Author: William Trick

  • Decoding a Legionnaires’ Outbreak, New York City

    Using molecular methods and shoe-leather epidemiology, Don Weiss and Kim Musser teamed up to resolve a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the Bronx in 2015.  It’s a classic tale of combining surveillance and field epidemiology with advanced molecular methods to pinpoint and eradicate the lethal source. Future deaths were prevented when the New York City Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the CDC collaborated on this public health success story.  You can read about this and other cases in Don’s new book Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks.  You can read about this and other cases in Don’s new book Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks. 

    Using molecular methods and shoe-leather epidemiology, Don Weiss and Kim Musser teamed up to resolve a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the Bronx in 2015.  It’s a classic tale of combining surveillance and field epidemiology with advanced molecular methods to pinpoint and eradicate the lethal source. Future deaths were prevented when the New York City Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the CDC collaborated on this public health success story.  You can read about this and other cases in Don’s new book Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks. 

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  • Ruth Rothstein—Effective Advocate

    Ruth Rothstein—Effective Advocate

    In Wind Beneath Their Wings: Improving a County Health System, Caryn Stancik and Elizabeth Reidy describe their work as the Chief Communications Officer and General Counsel for a large and expanding government-run urban health system.  They credit Ruth Rothstein, former CEO of the Cook County Hospital, for establishing a culture that promoted women into leadership positions.  Rothstein had a remarkable life, progressing to CEO of Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago and Cook County Hospital by demonstrating competence and an unwavering belief in justice.  Her noteworthy accomplishments included building a new hospital to replace the old Cook County Hospital, acquiring funding for the eponymous Ruth Rothstein Core Center to provide HIV-AIDS care, and expanding the ambulatory clinic network to provide longitudinal healthcare.  At Mt. Sinai Hospital, after being denied a job in medical administration because she did not have a college degree, Rothstein refused a secretarial position saying “I don’t type”.  Her humor is evident when under a photograph of her with Golda Meir, the caption was added, “But can she type?”

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cook_County_Hospital.jpg, Jeff Dahl

  • Wind Beneath Their Wings: Improving a County Healthcare System

    Chief Communications Officer, Caryn Stancik, and General Counsel, Elizabeth Reidy, recognized the value of having a highly functional government healthcare system to care for the medically underserved population of Cook County.  Their careers were devoted to helping guide Cook County Hospital through the Affordable Care Act, a transition to an independent health system board; they provided stability through a series of CEOs. They describe their motivation for working in government, in health care, and how the mission sustained them as they developed legal and communications strategies to navigate a series of crises—and, they managed to retain their sense of humor.  Find out what it takes to thrive in a no-frills work environment.

    Chief Communications Officer, Caryn Stancik, and General Counsel, Elizabeth Reidy, recognized the value of having a highly functional government healthcare system to care for the medically underserved population of Cook County.  Their careers were devoted to helping guide Cook County Hospital through the Affordable Care Act, a transition to an independent health system board; they provided stability through a series of CEOs. They describe their motivation for working in government, in health care, and how the mission sustained them as they developed legal and communications strategies to navigate a series of crises—and, they managed to retain their sense of humor.  Find out what it takes to thrive in a no-frills work environment.

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  • Drug Packaging Protects Patients

    Drug Packaging Protects Patients

    Professor Laura Bix, the Director of the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, is a national leaders in designing solutions for drug packaging that improves medication safety.  Two catastrophic events, young children dying of aspirin toxicity during the 1940s and 1950s, and deaths due to intentional contamination of Tylenol with cyanide in the 1980s, prompted Federal agencies, industry, and academic partners to design child-resistant and tamper-evident drug packaging. The slogan for Professor Bix’s department speaks to their work, “It’s the industry that no one thinks about, but saves lives”.

    The Tylenol Murders: Their Impact on Packaging

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  • Leadership With Laughter: The Triple Threat Doctor

    Leadership With Laughter: The Triple Threat Doctor

    Dr. Robert (Bob) A. Weinstein, former Chair of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, describes a career formed early as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer investigating hospital outbreaks at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.  A single investigation led to decades of research & inquiry, and international leadership. With characteristic humor, he provides advice on life and leadership. Epilogue by Denise Cardo, former Director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC. 

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  • Essential Items for Your Medical Bag

    Essential Items for Your Medical Bag

    When asked, “What is the one item, literal or figurative, that you would put in your medical bag?”, seventeen former Cook County Hospital healthcare workers provided responses that sustained them during challenging but fulfilling, mission-oriented careers. Collectively, they distill hundreds of years of patient care into advice that is critical to pack with you during a healthcare career.

    Laryngoscopy: From Head Mirrors to Fiberoptics

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  • Running Toward Chaos: Emergency Medicine

    Running Toward Chaos: Emergency Medicine

    Dr. Jeff Schaider thrived in his career as an emergency medicine physician in Cook County Hospital’s storied Emergency Department.  From the “routine” chaos of a Friday night in the ER to the stress of resuscitating a dying patient, he enjoyed having his brain activated by the rapid pace of medical care and his hand on the pulse of the city.  Jeff reflects on his career, the patients, the hospital, and Hollywood’s adaptation of the original “ER”. Epilogue provided by Dr. Steve Aks, toxicologist and emergency department colleague.

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  • Making Healthcare Safe for Patients and Staff

    Dr. Denise Cardo and David Henderson are infectious diseases physicians and leaders in healthcare epidemiology—the medical discipline that studies the causes and solutions to prevent infections, use antibiotics wisely, and prevent the spread of “superbugs” in healthcare settings. Dr. Cardo led the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and Dr. Henderson was the Associate Director of the NIH’s Clinical Center.  They pioneered the practice of providing post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection among healthcare workers exposed to blood through puncture wounds. Their research and collaboration saved the lives of countless healthcare workers. Epilogue by Dr. Julie Gerberding, who worked with Drs. Henderson and Cardo on post-exposure prophylaxis for healthcare workers.

    Dr. Denise Cardo and David Henderson are infectious diseases physicians and leaders in healthcare epidemiology—the medical discipline that studies the causes and solutions to prevent infections, use antibiotics wisely, and prevent the spread of “superbugs” in healthcare settings. Dr. Cardo led the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and Dr. Henderson was the Associate Director of the NIH’s Clinical Center.  They pioneered the practice of providing post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection among healthcare workers exposed to blood through puncture wounds. Their research and collaboration saved the lives of countless healthcare workers. Epilogue by Dr. Julie Gerberding, who worked with Drs. Henderson and Cardo on post-exposure prophylaxis for healthcare workers.

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  • Burn Unit to Microwave Safety

    Pediatrician Kyran Quinlan and occupational therapist Marla Robinson witnessed severe scald burns among young children in their hospital’s burn unit. They embarked on an epidemiologic evaluation that turned into a nearly two-decades odyssey to improve microwave safety.  They partnered with Underwriters Laboratory, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, impacted families, engineering and design students from Northwestern and the University of Michigan to child-proof future microwave ovens. They describe the challenges and the thrill of eventually seeing safer ovens on store shelves.  Epilogue provided by Joe Musso, former Standards Program Manager at Underwriters Laboratory, who was responsible for microwave standards.
    Will Consumer Safety Survive Partisan Pandering?

    Pediatrician Kyran Quinlan and occupational therapist Marla Robinson witnessed severe scald burns among young children in their hospital’s burn unit. They embarked on an epidemiologic evaluation that turned into a nearly two-decades odyssey to improve microwave safety.  They partnered with Underwriters Laboratory, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, impacted families, engineering and design students from Northwestern and the University of Michigan to child-proof future microwave ovens. They describe the challenges and the thrill of eventually seeing safer ovens on store shelves.  Epilogue provided by Joe Musso, former Standards Program Manager at Underwriters Laboratory, who was responsible for microwave standards.
    Will Consumer Safety Survive Partisan Pandering?

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  • Legacies in Medicine: Marcus Welby to Smartphones

    Legendary leaders of Cook County Hospital’s internal medicine program for trainees and medical students, and expert clinicians, Peter Clarke and Chris Smith, share their wisdom.  They discuss caring for patients, educating the next generation of physicians, and their evolution as healers.  Epilogue by former internal medicine training program director, Dr. Christine Acob.

    Legendary leaders of Cook County Hospital’s internal medicine program for trainees and medical students, and expert clinicians, Peter Clarke and Chris Smith, share their wisdom.  They discuss caring for patients, educating the next generation of physicians, and their evolution as healers.  Epilogue by former internal medicine training program director, Dr. Christine Acob.

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