The Department of Radiology Command Center Team, led by Laveil Allen, MD, was honored with the Elevate Team Award at Vanderbilt Health's August 2022 Leadership Assembly.
In the presentation, C. Wright Pinson, MD, MBA, VUMC's Deputy CEO and Chief Health System Officer, introduces the group with great pride, explaining how they came together quickly to solve a complex and critical issue surrounding the recent contrast media shortage.
"The Elevate Team Award recognizes the effort of teams working together to solve a problem, improve a process and advance our culture while exemplifying the Credo behaviors," Dr. Pinson says.
The task force—which consisted of nurses, technicians, physicians and administrators—came together quickly to make difficult decisions about conserving contrast amid an unprecedented shortage. Their work helped avert a significant crisis while continuing to put our most vulnerable patients first.
"When I was informed that we had seven days of contrast remaining, it was actually the day before I was to begin as the Executive Medical Director of the Radiology Department here at Vandy," Dr. Allen says. "If you think about walking in to your first day with a tall task on your plate, this was it."
As Reed Omary, MD, MS, explains, the work executed by the Command Center Team was shared across medical centers, helping the patients in the VUMC community and beyond.
"It was an over the top success," Dr. Omary says. "I'm really proud of the team for doing this and coming together and helping so many patients across this nation."
