CNU Alum Earns Good Catch Award

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