EXTRA MILE AWARD This quarterly award recognizes four individuals per year who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations!
Kurt Schultz, MD, General Surgery Resident - My child was diagnosed and treated at Yale for acute appendicitis. The care was excellent throughout the entire experience but we wanted to single out Dr. Kurt Schultz for his superb bedside manner and genuine kindness. He was positively delightful and made us both feel good after a very long night and day! It was a pleasure to have this reprieve during her recovery. I hope your surgical residents continue to be as kind and show this level of compassion to all of their patients – if so, then you are training some phenomenal surgeons. — A Grateful Parent
HELPING HAND AWARD This monthly award recognizes an individual’s extraordinary contribution toward a specific project, initiative, or circumstance. Congratulations and thank you to the November winners:
Korina Dacunto, Division Manager, Bariatrics | Cardiac | Gastrointestinal | Transplant | Vascular - I don't believe any one individual, regardless of their tenure here at Yale, doesn't have, on a routine basis, something new come up that they have never had to do before. It is critical to the success of our divisions that individuals are able to reframe thoughts that can take over of "I am not sure how to do this"-"Can I do this?" with thoughts of confidence and "I know I can find the answer to this, and I know I have a supportive work group that is always willing to guide me." Korina reinforces every day as a leader that no matter what the issue, the answer can be found, and yet another skill can be learned and mastered in our positions. She doesn't make room for negativity, and always presents the positives when handling any challenging situation. Change is inevitable and Korina shows us, leading by example, that change helps us grow in our careers. She also helps bond the people on her teams to support one another, always promoting cross-training, and the sharing of knowledge amongst the team. – Josephine Sgambati
Dana Forlano, APP Clinical Manager, Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Surgical Emergencies - Dana is a consistent example of excellence and compassion. She recently mobilized coworkers to coordinate a substantial gift memorializing Rueben Sanchez, a recently deceased long-time valued member of the trauma team from the social work department. – Dirk Johnson
Kristin Oliveira, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Trauma - Dr. Oliveira took time out of her academic week to cover a case while others were otherwise clinically engaged to improve OR workflow. The operation would have otherwise been pushed off several hours or to the next day (weekend) due to staffing limitations. Dr. Oliveira jumped in to help expedite this patient’s care! – Dirk Johnson
Adnan Prsic, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Plastics - Dr. Prsic is always accommodating during his clinic time to evaluate patients not on his schedule that have been misassigned to other disciplines. This greatly improves patient satisfaction and improves overall efficiency. He always demonstrates teamwork. – Dirk Johnson
Nominate a standout citizen! Email surgerycitizen@yale.edu.