The Duke GME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Subcommittee selected Duke Pathology Resident Emily Teague Smith, MD, as the April 2023 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Safety Advocate Award winner. On Aug. 4, 2023, ACGME Director and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education Catherine Kuhn, MD, and Colby Feeney, MD, Residency Program director for Duke Medicine Pediatrics, presented her with the award, along with Pathology Chair Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD, and Pathology Residency Program Director Thomas J. Cummings, MD.
The award recognizes Duke GME trainees who demonstrate a commitment to safety by reporting safety events and making an extra effort to maintain a safe environment of care for patients. Teague Smith reported a safety issue with the way that specimens are received and processed. Because of her safety event report, the process was reviewed and changed to mitigate future errors in specimen handling. This change will help ensure the safety of patients by avoiding wrongful diagnoses. Congratulations to Emily for being a patient safety advocate!
*Main photo left to right: Dr. Huang, Dr. Kuhn, Dr. Feeney, Dr. Teague Smith, Dr. Cummings