Program Director

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

(Team members: Scott McKinley, D.O., Carolyn Robinson, M.D., Bridget Kennedy, A.P.R.N., Miste Baker, R.N., Kathryn Litherland, Pharm.D., Samantha Haynes, L.P.N., Emily Gordon, L.C.S.W., Erich Schleich, L.C.S.W., Jennifer Blair, R.D., Michelle Marshall, R.R.T., Jean Polasky, R.N., Diana Hodge, C.R.N., Haley Wong, C.R.C.)

The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Care Team at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital brings an intentional and specific focus on quality improvement to advance the care of patients with CF. During the past year, the team addressed a significant rise in the number of patients referred to the CF Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital following a statewide change in newborn metabolic screening testing. As a result, more than 200 patients needed to be evaluated during the first 30 days of life, and the entire CF team mobilized to accommodate changes in lab flow, clinical evaluation, retesting and expediting CF visits for infants with an official diagnosis of CF or cystic fibrosis-related metabolic syndrome (CRMS).

Based on the team’s effective response to this unprecedented change in volume, program director Deanna Green was selected to chair the national guideline committee for CRMS, which defines changes to the frequency that these patients are seen in clinic as well as all care management. Dr. Green is also the lead author of the CF Foundation’s evidence-based guidelines for the management of these patients.

The CF team has also revised its care model to reflect the significant health improvements in individuals with CF, with input from patients with CF and their parents. Changes include behavioral screening in younger CF population to identify possible mental health effects of CF modulator therapies and use of symptom monitoring and mitigation to help patients continue to benefit from these effective medications.

Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

(Team members: L-R: Katina Brown, Mariela Bonilla Flores, Julie El-Taher, C.R.N.P.)

Due to growing demand and inadequate local resources, access to behavioral health care is limited. With support from leadership, including Michael Crocetti, JHCP chief of pediatrics, two Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (JHCP) nurse practitioners are stepping up to solve this problem in their communities.

Recognizing the growing need for behavioral health access, Julie El-Taher, a family medicine nurse practitioner at JHCP’s Frederick practice, returned to school to earn a certification as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. El-Taher worked with leadership to establish a workflow to embed behavioral therapy and psychiatric care into her primary care practice. Both her patients and her colleagues benefit from her work. Additionally, El-Taher mentors other psychiatric nurse practitioners.

While El-Taher is making an impact on our Frederick community, nurse practitioner Holly Musgrove has brought behavioral health care to pediatric patients virtually. She typically sees patients for eight to 12 weeks, providing the patients and their families with tools to manage their mental health. This is a collaborative effort with the patients’ primary care providers, who continue to support the patient in the long term with medication management. Musgrove has affected the lives of countless patients and families.

As primary care nurse practitioners with behavioral health certifications, both El-Taher and Musgrove are well-positioned to deliver comprehensive care in this important field.

Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center

Heidi Abdelhady has made incredible strides in patient and procedure safety since her appointment as chair of the medical center’s code blue committee. She worked closely with the code blue team and Nicholas Schoch, Johns Hopkins critical care assistant nurse manager, to evaluate existing processes and identify opportunities to streamline workflow. The group performed a meticulous review of data and existing problems and implemented interventions at different levels throughout the medical center. Thanks to their work, false codes have decreased.

“Dr. Abdelhady and her team’s quality work continues to further improve overall patient safety and have a positive impact on the use of hospital resources,” says a colleague. “This will lead to better outcomes and increased efficiency in the use of specialty and subspeciality services.”

Hospitalist, Physician Adviser 
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine

Suburban Hospital

Jeffrey Bui, a distinguished hospital medicine physician, has led transformative advancements that significantly enhance patient care and clinical outcomes. His visionary creation of Suburban Hospital’s observation unit has revolutionized the management of patients requiring short-term monitoring. This innovative approach has streamlined processes and improved access, quality and continuity of care.

A colleague highlighted Dr. Bui’s exemplary leadership, stating, “By effectively implementing utilization management strategies, he and the team successfully decreased observation hours, allowing for more efficient use of resources and quicker patient transitions.”

The observation unit has relieved the pressure on inpatient units, ensuring patients receive timely and appropriate care. This innovation has also reduced the average length of stay, ultimately benefiting both patients and the health care system. Dr. Bui and his team’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation continues to set a high standard in clinical care, leaving a lasting impact on the community they serve.