Jaime attended a national
ITB Baclofen Pump Conference on October 8th
and 9th. By October 11th, she was already
improving patient safety and outcomes. At the conference, she
realized that one of our Baclofen Pump patients was receiving almost
twice the expected maximum daily dose. She discussed the case with
the expert panel and brought their suggestions back to our attending
MD. They immediately tried to contact the family to bring the patient
in for diagnostic testing of his pump. In addition, the patient had
missed an appointment and was in need of a refill. A dry pump can
lead to Baclofen withdrawal with the risk of stroke or death. None of
the patient’s phone numbers were working, so Jaime worked with a
social worker, the school nurse, and their police dept in order to get a
message to the family. Frequent pump refills have been particularly
difficult for this family with multiple stressors as they live two hours
away and rely on Medicaid transportation. Jaime’s critical thinking
and problem solving will benefit not only
the patient but also his support system.
The need for less frequent refills will
mean fewer long trips. Most importantly,
the patient’s risk of withdrawal will be
reduced. This is a dramatic example
because of the potential adverse
outcomes, but it is very typical of the
level of care Jaime gives all of her patients. She is deserving of the
DAISY award to recognize her clinical excellence and holistic
patient care.