Tammy Fleischut
April 2014
Tammy
Fleischut
,
RN
Ambulatory Proceedure Center
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

Tammy recognized that every time we performed a sedated MRI in the APC, two nasal cannulas were used. One was compatible with the MRI monitor and one was compatible with the APC monitor. An urban legend existed that the APC nasal cannula would not work with the MRI monitor, so we used two for every case. Tammy demonstrated personal ownership, partnership, embracing change, and using resources wisely by taking the initiative to find out if the urban legend was true. She worked with the MRI tech Devin and experimented to see if the APC nasal cannula could work with the MRI monitor. This involved dissecting the nasal cannula to ensure there was no metal in it and working with the anesthesia team to trial the new nasal cannula. It turns out that Tammy's experiment worked and we now only have to use one nasal cannula per case! This is a huge cost savings for our patients and families!

Tammy's quest to challenge a long standing practice and willingness to collaborate with other teams to find a better solution ended in a huge success. It is estimated that Tammy's actions will result in a cost savings of $6,500 per year! Her work has lead to exceptional service to our patients and families by her taking ownership of helping decrease the cost of healthcare. It is a pleasure to work with Tammy. She consistently looks for ways to improve practice.