Michele Santoro, RN; Ebony Jowers

Great Catch winners help YNHH become a high reliability organization

Congratulations to these Great Catch winners for modeling HRO safety behaviors and taking action to improve patient safety.

Michele Santoro, RN, Heart and Vascular Center, North Haven, was recognized for practicing a questioning attitude and escalating her concerns. After noticing that Medtronic devices were not transmitting data to the clinic in the normal fashion, she contacted Medtronic headquarters. The company was not aware of any issues with devices transmitting data, but after looking into the problem, confirmed that Santoro was correct. A nationwide software update had resulted in patients’ devices not reconnecting to the system. Santoro’s use of CHAMP behaviors prevented serious harm to patients at YNHHS and clinics nationwide.

Ebony Jowers, patient care associate, Shoreline Surgical Center PACU, was recognized for attention to detail and practicing a questioning attitude while admitting a patient for surgery. During the pre-op interview, the patient said she had felt unwell since the previous day. Jowers asked clarifying questions, and the patient admitted to having mild numbness in her right arm. Jowers immediately escalated her concerns to the charge nurse and anesthesia team, who evaluated the patient. The patient’s surgery was postponed and she was sent immediately to the Emergency Department.