End Of An Era

Where to begin.  Our nephrology practice merged with another nephrology practice two years ago this past July.  Their main office is located on the campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.  Our main office has been located in Easton.  I've worked with our practice since March '99.  The decision was made several months ago to close our office and move the entire staff to their main office at LVH-CC.  They've opened a much smaller satellite office right by Easton office in order to still be able to accommodate all the patients that we see from the Easton/NJ/Slate Belt area, but that is not big enough to house our entire staff.

We all dreaded this day.  We prayed for the fall to drag...Christmas to never come.  We knew that along with Christmas came the closing of our office and us having to relocate clear across the Lehigh Valley.  For some, who live in New Jersey, or in the Slate Belt, it's a much further drive than they are used to.  It means a longer day for them.  It means more gas.  It means less time with their families.  Less time with their children.  It means driving on I-78 twice a day....

With the move, jobs are changing.  Some are having to learn new things.  Some are no longer allowed to do things they've done for years....and did well, very well.  Some of these changes are mandated by the federal government, believe it or not.

It means learning to work with new people, hoping we'll all figure it out and work in the best way possible to accomplish the goal of caring for our patients and assisting the physicians.  It means that some things we do better, and some things they do better.  Here's hoping that the management is open to seeing that and is willing to consider changing their ways if our ways are better.  And for us to accept that there are things we will have to do differently.

The saddest part of this whole move is having to say 'good-bye' to a man who has become a good friend over the past 14 years.  Robert Grunberg, M.D., took a chance on me almost 14 years ago and hired me to work in his office where there had never been a nurse before.  We've worked very closely together over the years and have become great friends over the years.  He trusts me and my judgement implicitly.  I value his knowledge.  He's such a caring physician and his patients love him.  I love him :-)  He built our practice over the years and made him and the group very well respected in the medical community.  We'll still talk on the phone, but I won't see him every day any more.  He's only doing office hours twice a week and only in the Easton office.  I am now clear across the valley.  Talking on the phone just won't be the same.  God, I love that man.....

I've dreaded this moment, however, I've come to accept that this is the way it is and I'm willing to give it a try and do the best job that I can.  I'm hoping that they'll be open to seeing that there are some things that we do better and that they'll be willing to adapt.  I'm hoping that I can be a bit less stubborn and realize that change is not always a bad thing.

Wish us all luck!

We got together the week before Christmas.  There were some there who no longer work in the office, some who've already transferred to other offices and then those of us who were there to the end.  We had a great time catching up and reminiscing about old times.