I drafted my ‘What Scares Me’ post a few days ago, but I’m realizing that over the last few days, my answer has become more complex. It started in a very self-centered way: I don’t want to hurt a patient, a loved one, a family member. I don’t want to lose sight of what is important.

What scares me now is a confusing compilation of so many factors. I don’t want to miscommunicate with other care-providers. I don’t want critical lab values misread or missed. I don’t want the elevator and O.R. fluid to look alike. I still don’t want to hurt a patient, a loved one, a family member. I don’t want suffering to occur within hospital walls – I don’t want my hospital floor to be deemed the most unsafe place for a person to be. I don’t want my loved one to have surgery on a Thursday.… Continue reading →

This evening we watched the HBO Documentary Film: Bleed Out. It was gut wrenching. To watch a mother’s/grandmother’s/daughter’s/son’s/family’s/friend’s story unfold over a period of ten years from a series of events causing irreparable medical harm was devastating. I was so impressed by the ability of Steve Burrows to demonstrate the longitudinal hardships caused by our hospital and legal systems in a way that is novel and speaks to everyone. My emotions ranged from anger, embarrassment, confusion, disgust, fear and sorrow. But there was also something else sneaking into the back of my mind. We’ve spoken this week about empathy and sympathy (huge thanks to Brene who I wish I was on a first-name basis with). I think it may have been possible that I was feeling a little of both for the healthcare providers in that film. And this made me really uneasy – why should I feel anything for… Continue reading →

I became passionate about patient safety after witnessing serious safety events as a medical trainee and working to improve the quality of escalation of care in our children’s hospital. I chose to attend the Marseille Experience because I believe it will provide a unique opportunity to gather with and learn from like-minded individuals and leaders in healthcare quality and patient safety. The idea of patient safety and healthcare quality is inspiring, but I feel that to lead in this field and create impactful change takes a more refined skillset. I hope to further my knowledge through these more formalized education and training experiences, and I hope to bring the knowledge gained back to the clinical atmosphere in which I work. While I envision a career as a patient safety and quality researcher and academic physician, I know I will be most fulfilled working to improve the bedside care of the… Continue reading →