We’re excited to share a spotlight of Lee Warren III, MD, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Med Center Health!
- How long have you been in health care, and what are your favorite parts about it?
I started medical school sixteen years ago and have been in surgery since 2014. Throughout that time, I have always been thankful for meaningful patient interactions, conversations, and moments of human connection. I was drawn to surgery because of the strong connections and dedication that my mentors displayed for their patients, and I was inspired by the excellent care I saw them provide. Although I am passionate about surgery, many of the most meaningful moments have been outside of the OR. Many of those conversations in the ICU and ER are challenging but equally rewarding when you can help a patient understand what their disease process is and how we plan to make them better. Of course, my favorite part is seeing the patient once they actually are better.
- Can you tell us one of your favorite patient stories from working in medicine?
A woman presented with a twenty year history of a large neck mass and two prior failed surgeries in another country. Our ENT team reached out to me given the size of the mass and substernal extension on axial imaging. Together we planned out her operative care. Communication with the patient was limited by a language barrier, but both teams took great care to make her feel heard and understood through the translator. Ultimately she underwent a successful combined operation with both teams. Afterwards, she was so relieved to have the mass finally gone after twenty years of suffering.
- Can you tell us about a time that a tip you learned came in handy, with a patient or a colleague, for example?
Practicing Excellence Appreciation Tip #3 “Expressing Gratitude” directly helped my team. After discussing this tip, we were challenged to reach out to a team member and formally thank them for their contributions to the team. I reached out to a colleague who is a keystone in our program and gave him a hand-written note; something I normally wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. I am thankful for that opportunity to reach outside my comfort zone, and I could tell this was meaningful to him as well.
- What new skills are you looking forward to developing?
I am looking forward to developing communication and team-building skills to help continued growth of our cardiothoracic surgery program, so that we can continue to provide excellent care to the community we serve.
- What do you look forward to most after each week’s new tip?
The Practicing Excellence tips bring insights into clinical challenges that all clinicians face, and as such I always look forward to discussing those insights with my colleagues. Working together as a team to implement these changes means that we are not alone in our efforts to continue improving not just as individuals, but also as a healthcare community.
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.
