As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, the team within the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) has been on the front lines of patient care. Led by Jonathan Siner, MD, medical director and associate professor (pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine), the team has received accolades from across the hospital and health system.
A short collection of them are listed below:
Thank you for the opportunity to help in the MICU this week. I found the entire MICU team to be very supportive and encouraging. In a time of crisis, I was awed by the MICU team's leadership, from the BAs, PCAs, nurses, respiratory therapists, residents, apps, fellows and attendings. They have risen to the challenge with positive attitudes and a strong sense of team.
Happy to help in the future if needed.
Jill Zafar, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Interim Section Chief Ambulatory Anesthesia
Director Pre-surgical Evaluation
The CRNA staff have been working with SDU and MICU staff at SRC and cannot thank everyone enough for all the support. Our CRNAs are used to providing critical support but usually only 1 patient at a time and fatalities are incredibly rare. Working with the incredible PCCM staff has been inspiring! They are amazing professionals and we are so impressed with their ability to take care of so many critically ill patients at the same time and while doing so, still making time to support us.
Holly-May Robbins, CRNA
Executive Director of CRNA and Perfusion Services
We have been working with the MICU staff to provide ECMO support in the CT ICU. Thanks so much to all of our MICU Attendings, Fellows, Residents and APPs. They have been amazing sources of expertise and knowledge as these COVID ECMO patients are much different from our usual population. Can’t say thank you enough for their collaboration!
Matt Gordon, PA
Director of HVC and CT Surgery APPs
Just a few comments on the first week of MICU service.
I think it went well on our side from the PICU. It was excellent to have Jill [Zafar]. I think having two docs paired together worked well. We could bounce ideas off each other and get a sense if we were indeed in the right ball park for caring for these critically ill adults.
Also really critical were the APRNS, APP. Karen was awesome last week. She gave us a good sense of what is SOP in the MICU and if we were deviating from it. If we could continue to have experienced support like that, I think we could continue to be helpful.
Please let us know if we could do anything differently. Best and hopefully soon we will get through this.
Mustafa Khokha, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care) and of Genetics
This is my 3rd night on NP15. It's been great. I am touched by the sense of camaraderie and support among team members including MICU core staff of nursing, residents, fellows and attendings, as well as and the float staff as well.
The residents covering have been tremendously diligent and solid in performance. We assessed new admissions with only 1 provider in the room.
It has been very helpful to attend the sign-out with the residents after the huddle with the shift commander. The shift commanders have been a great resource for guidance, second opinion or consultation.
I am available to cover more shifts as the need arises.
Firas Kaddouh, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology
Division of Neurocritical Care and Emergency Neurology
Helping in the MICU last week was a very rewarding experience — emotionally and professionally. I appreciate you giving us the opportunity to help in this crisis. Dr. Pantel and I had a very good dynamic and we both agreed that if you require volunteers in future weeks we are both happy to help again as a team.
I understand that the situation is dynamic and if your auxiliary team structure changes I am happy to help in whatever capacity you require.
Thanks,
Leon Freudzon, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology; Director of the ACTA Fellowship Program, Anesthesiology; Associate Fellowship Director
Thank You - from Yale-PCCSM
We wanted to take an opportunity and communicate to you that our entire Yale PCCSM team have been awestruck by the courage and esprit de corps exhibited by so many of our YSM colleagues have joined forces with us to help care for the increasing numbers of critically ill COVID-19 patients in our units. We feel that the commitment and dedication exhibited without hesitation by so many of our colleagues who do not regularly care for medically critically ill patients need to be highlighted. Leaving your comfort zone is no easy task in normal times. But to be able to do it in the face of stress, uncertainty and even potential personal risk is simply nothing short of heroic. Even with incoming help, our teams are overstretched and overworked. It's hard to imagine where we would be without them, and how our patients would be faring without their skills and compassion.
We are grateful and proud to have such extraordinary colleagues.
Drs. Naftali Kaminski, Lynn Tanoue, Shyoko Honiden and Jonathan Siner, on behalf of all members of Yale PCCSM, fellows, faculty and staff.