Great Catch winners help YNHH become a high reliability organization
Julie Palmiero, Leslie Harris, MD
Congratulations to the November 2016 Great Catch winners for modeling HRO safety behaviors and taking action to improve patient safety. To engage YNHH’s growing ambulatory/outpatient departments across the state, the monthly Great Catch award is now given to an inpatient and an outpatient location.
Inpatient
Leslie Harris, MD, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital resident, was recognized for practicing a questioning attitude and attention to detail when a child came into the Pediatric Emergency Department complaining of severe abdominal pain. The child had been seen at another hospital the previous day and was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal condition. After performing a difficult neurological exam, Dr. Harris noticed the child had an abnormal gait. Upon further examination, the patient was diagnosed with a spinal cord compression and neuroblastoma requiring immediate surgery.
Outpatient/ambulatory
Julie Palmiero, a phlebotomist at the Branford blood draw station, was recognized for practicing a questioning attitude and escalating her concerns when a patient who arrived for blood work appeared to be ill. Upon questioning, the patient said he had driven himself to the center and planned to drive himself home. Palmiero called a family member and waited with the patient until his son arrived to bring him to the Emergency Department, where clinicians determined he had several critical medical conditions and needed to be admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit.
