Beverly Connelly, MD, retires after nearly four decades
"If I were to write a memoir, the title would be, It’s Not About Me,” says Bev Connelly, MD, newly retired director, Infection Control. “It’s about everybody else. The minute you make it about yourself, you get stuck in the wrong place.”
Connelly, a Cincinnati Children’s icon, doffed her trademark white coat and bid farewell to colleagues and friends after 38-years here last month. She has built her life around caring for others and helping them reach their full potential.
“We sink or swim as a team,” she says. “I’ve had the privilege of building and working with a wonderful group of people. We play to each person’s strengths, respect others and work to earn others’ respect in return.”
A long career, punctuated by multiple awards, service on local and international committees and the esteem of colleagues, students, patients and families, proves that her philosophy is sound. She will be missed.
The early years
Connelly describes herself as a Navy brat who never stayed in one place very long. One of two daughters born to Anne and Bill Connelly, she lived on the East, West and Gulf coasts, as well as in Italy.
She attended Furman University in South Carolina on an academic scholarship, experienced numerous community service opportunities with children, and earned a BS in biology with honors. She has stayed connected to several lifelong friends from her time as an undergraduate. After much gnashing of teeth, she was finally accepted as an out-of-state student to the Medical College of Georgia, where she graduated AOA with her MD in 1979.
“When I matched with the residency program here,” she recalls, “I was terrified because Cincinnati Children’s had such a big program. But I quickly adapted to residency, stayed on as a co-chief resident and then did my infectious disease fellowship.”
From 1986 to 1989, she was a William Cooper Procter Research Scholar, working in the labs of John Hutton, MD, and Martin Myers. “I fell into Infection Control when I became interim director of the program in 1996. I knew then it was where I belonged.”
A singular mission
Connelly has focused on keeping patients safe from all kinds of microscopic marauders that cause flu, pertussis, strep, staph and the like. She’s been the driving force behind countless immunization, PPE and hand-hygiene campaigns, always emphasizing to staff that everyone has a role in preventing the spread of germs.
Says Peggy Hostetter, MD, chair of pediatrics and director, Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation, “Bev has done so much to build the infection control program and incorporate parents’ wishes in our visitor policy. It’s hard to fully realize what she’s done in terms of prevention since, thanks to her efforts, there’s so much that didn’t happen.”
Connelly gives full credit to the various improvement teams for the work they’ve done to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia and other hospital-acquired infections.
“I am especially grateful to Nancy Hutchinson RN, MSN, who was my partner in prevention,” she says. “I learned so much from her about behind-the-scenes regulatory aspects of infection control, which was critical to how we put this program together. We were all saddened to lose her to illness this year.”
Connelly notes how the patient population has changed over the years to kids with more acute complex conditions.
“I have always loved caring for the sickest kids and figuring out the puzzle of what is causing their disease,” she says. “As a part of that care, it’s so important to ask the ‘why’ question so you don’t miss the important thing that might make them sick again.” Connelly remarked that her career in medicine has been richly blessed by opportunities to work with colleagues and trainees to provide the best care for our most precious resource, our kids.
Switching gears
Connelly is looking forward to having more time to pursue her love of woodworking in general and woodturning in particular. She looks forward to camping and traveling the U.S. in a motorhome affectionately dubbed “Big Dog.” Her plan for travel to Europe and Australia will require an alternate form of transportation! Meanwhile, one of her former students, Joshua Schaffzin, MD, PhD, has been recruited to be the next director of the Infection Control program.
Says Connelly, “It’s a dream come true for me to pick my replacement. Josh values the resources we have in the program, and his forte is cutting-edge research. He also helps teach the Care Promises training. I’m so excited for our team. I’m leaving the institution in good hands.”
