Two Pathology Assistants in the Department of Pathology at Yale School of Medicine were recently acknowledged for their focus on quality and patient safety.
Brandon Mones and Genevieve (Genny) Catellier were recognized with ‘Great Catches’ for their attention to detail and cross checking.
While processing a thyroidectomy specimen for a patient diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Brandon noticed that the specimen labeled as a malignant tumor in the right thyroid and neck specimen did not correlate with the operative notes, which indicated the tumor was in the left thyroid and neck specimen.
Brandon stopped the line and cross checked with the surgeon, who confirmed that there was a labeling error. Brandon then made the necessary corrections to laterality of the specimens. His efforts ensured the patient’s cancer surgery was accurately documented and therefore the staging of his malignancy was accurate.
Genny was also cited for her attention to detail, her cross checking, and most importantly for ARCCing up – ask a question, make a request, voice a concern – a specimen. Genny was grossing a breast mastectomy specimen and with attention to detail noted that the specimen labeling did not make sense and was not anatomically correct.
One cross check was made to the surgeon, but the correction by the surgeon still did not make sense to Genny so she ARCC’d up her concern to the resident and attending team. After a second communication to the surgeon, it was determined that the specimens were still not correct. Genny worked with the team, the surgeon accepted the cross check, and in the end, the mastectomy specimens were correctly labeled.
For their efforts, which reflect the continuous focus on quality care and patient safety at Yale Pathology, Brandon and Genny each received a ‘Great Catch’ award.