The Patient Safety Good Catch of the week at St. Joseph’s Medical Center goes to our first year Emergency Medicine Resident, Dr. Ethan Luong! This is a story about paying attention to detail and having a questioning attitude. When his patient came in to the emergency department with an initial complaint of shortness of breath, Dr. Luong performed a careful exam and noticed that the patient was having some mild abdominal tenderness. He then noticed a subtle finding on the chest x-ray suggesting a possible perforation of the intestine. Without Dr. Luong's careful attention to detail and thoughtful approach his patient could have easily experienced a significant delay in the diagnosis and treatment of what turned out to be a surgical emergency. Instead his patient got a prompt diagnosis and a quick trip to the OR for life-saving surgery. As part of our Always Safe Patient Safety program, we love recognizing a Good Catch and celebrating the caregivers who keep our patients safe! Way to go Dr. Luong!
by Dr. Scott Neeley, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer