SHARE UBTs in the Spotlight
SHARE in the Spotlight: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement Conference
SHARE members have had another busy year in 2024, including in SHARE’s Unit Based Teams. SHARE Organizer Janet Wilder and Continuous Improvement Coach Will Erickson recently spread the good word about our union at the conference of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The IHI is a major force in healthcare. “IHI provides millions of people in health care with methods, tools, and resources to make care better, safer, and more equitable,” as the Institute describes itself. The conference brings together 3,000 healthcare leaders each year.
At this year’s conference, Will described what SHARE members have been doing to redesign their work through Unit Based Teams, and why that matters. You can read the full text of Will’s remarks here.
Spoiler alert: yes, UBTs are making a difference. To see the full deck of slides that Will presented about what difference they’ve made [[[click here]]]
Social security Fairness act provides social security benefits to state employees (and Former State employees)
We’ve got good news for long-term SHARE members who have both a state pension and Social Security credit, especially those who were UMass employees with more than ten years of service before the merger. The Social Security Fairness Act, which has passed in the House and Senate, and now awaits signature by President Biden, would eliminate the Social Security credit offset for state pensions. The measure would expand Social Security benefits to public sector workers who also collect pensions, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers, in addition to healthcare workers. Read more here.
Careers: Embracing the Squiggle
Most careers don’t take a straight path, and many make surprising turns. SHARE-UMass Memorial Continuous Improvement Coach Joan Perrault had the opportunity to speak about her own circuitous (and fascinating!) route to her current job — and what she’s learned along the way — as the featured guest on the Embrace the Squiggle podcast. It’s an inspiring listen, and a great way to spend a commute or time folding laundry. Check it out here!
Happy Holidays
Our union is bigger than ever, with more members, more job titles, and more responsibility than ever before. The SHARE Organizing staff is so proud of the work that SHARE members do, and appreciative of the fact that that work doesn’t stop for the holidays. Thank you for everything you do in your important role. We wish you a meaningful and rejuvenating season, infused with warmth, and sprinkled with quiet moments and enormous smiles. Happy holidays!