Dropping in on the Medical Pulmonary Unit

On my recent visit to the Medical Pulmonary Unit on the 3rd floor of Building 1 I had the chance to meet some wonderful nurses and staff, including (from left) Nursing Manager Cathy Leong, RN; Nagla Abdel-Magied, RN; Jae Kim, RN; Yvonne Shaver, RN, and Judi Demers, Hospitalist Clerical Assistant.

Since her arrival this past September, Judi De Mers has strengthened the link between the hospitalists and primary care physicians. She explained, “The main focus of my position is to communicate with the primary care physicians any pertinent information about their patients’ discharges from the hospital. Daily, physicians will call me to let me know that a particular patient will be discharged on that day. I will go to the patient’s room and visit with them if they are able to speak with me. I will call their PCP right there in the room and make a follow up appointment for them. So far, the patients that I have scheduled appointments for have been very appreciative. If I am unable to communicate with any patients, I attempt to contact their family members and will either schedule an appointment for them or I will remind the family member to call the PCP on that day and set up an appointment for the patient, depending on what the family member prefers that I do.”