My mom taught me at around age 10 to send a thank you note when someone does something nice for you. Most of you have been my family here in Seattle, and now would be a good time to say thanks for the past four (or so) years. I have a tendency to be long winded, so I’m keeping myself to one, maybe two sentences (some will be run ons) per thank you. These may be in a herky jerky order, so apologies if you have to read through 'em all. Please hold your applause 'til the end.
To Alane: Thanks for supporting me and moving to Seattle back in 2005—without this move I’m not sure I would have learned so much about myself, the human spirit, and what’s important in life.
To the Public Health folks (Maggie, Amelia, Mike, Maia, Mackenzie, Brett, Peter House, Bud Nicola, Fred Connell, Bill D, Amy D, Shelagh, others I’m probably forgetting): Thanks for welcoming me in to your world and showing me that solutions aren’t found in textbooks and that creative, bright minds coupled with passion is a damn powerful combination.
To Sam P: Thanks for getting me connected to the BAM gang and Bill's buddies here in Seattle.
To the guys from Thursdays and Saturdays (too many to list): thanks for welcoming me in to the family and the instant friendships that were there during the dark days, the sunny days, and everything in between—just don’t forget rule 62. Its nice to know where I can find a gang of troublemakers on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings when I get back to visit Seattle.
To Cory C, Scott E, and Dr. Lee: thanks for helping me get through one of the most trying times of my life; your passion for helping patients get through health challenges every day touches more lives than I'll ever be able to. If my life depended on it, you'd be the first people I'd call, and thanks for your commitment to helping patients with IBD.
To the UWMC Hospital Staff: thanks for helping Alane, my family, and I get through those tough days back in 05 and 06—your ability to help us navigate problems (clinical, emotional, and social) gave me the belief that the problems in healthcare are solvable with people like you helping patients. Your bosses are another story.
To Greg, Liane, and Quinn: thanks for being my family away from home; the “episodes” over the past few years are too many to count, and its been a blast. If I find out your newborn son is watching NASCAR I will be on the first Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle to stop it.
To Johnny Haz: thanks for your help after my surgery and for being there to remind me we can get through anything one step (albeit slow) at a time. And for pushing me to get back on the golf course, I owe you a huge one.
To Jonathan B: thanks for Annie; I promise you she is in good hands
To Annie (the canine): thanks for getting me off my ass and out of the house at least three times a day; I promise you, Chicago will be fun. You haven't experienced grease until you've had a Portillo's Italian Beef, and I'll throw a few scraps in your direction. That's a promise.
To the MHA Faculty and staff: thanks for letting me crash your party and for putting up with my loud mouth, opinionated, and at times "pain in the ass" self.
To Billy H: thanks for being a good wingman during grad school and welcoming me in after the breakup; I owe you one.
To Molly, Lacey, Sarah, and Matt: thanks for helping me stay sane during those two years of school, particularly the last year.
To Jeff and Judy: thanks for allowing me to tag on and for bringing me in your world of great music, entertainment, and softball. I promise, I’ll get to work on the guitar once I get settled in.
To Michelle H: thanks for hiring me as an Intern at Group Health and starting a professional journey that was more fun, challenging, and inspiring than any student can ever expect.
To Kiley, Paula, Sandy, Phillip, Peter, and Michael; thanks for keeping me around during the school year and for the exposure you provided to a great people and great work at Group Health.
To Diana B: thanks for extending a hand and an ear at Group Health and elsewhere; keep fightin' the good fight in DC and enjoying the Northwest when you're not an airplane.
To Stephanie: thanks for helping me realize that people care as much about my body as I want them to.
To James H: thanks for exposing me to the world of Quality and helping me explore a career beyond anything I could have anticipated, as well as reminding me that hobbies are important.
To Karl: thanks for helping me connect with Nora and for the lessons you’ve taught me around organization, planning, and charisma.
To Nora: thanks for taking a chance on a smart alecky kid from Chicago and for bringing me in to the Lean (excuse me, IPrO) family. I owe you a letter to Michael Lewis, and thanks for being such a model for us all to shoot for as leaders.
To the IPrO family: thanks for helping me see work and life through a different lens; one that focuses on spending time, attention, and resources on things that add value. You all are pushing patients to the front of the line in an industry that has often ignored its most important (and only) customer. So as a patient, keep doin’ what you’re doin’ and Splatting your way to success.
To Connor: thanks for going to bat for me and showing me the ropes over the past year; I expect to see you in Chicago for the Bulls/Blazers NBA Finals in 2012, and work on that putter of yours in the meantime.
To Diane S: thanks for your great laugh and for being such a great coach, person, and friend. I admire your ability to live a well-rounded life, your love of nature, and your ability to grow acres upon acres of crops in your back yard.
To everyone else at Group Health I’ve worked with at some point: thanks for showing me that a company’s employees truly can embody its mission…you will get your due once our country gets serious about healthcare, and I’m proud to be an alum of such a great place.
To the CCFA Gang: thanks for your relentless commitment to helping patients with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis; from committee meetings to events to anything in between you all have a great community here in Seattle are making a difference for people living with an illness that isn't fun.
To MaryBeth; thanks for the dinners, happy hours, and other fun stuff we’ve done over the past few years. You're one of the few women I know who can crank it to "11" with Metallica and I never would have known that the first time we met.
To Kris B: thanks for showing me the art AND the science and teaching me that the dissatisfaction + vision = change formula applies to anything in life.
To Hope: thanks for teaching me some of your tricks and tips, and I admire your ability to be as relentless and passionate at work as you are with your family and enjoying life.
To Sara V, Lauras, Sharon and the other transformers: thanks for taking that ride with me and for giving it a whirl; it may not have stuck, but it means a lot to me that there are folks like you out there willing to do something different.
And to the City of Seattle:
Thanks for being a great home for the past four years. You have lots of great stuff I will miss and I will come back and visit. There are tons of people and things I’ll miss about you (and a few I may not), and you’ve secured a solid #2 place in my heart behind Chicago.
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