knit group of coworkers also
included her husband, Bob. He
retired from his role as an off-site
property manager in Facilities Man-
agement-Research and Education in
August after 21 years of service. The
Peebles also gained a family member
when they claimed a border collie
wandering the grounds that they
named Zoe.
One of Peebles’ quilts is hung
in the department’s front office.
The late Michale Keeling, D.V.M.,
former chair of Veterinary Sciences,
purchased it at a Cattlemen for
Cancer Research fund-raiser.
“I’ve been so blessed to work in a
place that supports me, cares for me
and affords me the chance to live an
even fuller life,” she says. “Now I’m
off to fulfill another lifelong dream
— I’m heading to Disney World!” M
by
Pam
Paaso
first person:
Getting to know Anu Rao
A
the members of the International
Ombudsman Association.
What word best describes you?
Optimist.
What has been the most significant moment in your career?
In 1977, I did a one-person sit-in
to protest bureaucracy.
nu Rao, Ph.D., is director of the
Ombuds Office.
What’s your biggest challenge?
Not over-extending myself.
What sparked your interest in
this field?
The importance of fairness in
the workplace. In one of my previous jobs, as an employee assistance
program director at the University
of Pennsylvania, I saw the impact of
unfairness in the workplace — the
stress and trauma that people experienced. It reduced their self-esteem.
Other reactions depended upon
their personality and social history,
and could include powerlessness,
humiliation, helplessness, accumulated rage and depression.
What was your first job?
A group worker in an orphanage
in India.
What was your worst job?
A program coordinator at a
YMCA in the Philadelphia area.
How did you wind up here?
I wanted to get back into
academic/non-profit ombuds work,
and also have face-to-face contact
with employees. Lucky for me,
M. D. Anderson did a direct
mailing (about this position) to
If you couldn’t do what you’re
doing now, what would you do?
Teach. (“Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach!”)
Best childhood memory:
Family gatherings, and conversations every night at dinner and after
dinner.
Favorite quotes:
“Be the change you want to see.”
— Gandhi.
“Unborn tomorrow, dead yesterday. Why fret about them if today
be sweet.” — Omar Khayyam.
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils
Himself in many ways, Lest one
good custom should corrupt the
world.” — Alfred Tennyson.
Favorite books: Too many!
“Long Walk to Freedom” by
Nelson Mandela.
“A Beautiful Mind” by Sylvia
Nasar.
“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by
Betty Smith.
“The Tipping Point” by Malcolm
Gladwell.
How do you manage stress?
Walking, gardening, hanging out
with friends and family.
Who has been your inspiration/
mentor?
My grandmother; Dr. Louise
Shoemaker, dean of Penn’s School
of Social Work; Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.; President Jimmy Carter.
What makes you happiest?
Doing good work.
Tell us something that most
people don’t know about you:
I’m a vegetarian.
Best advice you ever received:
From my dad: Do your own work
and don’t be preoccupied with the
rewards of your labor. M
Messenger September/October 2006 by
Pam
Paaso
Off the record
Ombuds Office provides options
I
n a perfect world, there would be
no workplace conflict. There also
might be free parking, no traffic
and three-day work weeks.
For now, conflict can and does
arise at M. D. Anderson and at
most workplaces. Fortunately, the
Ombuds Office provides a confidential, impartial and informal process
for resolving workplace issues.
Director Anu Rao, Ph.D.,
describes the Ombuds program as
a potential first stop for employees
facing a variety of problems. “We
allow people to think through a
plan of action, identifying choices,
and pros and cons. Then we leave
it to the individuals to make those
choices.”
The office responds promptly to
concerns, complaints or disputes,
providing a safe place to discuss
workplace issues without fear of
retaliation. Some of the issues that
might be discussed with an ombuds
are unfair treatment (including
issues of discrimination and harassment), interpersonal conflicts,
policies and procedures, and even
benefits.
“We’d like people to think they
can come here for small things,”
Rao says. “The problem doesn’t have
to fester.” Meeting with a member of
the Ombuds Office doesn’t preclude
contacting another organization
within the institution.
Shred your troubles
Committed to confidentiality,
the Ombuds Office doesn’t keep
records of communication. In fact,
any documentation made during a
meeting with the ombuds is shredded at the point of resolution. In
providing a place to discuss issues
off the record, the Ombuds Office
serves as a listening service. “We
try to understand the issue from all
sides,” Rao says.
Individual employees as well as
small groups can seek help. Rao
notes that the Ombuds Office can
be used as a mediation service for
parties in conflict.
In addition to Rao, Janice Freeman, R.N., and William Brock,
Ph.D., are available for consultations, and the office is hiring another ombuds in the coming months.
The Ombuds Office is not a part of Human Resources or Legal Services, but reports directly to
the president. Ombuds services are available to everyone, including trainees and fellows. For more
information or to schedule an appointment, contact Tina Rocha at (713) 792-4896.
More resources for employees
In addition to the Ombuds Office, M. D. Anderson provides
a variety of resources for employees who face challenges that impact their work.
Employee Assistance
Program
Types of issues: Personal issues
(including family, relationship, emotional and legal), and work-related
issues (including any situations on
the job that are creating emotional
distress, such as conflicts with
coworkers or supervisors, feeling overwhelmed with work or job
burnout). “EAP professionals will
assess the circumstances,” says
John Hyatt, director, “and help the
employee develop an approach
to the problems and get needed
help.”
Confidentiality: The EAP is
prohibited from disclosing information about who uses these services, except when an employee
provides written authorization to
release information, there’s immediate danger to others, or there’s
evidence of child abuse. Sometimes, when personal problems or
emotional stress may be affecting
work, supervisors formally refer an
employee for help. Only in these
circumstances will the EAP release
any information, and this is limited
to informing the supervisor if recommendations are being followed.
No personal or medical information is disclosed.
You should know: The EAP is
not a part of the HR generalist
organization and can’t authorize a job transfer, grievance or
other HR-related function. However,
employees often come to the EAP
for coaching about how to handle
a work-related situation. Call (713)
745-6901 during business hours;
(281) 537-7445 or (800) 848-4641 after hours. Identify yourself as an
M. D. Anderson employee or dependent.
Equal Employment Opportunity and HR Regulations
Types of issues: Discrimination,
harassment or retaliation complaints
based on race, age, sex (including
sexual harassment and pregnancy),
religion, national origin, color, sexual
orientation, disability or veteran status. Refer to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Policy (Policy V 2.01).
Confidentiality: Depends upon the
situation. “We’ll share information
with those who have a need to know
and can assist us in conducting a
thorough investigation,” explains
Krishna Payne, director.
You should know: “We provide an
internal, safe means by which employees can report and help correct
EEO issues,” Payne says. “Reprisal
for making a complaint or participating in an investigation is strictly prohibited. Every employee should have
the opportunity to do his or her job
properly and safely within applicable
legal and regulatory standards.”
The EEO office isn’t aligned with a
specific division or department, and
operates separately from the HR
generalist organization. Contact
the office at (713) 794-4EEO
(4-4336).
Institutional Compliance
Program
Types of issues: Every employee
is required to report any actual or
reasonably suspected violation of
the Institutional Code of Conduct
(found on the Institutional Compliance badge card). Examples
include: wrongdoing related to
patient privacy, Social Security
numbers, use of institutional resources (e.g., time and property),
financial and accounting matters,
conflicts of interests, and research
conduct.
Confidentiality: Discussions
and/or reports of misconduct are
treated confidentially and may be
made anonymously.
You should know: “We’re here
to help. The Institutional Compliance Program is designed to help
workforce members act ethically
and comply with all laws and regulations,” says Jessica Quinn, J.D.,
deputy chief compliance officer.
To get help, or discuss or report
compliance concerns, contact the
Institutional Compliance Office at
(713) 745-6636 or visit its intranet
site, http://inside/mdanderson.
org/departments/compliance/. M
Messenger September/October 2006 by Megan
Maisel and
Laura
Harvey
Y
ou’re in line at Cool Beans Café when you realize
the cashier is ringing you up for a small latte, but
you’re actually sipping on the large beverage she
just handed you.
You’ve just been told some information that, if shared,
would really help a co-worker complete a task. But you
think that keeping that information to yourself ensures
you’ll be ahead of the game.
“Integrity has to do with
honesty. I can trust what
someone says to be true,
if their actions follow their
words.”

— Celeste Miller
You’re at your desk when the phone rings. It’s that
local newspaper reporter you met a few months ago at a
party calling to ask if the rumors are true that a popular
rock star is being treated here.
What do you do?
Well, we know what we’d do. We’d smile and take the large beverage,
throw our co-worker under the bus, and then “dish” with the reporter
about the rock star’s treatment and how we hope that we’ll be able to
sneak an autograph.
Just kidding. We’d want to keep our jobs, so we’d tell the cashier
about the discrepancy, share information with our co-worker openly and
honestly, and tell that reporter to call External Communications.
Why? Because we have integrity. Yeah, integrity. It sounds good, huh?
But what in the heck does it really mean? The definition is often difficult to articulate.
While we all may have different
ideas about what integrity means,
it’s important enough that it’s one
of the institution’s core values. Everyone hopes that they’re practicing
it.
However, in today’s post-Enron
world of corporate scandals, steroids
in baseball, and public figures who
can be less than honest, integrity is
a word that many people struggle to
define. In fact, Merriam-Webster’s
online dictionary revealed “integrity” to be 2005’s most searched word,
with more than 200,000 unique users looking for its definition. It beat
“filibuster,” “refugee” and “tsunami”
for the top spot.
While there may be national
confusion over the definition, we
can’t afford not to get it right. Of
those who completed the 2005 Employee Opinion Survey, 67 percent
said their manager/faculty administrator practices our core value of integrity on a continuous basis, which
was a 5 percent decrease from the
2002 survey.
Why the decrease, when we’ve
been working so hard to improve
M. D. Anderson’s culture? While
there are multiple theories, some
believe varying definitions of the
word may have been a factor. At
least we hope that’s true.
Curious, we asked employees
from various departments and positions within the institution what
integrity means to them:
Nancy Abbey Otto, research
laboratory coordinator, Carcinogenesis: “Integrity isn’t something
that just applies to work. Right is
right, and it’s not defined by whether you’re going to get caught doing
something, or if you act differently when someone’s not around.
Integrity isn’t situational. A person
who has integrity is a person who
chooses to do the right thing
when no one is watching. It’s not
just an important core value for
M. D. Anderson, it’s an important
one for life.”
Leon Leach, executive vice president and chief business officer:
“Integrity to me is speaking or
acting on the truth; doing what is
right, while being considerate of
others. It’s about trust.”
Dianne Fattig, executive assistant, Chief Information Officer:
“I believe integrity is heart and
ethics: acting with your heart in the
best interest of yourself and others. I’ve witnessed a lot of integrity,
especially when employees deal with
patients. That’s one of the reasons I
like to work here.”
Pam Rooney, case manager,
Case Management/Office of Ambulatory Programs: “Integrity has
to do with personal morals working
in the best interest of other people
and being trustworthy; operating on
your own personal sense of guidance and moral ethics.”
Mirjam Berger, coordinator,
community chaplaincy program,
Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education:
“For me, it means to be honest
with oneself and with others to the
degree that I can speak with them
about my strengths and weaknesses
and learn from that conversation.”
Celeste Miller, coordinator,
Medical Staff Office: “Integrity has
to do with honesty. I can trust what
someone says to be true, if their actions follow their words.”
Maurie Markman, M.D., vice
president for clinical research:
“Integrity in clinical research is
strict adherence to a code, which
includes a commitment to intellectual and personal honesty, as well as
to rigorous scientific objectivity.”
Pam Rooney says people
look to M. D. Anderson to
provide guidance. “They
expect us to have open and
honest communication and
treat them as we would treat
our own family members.”
Messenger September/October 2006 From right: Mirjam Berger
shares insight about
integrity with chaplaincy
intern Truc Nguyen. “It’s
an important core value for
us because we’re human
beings working with others
in very difficult situations,”
she says.
So, how do we define it?
Merriam-Webster defines integrity as:
1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values:
INCORRUPTIBILITY
2. an unimpaired condition: SOUNDNESS
3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided:
COMPLETENESS
As you may have noticed, there’s a common theme among the employees we
interviewed: honesty is a synonym for integrity. So maybe we kind of get it after
all.
After the 2005 survey, the “We Are M. D. Anderson” campaign launched.
It included a message from our president, John Mendelsohn, M.D., which stated
that we need to recommit to our core values and hold employees accountable for
practicing them.
The ongoing project came from the Cultural Principles Working Group, a
committee chaired by Mendelsohn. After many focus groups and much internal
research, the group developed behavioral principles to help better define our
values by the things we do every day.
M. D. Anderson’s definition and three principles for integrity are:
• We work together to merit the trust of our colleagues and those we serve.
• We hold ourselves, and each other, accountable for practicing our values.
• We communicate frequently, honestly and openly.
• By our actions, we create an environment of trust.
You probably can think of a lot of examples from your daily work of how to
apply these principles. The “We Are M. D. Anderson” campaign included a selfassessment tool with specific actions associated with each principle. In case you
need a refresher, the assessment is at http://inside.mdanderson.org/departments/
weare/.
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to assess your behavior periodically or ask your coworkers to give you feedback. We did it again just now and found out that, um,
we have some things we need to work on …
So how are you going to put your definition into practice? Maybe you’ll have
your chance next time you pick up the phone. M
Show me the money!
Cracking the case on compensation
by
Tracy
Buchanan
Y
ou get the offer, you agree to a salary
and you start the job. Welcome to
M. D. Anderson.
A year later you might get an increase.
Maybe you’re pleased and proud of the
outcome. Or maybe you’re upset with the
amount of the increase and think it isn’t fair.
So just who determined your salary? This
sounds like a case of “whodunit.” Read on
and we’ll uncover the mystery and crack the
case on compensation.
To know who’s behind your salary, we
have to start at the beginning. Along with
your salary comes a lot of other “stuff.” Your
salary, or base pay, is only one component of
the total compensation package you receive
for working here. Your total compensation
includes such things as health benefits, the
work/life subsidy, disability insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, employee wellness
offerings and the Paid Time Off program, to
name a few.
But let’s not get carried away, one case at
a time. We’ll stick with the mystery of salary.
The crucial clue
How a salary is determined for a specific
job for a classified employee is the first clue
to uncover.
When a job’s created or reviewed, Human
Resources Compensation is front-and-center
in the process. Existing and proposed jobs
are evaluated by Compensation based on
market information and the comparative
internal value of the job duties.
Based on this review, Compensation
establishes a job title and assigns it to the
appropriate salary range within one of the
four salary structures. Each salary structure
(General, General Service/Skilled Trade,
Healthcare and Research) within the classified salary program is based on separately
identified job markets. The purpose of a
salary structure (set ranges with minimums,
midpoints and maximums) is to provide a
competitive range within which individual
salaries can be determined.
On a regular basis, Compensation surveys
the market to determine the prevailing sala-
Messenger September/October 2006 ries for jobs. The market is reviewed
to determine what’s happening to
salaries based on supply and demand of jobs and general economic
conditions.
“Market research and comparative analysis are the backbone in
arriving at a salary range for a job,”
says Tanya Webb, compensation
manager. The main goal is to make
sure our jobs are competitive with
those in identified peer organizations, so we can hire and retain the
top talent.
“Our institution has such a wide
array of jobs, from writer to driver,
nurse to administrator, accountant to programmer, that we don’t
limit ourselves to just comparing
jobs among those in health care,
education or government,” Webb
explains.
The market research includes
evaluating our jobs against those
in other Texas Medical Center
institutions, provider organizations
for health care or insurance, and
general industry organizations (such
as oil and gas, information technology and finance) in market segments in Houston, Texas and across
the United States. This is done not
only to determine if specific jobs
need to be moved into other salary
grades, but also to ensure our whole
salary structure stays competitive.
Salary ranges are adjusted as needed
to ensure we maintain a competitive salary structure throughout the
year.
Webb puts this in perspective.
“We increased our salary structure
2.2 percent last year, and research
for next year shows that in Fiscal Year 2007, we’ll be within .02
percent of salary structures in the
market.”
Compensation also analyzes
market conditions, trends and
best practices that impact health
care jobs, such as nursing, that are
experiencing greater growth and de-
FY06 Merit Distribution Institutional Average
10
mand. Ongoing research shows that
health care salary structures are
moving more aggressively than the
other salary structures. To remain
competitive, market adjustments
are needed when the salary level of
employees in those jobs fall below
the comparable target market levels.
This sort of adjustment could occur
every year.
So now we’ve uncovered that
Compensation assigns a salary
range for a job. But that still doesn’t
determine your salary.
The core of the investigation
We’ve already determined that a
salary range consists of a minimum,
midpoint and maximum. But how
is an employee’s salary positioned
in the range? At the time of hire,
an individual’s skill level, education
and experience compared to current
employees in the same job are reviewed by the HR recruiter and the
hiring manager to determine where
This bell-shaped curve
graph represents our classified employees’ institutional
average for merit distribution in Fiscal Year 2006.
The numbers on the left
side of the graph represent
the number of classified
employees who received
the percentage of merit
increase indicated on the
bottom of the graph. For
example, approximately
3,250 classified employees
received the average merit
increase of four percent in
FY06.
the salary should fall within the
assigned range. The manager then
makes the decision and a salary is
offered as part of the total compensation package.
The players
John Odom, director of Rewards
and Recognition, says, “Yes, you
should expect to be hired at a rate
that’s competitive for your field, but
what you earn while you’re here is
just that: what you earn.” This is
where the concept and practice of
“paying for performance” comes in.
Paying for performance is not
new in business, but putting it into
practice and establishing accountability for it at M. D. Anderson
is relatively new. Paying for performance simply means that your
salary, within the established salary
range, will be determined based
on your individual performance.
This covers things such as meeting
defined job expectations, demonstrating behaviors that support our
core values and contributing to your
team’s success.
You aren’t just entitled to an increase — you must earn it each year.
You and your manager should set
goals together and measure them,
and managers are expected to pay
based on the success of these goals.
The merit program is an important piece in supporting the
institution’s philosophy of paying
for performance. Each year during
budget cycle, HR provides the total
merit percentage (base merits and
cash merits) that managers can use
to reward employees on the annual
merit date of Feb. 16. While taking into account the institution’s
financial considerations, the annual
merit program percentage also is
determined by reviewing the market
to see what other employers are
budgeting for salary increases.
The merit program for FY07
totals 4.5 percent, which is .31 percent greater than last year. Managers determine base merits using the
institutional base merit matrix that
considers an employee’s performance and position in the salary
range. Cash merit distribution is
determined at the divisional level.
If you take the total merit distribution and plot it on a chart, the
ideal image for an institution our
size would be a bell-shaped curve. A bell shape reflects a merit
budget properly distributed, with the bulk of
employees receiving
the average merit (at
the top of the bell)
and all other employees plotted up or down
from the peak, receiving
more or less than the average merit.
Last year’s institution-wide results
show a well-defined bell curve.
“Even though the institutional
average is about where it should be,
individual divisions break down
differently,” Odom says. “There’s
still work to be done. For example,
some divisions’ merit and performance ranking distributions are not
aligned closely enough. However,
we’re pleased with where we are
and look forward to improving our
divisional results each year.”
Compared to the market,
M. D. Anderson is one of the more
progressive employers when it comes
to pay. We continue to remain
highly competitive with salaries and
benefit packages at the local, state
and national level. However, salary
and total compensation still seem
to be one of the most popular topics
on Inside Line and in OFFLINE
sessions.
“Yes, money will always be a hot
topic,” Odom says. “Whether it’s
due to a gap in understanding or
an honest concern, the subject of
salary can be complicated and very
personal. How your salary’s determined and what you and your manager’s roles are in managing your
salary, and therefore performance, is
fundamental in understanding your
total value for working here at
M. D. Anderson.”
Mystery solved. M
The evidence:
Do you want to
know where your
pay falls in the salary structure for
your job? Wonder
what the institutional
merit matrix looks
like? Visit http://
hr.mdanderson.org/
salary_admin/
Messenger September/October 2006 11
I.V.
by Carol Bryce
(inside view)
Scientific Publications helps
unlock the writer within
W
hen it comes to writing, Sue Sun Yom is no novice. The recipient of
a Ph.D. focused on cultural studies, Yom has a long history of experience with many forms of writing. Now a fifth-year radiation oncology
resident, she also has an extensive scientific publication record, with several
additional manuscripts in progress.
So six months ago, when she enrolled in a program called “Writing and
Publishing Scientific Articles” that’s taught by staff members from Scientific
Publications, Yom figured it would be a good review, but she probably wouldn’t
learn anything new.
But that wasn’t the case.
“It was a great experience, and I was surprised that I thought so,” she says.
Thanks to the workshop’s “really concrete suggestions” for structuring
and organizing scientific information, Yom was able to wrap up two scientific
manuscripts she’d been developing and pass them along to her supervisors for
review.
What Yom experienced is “the most exciting thing” about the writing
and publishing workshop, according to Carrie Cameron, senior educational
specialist and manager of Scientific Publications’ educational programs. “We
include a lot of built-in practice time. Trainees bring their own articles to class,
and they walk out with a product,” she explains.
Yom calls the three-day, in-depth workshop a great resource for postdoctoral fellows and clinical trainees. The Scientific Publications editors who present
the sessions aren’t only patient and approachable, she says, but they’re also
“very savvy” when it comes to knowing what it takes to get scientific manuscripts published.
In the know
That wisdom is the result of decades of working with M. D. Anderson authors. Scientific Publications’ 16 editors, two managers, assistant director and
director bring a combined total of 165 years of scientific editing and writing
experience at M. D. Anderson to their positions.
Each year, Scientific Publications edits more than 1,000 manuscripts and
nearly 200 grants for faculty, trainees and other employees. The department
also manages four subscription journals for editors-in-chief who are members
of our faculty, and works on institutional projects that include the Current Research Internet site (formerly the Research Report) and the monthly OncoLog
newsletter.
Besides the writing and publishing workshop for trainees, Scientific Publications offers an advanced writing workshop for clinical and basic research
faculty and periodic brown bag seminars on scientific writing and the publishing process.
12
Wayne Newhauser, Ph.D., assistant professor in Proton Therapy,
has attended the faculty workshop
and some of the brown bag seminars, and he encourages his students
and postdoctoral fellows to enroll in
the writing and publishing workshop.
Working with Scientific Publications has had a positive impact
on their productivity, he says. “It’s
like night and day. Thanks to what
we’ve all learned, our entire manuscript preparation process is a lot
easier and more efficient.”
More than commas and
periods
Scientific Publications’ activities
have a common goal. “We want to
help researchers get published and
funded,” says Walter Pagel, who’s
been director of the department
since 1984.
Scientific Publications can
work with authors at all stages of
manuscript writing. “We’re happy
to review rough drafts and answer
questions about grammar, word
usage and publishing ethics. And
in addition to editing for grammar,
punctuation and spelling, we’ll
check tables and figures and look
for mathematical errors and inconsistencies in manuscripts. But what
we can do goes beyond that,” says
Melissa Burkett, the department’s
assistant director.
Since the editors aren’t closely
tied to the subject matter, they can
serve as impartial readers and point
out areas that may be unclear or
illogical. “We can help you express
your ideas in ways that can be immediately understood by your readers,” Burkett explains.
They also can make suggestions
to improve the organization of a
document and help authors tailor
their manuscripts to fit
the requirements of
a particular scientific
journal.
Such skillful editing
not only helps authors
polish their writing, but
also gives them an edge
at journals and granting
agencies.
That’s especially
important in today’s
research climate, with
hundreds of manuscripts
vying for publication in
top-tier scientific journals, and the competition for grant funding
growing ever tougher.
“Nothing is more exciting to an author than
a letter of acceptance
from Science or the New
England Journal of Medicine,” Pagel says. “When we have worked
with the author on the
manuscript, we feel that
sense of triumph, too.” M
Kathryn Carnes, scientific editor in Scientific Publications,
discusses a manuscript with Wayne Newhauser, Ph.D.
Getting Scientific Publications on your team
If you’d like Scientific Publications to review a manuscript, send a hard copy through interoffice mail to Unit
234, or drop it off at the department’s satellite office,
Y2.6023, or main office, HMB9.022. You also can send
manuscripts as electronic attachments to [email protected]. Editors primarily review
journal articles, grant proposals, book chapters and
meeting abstracts. For more information on editorial
and educational services, visit the department’s intranet
site at inside.mdanderson.org/departments/scipub/ or
call (713) 792-3305.
On a mission
Labs offer high-tech methods for studying behavior change
by
Carol
Bryce
I
t’s a long, narrow room, with monitors and audiovisual equipment
blanketing the walls and tables. People quickly scoot past one
another as they negotiate the tight confines and head to various
computer stations.
The space resembles those familiar television images of NASA’s
Mission Control Center. But in reality it’s the Central Monitoring
Area, hub of the Behavioral Research and Treatment Center. Here
our behavioral scientists watch and record activities taking place in
each of the eight laboratories. Peek inside those labs on the Cancer
Prevention Building’s second floor, and you’ll see treadmills, exercise
bikes, headphones, devices that measure the brain’s electrical activity, and even more computers.
More than 30 research projects are being conducted in these
facilities, which opened last year. Here are some highlights:
Predicting and preventing
Research led by Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., focuses on healthy
living after cancer.
“We want to learn more about how exercise can improve cancer
survivors’ overall health and quality of life,” says Basen-Engquist,
associate professor in Behavioral Science.
“We’re also interested in how exercise affects cancer recurrence,
and how exercise and healthy lifestyles can be used to lessen cancer
side effects.”
In a project called Steps to Health, she and her colleagues hope
to identify the psychological, physiological and behavioral factors
that determine if cancer survivors will become physically active after treatment. The researchers are conducting a pilot study and will
start recruiting 250 endometrial cancer survivors for a larger study
that begins this fall. Study participants undergo electrocardiograms,
take fitness tests on a treadmill and exercise bike, and complete
computerized questionnaires to measure attitudes about exercise.
They’ll participate in a six-month walking program and be followed
during that time to measure changes in fitness levels and exercise
beliefs.
This fall, Basen-Engquist also is pilot-testing Project Balance, a
program that combines exercise, diet changes and counseling, with
the goal of preventing the weight gain that often occurs in breast
cancer survivors receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
“Before we had these labs, we were able to do some performance
testing, like the six-minute walk, but nothing at this level. The testing done in this lab is the gold standard that will enable us to move
our research forward,” she says.
14
It’s all in the eyes
Why do some cigarette
smokers quit and never pick up
another cigarette, while others
quickly return to their old habits?
Identifying smokers at greatest
risk of relapse and determining
why is the focal point of Cognition, a research project directed
by Andrew Waters, Ph.D., assistant professor in Behavioral
Science.
Participants sitting in front of
a computer screen are shown a
set of words and asked to choose
a word of a certain color. An “eye
tracker,” or infrared light, identifies the area of the screen they’re
looking at, determines how long
their eyes remain focused on a
particular spot and measures
pupil dilation.
“Some colored words are neutral, but some are smoking-related
terms,” Waters explains. “We
normally find that smokers get
distracted by the smoking words,
which slows down reaction time
Below, from left: While Research Assistant Susana Torres views a photo of a woman smoking, researchers measure her brain’s response to the cue; Research Assistant Paul Longoria and Senior Research Coordinator M. Veronica Torres model a subject’s brain activity on a three-dimensional computer model; Research Coordinator Angela
Burgess uses an eye tracker to measure a participant’s eye movements in response to smoking cues; Research
Assistant Joshua Hein takes a submaximal cycle ergometry stress test to assess cardiovascular capacity; Research
Manager Bob Thornton and Yiling Huo, visiting researcher from China, observe a subject’s EKG as part of a biobehavioral effects of yoga study directed by Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., associate professor in Behavioral Science.
and makes their pupils dilate.”
Over a four-year period, Waters
and his colleagues will follow 250
smokers before and after they quit.
Participants will carry personal digital assistants to give the researchers “real world” information about
when they’re most likely to relapse.
“If we can predict who will relapse, and when they’re most at risk,
then we can determine who needs
to be treated in the future,” Waters
explains.
Behavior plus biology
Paul Cinciripini, Ph.D., professor and deputy chair of Behavioral
Science, leads research aimed at
understanding psychological and
genetic processes that trigger addiction, especially to nicotine.
In one study, sensors are placed
on the scalps and faces of nicotinedeprived participants to measure
electrical activity across different
regions of the brain and facial
muscles. Participants rate a series of
pleasant and unpleasant pictures as
positive, negative or neutral. During the sessions, they’re randomly
“startled” by an unexpected noise,
and the strength of the resulting
eye blink is measured. This “startle”
response is more intense whenever
parts of the brain that control negative emotions are engaged.
“We’re evaluating differences in
emotional reactivity among smokers who are treated with different
medications or a placebo to see if
these differences are regulated by
an individual’s genetic makeup.
We’re also looking at the relationship between emotional reactivity
and smoking relapse,” Cinciripini
explains.
Understanding the reasons for
differences in nicotine response
will help in tailoring medications to
specific types of smokers.
The future is virtual
Cinciripini was involved in the
design of the laboratories, and he’s
pleased with the results.
“This is a very adaptable facility
that’s been constructed so different
kinds of stimuli can be routed to
any one of the eight rooms. These
laboratories will enable us to do
highly specialized research and
behavioral interventions in the
future.”
For example, virtual reality
technology in the labs can be used
to create a common smoking environment, such as a bar or restaurant, complete with sights, sounds,
smells and even people with whom
research participants can interact.
“Virtual reality offers exciting
new ways to examine the pyschological and physiological aspects
of how smokers interact with their
environment and the interactions
that promote smoking behavior or
hinder cessation attempts,” explains
Brian Carter, Ph.D., assistant professor of Behavioral Science.
“Measuring participants’ reactions in the virtual environment
can help us determine which environmental factors have the most
influence on smoking behavior.” M
Let’s make a deal
Supply Chain Services helps
departments save $13 million
by
Jonathan
Lowe
E
veryone loves a good deal. Whether at
a bazaar, flea market or garage sale, it’s
fun to see if you can wrangle a couple
of bucks off a purchase.
The reality is that some folks are better
at it than others. They’re more experienced,
better prepared and have better information.
Some of those folks are at M. D. Anderson,
and working together with various departments, they’re saving the institution about
$13 million this year.
Big $aving$
Since Sept. 1, 2005, Supply Chain Services, working together with department
heads, has developed relationships with its
supply community that have created opportunities for M. D. Anderson to realize more
than $13.1 million of annualized value.
What’s that mean? It doesn’t signify that
we’ve got $13.1 million in extra cash. Rather,
it means that over the course of the next 12
months, we’re saving $13.1 million we would
have spent in dealing with vendors. Through
July, we’ve kept the institution from spending
an extra $8.1 million.
How do we save those dollars? Sometimes,
it’s on a one-time purchase. Other times, it
involves working out of a previous bad deal
or renegotiating contracts with merchants.
Items we buy can range from gloves and copy
paper, to diagnostic imaging equipment and
shuttle buses, and even experimental cancer
drugs. When you’re purchasing about 40,000
unique items per month, those savings add
up fast.
Total cost of ownership
Once called Procurement Services,
Supply Chain Services includes experts
with backgrounds in the health care, energy, waste disposal, retail and financial
services industries. In the past 1½ years,
16
To find out how Supply Chain Services may be able to
save your department money, call (713) 745-8300.
the department’s 90 or so employees have
started doing two different things that have
changed the dynamics of how they create
value, according to John Gillespie, executive
director.
“We’re looking beyond sticker price at
the total cost of ownership, which considers
such factors as repairs, maintenance, training, terms and conditions, warranties and
discounts for early payments,” he says.
“We now also have seasoned, veteran
negotiators, people who know how to position us into win-win relationships with our
vendors. We’re not trying to beat up our
suppliers and put them out of business. But
we are bringing expertise in establishing
strategies for how to combine our demand,
take it to market and get a better price.”
Remixed and reloaded
During the last 18 months, Gillespie has
restructured Supply Chain Services into five
groups:
• Sourcing and Contract Management:
Led by Hether Benjamin-Brown, Greg
Koston and Tony Kraft, this team of about 30 contract managers, specialists and analysts studies contractual relation
ships, determines the total cost of
ownership, and then negotiates with
suppliers.
• Purchasing Services: Led by Vince
Adams, about 20 buyers and senior
buyers help departments execute
thousands of purchase orders every day.
• Accounts Payable: Led by Miguel
Machado, this team is responsible for processing the unpaid bills of the
business, that is, the money we owe our suppliers and other creditors.
• State and Federal Small Business
Program: Led by Marian Nimon, this team ensures that M. D. Anderson, as a state agency, complies with rules govern-
ing Historically Underutilized Businesses.
• Supply Customer Service: Led by Raul
Davila, this team focuses on training and
support of purchasing software.
“These five teams bring discipline, principles and methodology to our customers and
allow us to collaborate with them to create
value,” Gillespie explains.
What’s next?
Currently, Supply Chain Services is in
what Gillespie calls “demonstrative growth
mode,” meaning that big savings are relatively easy to attain. He says he expects
these high-dollar opportunities to settle
down in the next three to five years. Then
the department will enter into “sustaining
value mode,” returning to the bargaining
table with a bigger book of business as the
institution expands.
Outside the institution, Supply Chain
Services is working with The University
of Texas System to establish a system-wide
purchasing program and supplier relationships where collaborative sourcing opportunities exist. In such a program, the department would be hired to run the professional
sourcing infrastructure that would combine
purchasing power among several institutions
in the UT System.
For now, Gillespie says he hopes his
department can help employees stretch their
budget or grant dollars as far as they can,
creating savings pools to help them bring in
new resources or positions.
“We want to unburden the employees we
serve from having to deal with the supplier
relationship process, including negotiations
and performance management,” he says. “We want to free up our fellow employees
to do what they do best: their jobs.” M
“We want to unburden
the employees we
serve from having to
deal with the supplier
relationship process,
including negotiations
and performance
management. We
want to free up our
fellow employees to
do what they do best:
their jobs.”
— John Gillespie
b
rds
wa
Off the clock: employees celebrate
yE
y Ja d
patients by volunteering in their spare time
M.
D. Anderson employees
do great work from the
time they “punch in”
to the time they “punch out.” But
some of the best work we do for our
patients also happens when we’re off
the clock.
Whether it’s greeting patients
as they arrive for the first time,
or handing out bottles of water
at Sprint for Life, a wide range of
volunteer opportunities is available
to fit the personality type of any
employee. Day, evening and weekend shifts help employees arrange
volunteering around their work
schedules.
“Employees offer a special insight
to our volunteer programs because
they live the core values on a daily
basis,” says Susan French, executive director of Volunteer Services.
“They also understand some of
the inner workings of the cancer
center, and that puts them at a great
advantage.”
In their spare time
As a social work resource specialist, Lillian Hulett works full-time
every week seeking ways to help
patients pay for their treatment.
Although she enjoys her free time
away from the institution on weekends, she can’t wait to return on
Monday.
But it’s not just Hulett’s passion
for her work that makes her look
forward to the start of the week.
She volunteers every Monday night
as the bingo caller in the Children’s
Cancer Hospital and spends her
lunch hours teaching children English as a Second Language.
18
“I enjoy being here and will
do anything I can to make our
patients’ lives better,” Hulett says.
“It’s rewarding to see the pediatric
patients’ tears turn into smiles.”
Carmen-Luz Vargo, an executive
assistant in Transfusion, volunteers
as an inpatient unit floor host. She
spends at least one evening each
Child Life Specialist
Cad Willeford, right,
greets a returning
patient at this year’s
BMT Survivors Day,
which featured a
tropical getaway
theme.
More than 80 employees gave of their free time to present a celebration for our patients at BMT Survivors Day.
week visiting with Spanish-speaking patients and their families and
offering them items such as blankets
and newspapers.
Vargo encourages everyone to
volunteer their time. “The first
time I volunteered was so amazing.
I drove the whole way home with
the sunroof open, the music blaring
and me singing as loud as I could. I
couldn’t believe how good it made
me feel.”
Celebrating our patients
Sometimes, it’s not just individual employees who give their
time and energy to help our patients. For the third summer in a
row, more than 80 employees from
Stem Cell Transplantation and
Cellular Therapy transformed the
Main Building, floor 11, into a tropical getaway-themed celebration for
BMT Survivors Day.
This year, more than 150 adult
and pediatric survivors and their
families came from all over the
United States to reunite with the
M. D. Anderson employees who
cared for them during their procedures. A team of BMT nurses,
doctors and transplant coordinators and a wide range of clinical,
research and administrative employees pitched in to make the event a
success.
“It feels good to give something
back to the patients who touch our
lives on a daily basis,” says Carol
Causton, assistant nurse manager
and chair of this year’s event. “In
the inpatient units, we often don’t
get to see the patients we’ve cared
for after they leave. This gives us
an opportunity to see how they’ve
gone on with their lives years after
they’ve undergone their transplant.”
If you’re interested in volunteering, you can learn about available
opportunities on the Volunteer
Services Internet site at http://www.
mdanderson.org/Departments/volunteer/. M
Join the crowd ... Here are just a few of the ways to donate your time:
Time Commitment
Program
Over your lunch hour
Children’s Art Project Task Force: Sell CAP holiday items at various locations, Oct. 2–Dec. 12. Contact Cindy Shursen through Lotus Notes or (713) 745-0266.
One hour in the morning each month
Greeter Program: Welcome and help orient patients and
families as they arrive. E-mail Joan Arnim through Lotus Notes.
3+ hours each month, various times
M. D. Anderson Ambassadors Program: Educate the public about cancer by giving tours or presentations or staffing health fairs. E-mail Lora Shea through Lotus Notes.
3+ hours each week,
day/evening/weekend shifts available
M. D. Anderson volunteer: A wide range of opportunities is available, including helping with admissions, bingo,
pediatrics, spiritual care, bilingual visitors and the Cyber Center, and acting as floor hosts and clinic aides. Visit the Volunteer Services Internet site at http://www.mdanderson.
org/Departments/volunteer/ for more information.
“Too Cool to Smoke”
by
Heather
Sessions
F
rom a cartoon duck touting “Tobacco is Foul” to campaigns such as the American Cancer Society’s Great
American Smokeout, anti-tobacco messages are everywhere. But few of them target elementary school-aged kids.
That’s why the Public Education Office has launched
“Too Cool to Smoke,” a puppet show that teaches kindergarteners through fourth graders about the dangers of
tobacco use.
“We’re very impressed with how receptive the community has been to this program,” says Terie Littlepage, puppet
program coordinator. “Our goal is to educate as many Houston-area children as possible about the dangers of tobacco.”
Littlepage first came here in May 2004 as a student
intern. But after an M. D. Anderson employee visited her
cancer education class at the University of Houston,
Littlepage was inspired to help promote the puppet program,
and in January 2006, she joined the Public Education staff
on a part-time basis.
A successful start
The “Too Cool to Smoke” program was launched in
January 2004 with a performance at Hobby Elementary
School. In November 2005, the Harry B. Gordon and Aileen B. Gordon Foundation gave $104,130 to help fund the
program.
The program already has experienced overwhelming success. The goal was to reach 6,000 kids by the end of 2006.
An average of two to four puppet shows have been presented every week this year, and more than 4,800 kids have
attended so far. The shows primarily take place at schools,
parks, daycare centers, recreation and community centers,
and libraries.
Puppetry addresses pressure to smoke
The “Too Cool to Smoke” puppet show is made possible
through “Kids on the Block,” a program that originated in
1977 to address issues such as disabilities, medical differences and substance abuse resistance. “Kids on the Block”
programs exist in 50 states and more than 30 countries.
The program uses puppetry to educate children about the
dangers of tobacco and the importance of making healthy
lifestyle choices. It reaches children ages 5-9 before they’re
confronted with the decision to smoke.
“Using puppetry is a great way to capture a child’s attention,” says Cassandra Harris, senior health education
20
specialist. “It’s an effective tool in educating the youngest
students about tobacco.”
The puppet show, titled “Up in Smoke,” places two lead
characters, 14-year-olds Joanne Spinoza and Eric Van Aart,
in the food court at Woodburn Mall. When Joanne is bothered by cigarette smoke from a nearby smoker, it prompts a
discussion with her friend Eric about the negative effects of
tobacco.
To request a puppet show performance or for more information
on becoming a puppeteer, go to
www.mdanderson.org/publiceducation or call Public Education
at (713) 792-3363.
Making learning fun
The “Too Cool to Smoke” lively and upbeat script creates
an environment of open communication for children in the
audience. Each performance includes a question-and-answer
period during which members of the audience can ask questions directly to the puppet characters, who address myths
and misconceptions about tobacco use.
“We hope that by combining education with entertainment, we’ll help kids understand the negative effects that
tobacco has on our bodies,” Littlepage says.
A historical tobacco character
One of the first and most widely recognized characters
in the tobacco industry was Joe Camel, the cartoon mascot
for Camel cigarettes from late 1987 until 1997. In 1991, a
research study showed that more 5-and 6-year-old children
could recognize Joe Camel than Mickey Mouse or Fred
Flintstone, and suggested that the Joe Camel campaign was
targeted to children. On July 10, 1997, the Joe Camel campaign ended and the cartoon camel was replaced by a lifelike
depiction of a camel.
The Joe Camel campaign had a huge impact on children.
Public Education staff members hope the puppet program
also will have an impact on children but unlike Joe Camel,
a positive one that communicates the dangers of using
tobacco.
To smoke or not to smoke?
According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco
smoke causes more than eight of 10 cases of lung cancer.
Each day, more than 4,000 teens try cigarettes for the first
time, and another 2,000 become daily smokers. One-half
of these teens eventually will die from a smoking-related
disease.
For more information on quitting smoking, go to www.
mdanderson.org/departments/emphealth/. M
Tasty facts about
Dining Services
Every month, some 206 Dining Services
employees:
• serve more than 170,000 guests in nine retail locations and 24,000 guests through catering services
• prepare more than 34,000 patient and family meals for room service
• receive and process 92 tons (212,800 pounds) of food, beverages and condiments
• stock an average of 16,600 crackers and
7,758 soft drinks for patients to snack on
between meals
• supply roughly three tons of coffee:
3,000 pounds to office coffee and another 2,900 pounds to retail areas
Did you know?
Dining Services served 20,000 meals in three
days to patients, their families and employees during
Hurricane Rita in September 2005.
A new coffee bar will open at The Aquarium (in
the R. Lee Clark Clinic) in September.
Dining Services at M. D. Anderson includes Café
Anderson, Café 24/7, Alkek Park Coffee Bar, Floor
4 Commons Coffee Bar, Faculty Dining, Waterfall
Café, Cool Beans Café and Bakery, South Campus
Research Building I Coffee Bar, SCRB II Café, Catering at Anderson, Room Service production, food
services to childcare, nutrition supplies, office coffee
services and vending.
by Jay Edwards
The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Texas Medical Center
Publications and Creative Services
Unit 229
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston TX 77030-4009
Address service requested
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit No. 7052
Houston TX