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Speak Up to Save a Life

  • Published
  • 55th Medical Group

Recently, a 55th Medical Support Operations Squadron administrative assistant, Dustie Davis, identified a potential risk in a patient and notified a nurse, who then contacted the patient about his symptoms.

 

As a result of “Duty to Speak Up,” a 55th Medical Group Trusted Care focus area, Dustie was instrumental in identifying risk in a patient and may have potentially saving his life.

When Davis participated in her clinic’s end-of-day huddle, she noticed an appointment scheduled the following day that concerned her. The appointment was for a 50-year-old male with right side, lower quadrant pain.

Using her best judgment, she alerted a nurse and provider with her concern. The nurse contacted the patient for details about his symptoms, which warranted an immediate visit to the nearest emergency room. The patient was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, requiring an emergency appendectomy.

“Ms. Davis remains humble and states that she was ‘just scrubbing the schedule,’” said Capt. Elliot Blackman, 55th Medical Support Squadron Group Practice Manager. “She exhibits the important role every member of the team plays in ensuring patient-centeredness and safety. From the primary care manager to the medical administrators, all team members can identify an unsafe condition and save a life.”

While Davis scrubbed her provider’s schedule, she employed a Trusted Care principles of “Duty to Speak Up” and “Zero-Harm.”

“She may think she was just doing her job, but to the seriously ill patient whose life may have just been saved, she is a Trusted Care hero,” Elliot added. “Thanks to her intuition and quick reactions she is certainly deserving of the title hero.”