We’re delighted to share a conversation with Douglas Strange, DO, Medical Director of the Clinical Decision Unit at Virtua Health! Dr. Stranges shares how PE has helped him build team cohesiveness and improve their collective performance.
- How long have you been in medicine, and what are your favorite parts about it?
I graduated medical school in 2013, completed a 5 year residency in 2018, and have been working in the Emergency Department and CDU at Virtua since I graduated.
One of my favorite parts of being a clinician is the puzzle/problem solving, rapidly making a diagnosis and treatment plan. This is what drew me to Emergency Medicine. I also love meeting new people, connecting with patients, and helping alleviate people in their most challenging times by connecting in a humanistic way.
- Can you tell us one of your favorite patient stories from working in medicine?
I met a man in the Emergency Department and we talked about a shared favorite hobby, fishing. He told me how his father built fishing rods and he showed me his work and gave me a business card. Two years later, I saw his father as a patient in the ED and recognized his t-shirt from the business card. He was sick and at the end of his life. When he made it home, he built me a fishing rod, complete with his engraved signature, which was the final rod he ever built. I use it regularly and it is one of my favorite rods.
- How has PE helped you as a clinician?
It has helped me better relate to other clinicians to help identify skills in one another to enhance. Coaching training helped me become a better colleague and leader.
- Could you tell us about a time that a tip you learned came in handy, with a patient or colleague, for example?
I can reference the concept of team-identity. It encourages people to work toward a greater goal, inspiring purpose and increasing engagement. It’s not an easy tip to follow or message to deliver, but the importance can’t be overstated. Practicing Excellence touches on this and I think it is so important.
- What new skills are you looking forward to developing?
I look forward to improving my ability to engage colleagues to help make them better clinicians and leaders, and learn from each of them to improve myself in ways I wasn’t already looking into
Nick Chicchetti is a Marketing Specialist at Practicing Excellence, specializing in developing, implementing, and analyzing marketing strategies and development of content. He brings over five years of healthcare marketing experience, and has a passion for driving change and improving experiences across the healthcare continuum.
