Physicians, advanced practice providers and collaborative teams at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital were honored during the 10th Annual Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Excellence Awards on March 26.

“This is a day to celebrate the incredible work you do each and every day and the extraordinary care you provide for our patients,” says Alicia Schulhof, M.H.A., FACHE, the hospital president before announcing the award winners in seven categories.

 “Thank you for living our mission and doing what you do so well. Each nomination reflects your drive to innovate and your dedication to quality, safety and transformational care.” 

 Chief Patient Safety and Quality Officer Ursula Nawab, M.D., and Chief Medical Officer Joseph Perno, M.D., recognized all the nominees and award recipients.

 Advanced Practice Provider of the Year: John Patrick (JP) Morgan, P.A.-C

 As a physician assistant with the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute electrophysiology (EP) team, Morgan uses his expertise to coordinate and manage clinic visits, assist in EP studies and device implantations, and interpret advanced non-invasive studies. He works closely with cardiology clinic staff, the EP team, and others to ensure coordinated care and answers calls at night and on weekends.

 Morgan is highly proficient in loop recorder, pacemaker and defibrillator programming and interrogations. His efforts trialing software and workflows have refined and streamlined the process for ongoing monitoring of such devices. This has helped expedite the diagnosis of arrhythmias and device issues and improved care for these patients.

 To many families, Morgan is the face and voice of the EP team. He is the first provider they meet in clinic, the first they see on the day of a procedure, and the voice on the phone discussing test results or next steps in care. He takes whatever time is needed with the families to address their questions and help them better understand their child’s diagnosis. This commitment is reflected in the outstanding patient experience ratings and comments that he receives.

 Armstrong Institute Award for Excellence in Quality and Safety: Stacie Stapleton, M.D.

 Stapleton is division chief of oncology and director of cardiology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute. A steadfast commitment to safety and quality is central to her approach to caring for children with many forms of cancer. Stapleton’s continuous efforts to improve systems and processes within the institute and throughout the hospital have led to changes that strengthen the delivery of clinical care. She diligently reviews online incident reports and meets frequently with team members to discuss opportunities for improvement. Together, they develop and implement strategies that have helped make processes safer and more seamless.

 This collaborative work has improved the safety of chemotherapy administration and contributed to reduced rates of hospital-acquired conditions. Stapleton’s focus on quality and safety has also led to more efficient processes in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She embraces a multidisciplinary approach to this work by partnering with nurses, educators, and other clinical staff to facilitate improvement.

 Best Consulting Physician: Alexander Y. Kim, M.D.

 Kim is building the medical biochemical genetics program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s and is an assistant professor of genetic medicine in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is recognized by colleagues throughout the hospital for sharing his expertise in genetically based metabolic disorders and helping coordinate the care of his patients in multiple settings, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and operating rooms.

 Kim provides thoughtful guidance to consulting teams and carefully teaches trainees how to best evaluate and care for patients with complex genetic metabolic disorders to ensure the highest quality of care. He is a strong advocate for patients with rare and often devastating disease processes, many of whom have conditions that increase the risk for complications of general anesthesia. Kim meets regularly with the anesthesia department and provides meticulous recommendations for fluid management and medications during and after surgery. “The amount of detail provided is equivalent to reading CME material,” a colleague notes, “and he provides this level of detail for all of his patients.”

As an advocate for his patients, Kim often stays late to spend extra time at the bedside to explain a complicated diagnosis to a family and provide moral support.

 Clinical Collaboration and Teamwork: Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., & the Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee

 (Additional team members: Jessica Marchione, M.S.N., R.N., and Travis Witt, M.P.A.)

 To sustain a culture of safety and respect, the Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee introduced initiatives to address the challenges of an increase in disruptive and violent behavior from patients and care partners. Through a focus on communication and collaboration, the team has empowered staff at all levels to contribute to solutions that protect both patients and caregivers, while maintaining a primary focus on team member safety.

 The steering committee introduced the Marcus Crisis Prevention Program, a pediatric-focused, family-based de-escalation program. The training has improved staff confidence and competence in prevention strategies and contributed to better patient-provider interactions. The committee also facilitated coordination of multiple well-being initiatives to help support all staff.

 This interdisciplinary work has fostered a safer and more supportive environment for staff that helps clinical teams focus on providing compassionate care while knowing that their safety is a top priority.

 Excellence in Service & Professionalism: Jenny Dolan, M.D.

 As director of general anesthesia, Dolan demonstrates extraordinary commitment to patient care, teamwork, leadership and innovation. This is evident through her leadership in establishing the Preoperative Optimization Clinic. A growing number of medically complex patients are having surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s, and many require extensive preoperative planning. Recognizing this need, Dolan pioneered the Preoperative Optimization Clinic, which brings together surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and advanced nurse practitioners to prepare each patient to the greatest possible extent. This has improved surgical outcomes by addressing patients’ unique needs in advance.

 Dolan has helped reduce patient and family anxiety through clear communication about what to expect before, during and after surgery. In answering questions and alleviating the family’s stress, she has fostered an environment of trust and confidence. These efforts have led to a reduced rate of day-of-surgery cancellations and enhanced the safety and quality of care for complex patients.

 Innovations in Clinical Care: Deanna Green, M.D., & the Cystic Fibrosis Care Team

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

 The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Care Team uses a strong focus on quality improvement to advance the care of patients with CF. When a statewide change in newborn metabolic screening testing increased the number of patients referred to the CF Center, more than 200 patients needed to be evaluated during the first 30 days of life. The entire CF team mobilized to accommodate changes in lab flow, clinical evaluation, retesting and expediting 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, Green, the program director, 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. Green is also the lead author of the CF Foundation’s evidence-based guidelines for the management of these patients.

 With input from patients and their parents, the team has also revised its care model to reflect the significant health improvements in individuals with CF. Changes include behavioral screening in the 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.

 William A. Baumgartner Physician of the Year: Jennifer Mayer, M.D.

 “Outstanding” is the word colleagues and patient families repeatedly use to describe Mayer, who is program director for the pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship and the Vascular Anomalies Program in the Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute. Her efforts in research and clinical care of patients with vascular anomalies are helping to advance this field and improve patient outcomes.

 Mayer is an exemplary leader who readily shares her expertise with colleagues. She is a mentor to her clinical team and connects learners with mentors and colleagues within the organization and on a national level. She is considerate and thoughtful in partnering with families and attentive to details in her patients’ care to provide the best possible outcome and quality of life.

 A dedicated teacher, Mayer has led the development of the three-year pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship. With input from colleagues, she has carefully considered how fellows will balance research, clinical rotations and multidisciplinary teamwork while cultivating personal growth and autonomy. Her passion for educating the next generation of clinicians in a culture of critical thinking and innovation has led other faculty members to say they wish they could be a fellow in the new program.

 In accepting the award, Mayer thanked her colleagues, the nominees and hospital leaders in attendance.

 “What makes this place so special is all of you and the children we care for. As we treat difficult diseases and experience many happy moments as well as some that are heart-wrenching, we have each other to lean on, learn from and work together with to help our patients.”

 The Clinical Excellence Award winners at all Johns Hopkins Medicine hospitals were celebrated on April 1.