This month’s Chair’s Spotlight focuses on the dedicated and collaborative efforts of our Cardiovascular Medicine teams. During a recent evening, these teams came together to provide exceptional care for three patients, in particular, presenting with medical emergencies inside a short period of time. While the care that they provide is always top-notch, their efforts from that evening deserve a specific shout out.
Pictured from left: Drs. Kakouros, Parker, Huerter, and Alonso
The evening began with a patient that required urgent attention due to several severe, concurrent diagnoses. Our cath lab team led by Dr. Nikolaos Kakouros, echo team led by Dr. Matthew Parker, and CT surgery team led by Dr. Mary Huerter, coordinated seamlessly to perform necessary procedures and diagnostics, and transfer the patient to the OR for surgery.
Simultaneously, a second patient transported to the cath lab who was thought to have arrived in a somewhat stable condition, went into cardiac arrest, suffered subsequent multiple failures, and needed prolonged resuscitation efforts. Unfortunately, even with the support from interventional pulmonary, the team was unable to save the patient.
As the team was completing resuscitation efforts for the second patient, a third patient arrived at the ED requiring intervention from the cath lab staff led by Dr. Alvaro Alonso. RNs from the CCU and other staff gracefully helped clean the room and transfer the second patient, while Dr. Alonso and his team worked on the third patient.
Although it is not possible to save every patient, the care given to each of them and in support of each other by the Cardiology and CT Surgery teams, Cath Lab and OR teams, respiratory therapists, and CCU nurses, all with outstanding leaders at their helms, was stellar that evening. Their leadership and the coordinated efforts of each team helped to provide extraordinary patient care.
While this month I have highlighted the work from just one evening and group of caregivers, the dedicated teams of clinicians, researchers, and staff are abundant in our Department. Thank you to our amazing Cardiovascular teams and to you all. I wish you a happy and safe holiday season and look forward to working with you all in the New Year!