Laurie Gunderson, director of patient care services at Stanford Hospital, has also been given the go-ahead to recruit and hire more nurses in several of the areas where we have had to ask for overtime in the recent past. Despite the occasional challenges, we should be pleased with the increased activity, but we also need to think of ways to continue to improve our efficiency in health care delivery without sacrificing quality of care or compassion for our patients. We as physicians must be part of this planning process. We must recognize staffing as a complex, multidimensional process, requiring planning on many levels. We need to take into account not only the traditional need for services within our varied demographics, but also the state of the economy, the availability and attraction of services elsewhere, and the changes in technology and methodology that constantly alter the flow of patients.
Planning requires seeing health care delivery as an ever-changing phenomenon.
I know that I, for one, am very proud to be associated with this institution as I continue to be impressed with what goes on here. Once again, thank you for all your patience and good work.