I have become a master of procrastination. I am sure many of you have too, over the past year. I spent two hours visiting the dermatologist last week, having put off an appointment for well over a year. The pandemic has been a very convenient excuse for putting things off. Now I will have to deal with the consequences; Mohs surgery for a big basal cell cancel and topical chemo for squamous cell patches that grew faster than my online shopping list! What have you put off over the past year? Do not put off those health checks. Doctors offices and clinics have safe, organized setups to accommodate their patients. Don’t let a small problem turn into a big one like I did!
Another change I have been procrastinating is the succession of Operation Walk leadership. Dr. Dorr and I had discussed many times who might take our leadership positions once we were gone. He was smart, mentoring surgeons that he trained or that worked closely with him on how to run the operating rooms in other counties. Over the years, I have tried to interest other nurses in my role as “outside the operating room team leader.” I have worked with many outstanding nurses, but those that are younger than me have children, job responsibilities, elderly parents, and other things that make the time commitment hard to fulfill on a volunteer basis. I think the reason being team leader worked so well for me is that when I took the role my sons were grown, and my husband was busy with his administrative work at See’s Candies. Taking on what amounted to a second job kept me extra busy, but happily so.
Here we are now, in our season of change. Dr. Dorr is gone unexpectedly. The orthopedic surgeons on the Operation Walk Board of Directors are committed to carry on, acting as leaders at the local level for the Los Angeles team. We will be announcing the surgeon who will take Dr. Dorr’s place as Chairman soon. This person will work on the National Board and with AAHKS in a leadership role with all Operation Walk teams. Our transition will be smooth and our work will carry on.
It is the season for my change too. Several years ago, thinking about passing the team leader baton did not seem urgent. I had discussed it with Dr. Dorr and the Board and we were looking for someone that I could help transition into my role. The problem was twofold. First, it was hard for me to let go. I was so used to multitasking that I always just did things myself. It seemed so much easier than teaching someone else to do it. Other folks saw all that I did and felt they could not take on so much work. When Dr. Dorr passed away, it opened my eyes. What if that happened to me? What a huge disservice I was doing to our program. Now it is time to transition my leadership. One thing I realized is that it doesn’t just have to be one person taking on every responsibility, it can be a division of work among several people. This month I will meet with the health care providers selected to take on the “outside the OR team leader” position. This is the season for positive change, and I know Dr. Dorr would be so proud of those who have stepped up to continue Operation Walk’s work, and proud of me for stepping back so others can shine.
The spirit of volunteerism and patient care is part of who I am. Over the next year I will “consult” more than “do”, and “support” more than “lead”. Change is hard, but not impossible. Follow us to see the magic of our new leadership. There are so many people needing our help, and so many committed to helping them. As Pete Seeger sang: “To everything, there is a season...”.
– Jeri Ward
