A Farewell Commitment

from The Children's Hospital (TCH) News, December 2006

By Dori Biester, PhD, RN, President & CEO

It avails not, time nor place – distance avails not, I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many generations hence...
– Leaves of Grass , Walt Whitman

Commitment.

It may seem strange that I devote this, my last message to you on these pages, to a word that suggests continuing. After all, in a few short days I will discontinue my role as your President and CEO and take “official” leave of the organization I love. But seen in another light, the word ‘commitment’ defines my departure perfectly. As I bid farewell to The Children’s Hospital in an official capacity, my commitment to the work that goes on here and to all of you, indeed to all of the dedicated professionals who ever graced these halls on behalf of children and families in need, will connect me to The Children’s Hospital for as long as I live.

What we and everyone who has ever worked here have always shared is a familiar and sacred commitment born of many days, months, years, and in some cases, decades of working together. That commitment does not disappear when we take leave of The Children’s Hospital. It remains with us because it has found its way into our hearts and souls, and we hold it close regardless of where life’s roads take us. It is a commitment born of many others – our commitment to excellence in our chosen area of expertise; our commitment to The Children’s Hospital and, of course, our ongoing commitment to one another — all coalescing into one shared commitment to children.

As we have worked together to improve the lives entrusted to our care, we have drawn upon the legacy of our nearly 100 years of outstanding pediatric service and, at the same time, the prospect of an exciting and promising future. All of us, those who are staying on to write the next chapter, and those of us who are taking our leave, can look back over our shoulder and then straight ahead with confidence. Our past defines us and our future beckons us. For me, that future will include time to travel, to study, and to explore the wonders this world has to offer. And whether I am near or far, the future will include my commitment to all of you and to the children.

Together, we have all played important roles in moving this organization and the cause of children’s health forward. Along the way, we have developed friendships that will last a lifetime, celebrated countless successes, experienced the unspeakable joy and suffered the devastating sadness that are all a part of caring for kids. We have encountered many challenges, large and small – many that we have overcome and some that remain with us.

Throughout all of these times, we have joined hands and worked to become better – better for each other; better for The Children’s Hospital; and most of all, better for kids and their families. And the result? We have long been acknowledged by our industry peers and observers as one of the finest pediatric hospitals in the country. We have experienced the solidarity of a shared and profound purpose. Most importantly, we have provided a place – a medical home – where kids can come to receive outstanding, loving care. Using this legacy, our shared experiences, and the commitment to children as our bricks and mortar, all of us will continue building the future of outstanding pediatric medicine together.

And so on this, the occasion of my leaving, my commitment to The Children’s Hospital, to all of you, and to the kids, is strong and will remain with me.

Here, today, we all begin yet again, even as I bid you a loving farewell.