What is your job title?

Quality Improvement Team Leader – Cardiac Surgery and Thoracic Transplant

What is your job?

Departmental QI facilitator for both hospital-wide and department specific QI projects. Facilitator of meetings with key players involved in these projects. Applies quality tools and data analysis to assist the team with their projects. Communicates with both QI colleagues as well as with departmental stakeholders to make sure the projects stay on track and are followed through. Responsibilities include supporting Functional Unit Physician Advisors and departmental Quality Improvement Committees in establishing, measuring, and reporting on QI priorities

When did you start working at Johns Hopkins?

1978

When did you start working in transplantation?

1999

Why do you work with transplant patients?

Transplantation is a very challenging, unique field of medicine. It requires a multidisciplinary team approach to care on an everyday basis. Medicine and Surgery interaction and collaboration are key to the success of the transplant program, pre and post-operatively. Transplant is an ever changing science striving to provide a better quality of life for the transplant recipients.

What is your education?

I am a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. I also have a Business of Nursing Certificate degree and a Master of Science in Nursing in Health Systems Management and Clinical Nurse Specialist from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Finally, I am a Certified Clinical Research Nurse from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals Certificate Program.

What else do you want people to know about you?

I am an active mentor in the "Mentoring the Mentee Program" for Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and am a member of the International Transplant Nurses Society.

What have you published?

Arnaoutakis, G, Allan SH, Reeb, B, Shay S, Whitman G Departments of Surgery and Medicine,
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland. Utilization of novel software in combinations with performance improvement to rapidly change behavior and improve the cost efficiency of health care delivery. Society of Thoracic Surgeons – 2010

Bonde PN, Patel ND, Borja MC, Allan SH, Barreiro CJ, Williams JA, Thakur NA, Orens JB, Conte JV Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland The impact of donor lung organisms on post lung transplant pneumonia. The Journal of heart and lung transplantation: the official publication of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation 2006; 25 (1):99-105.

Lee MT, Detrick B, Allan SH, Conte JV, Orens JB, Baldwin WM Departments of Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland. Elevated IL-8 Serum Levels Predict Poor Outcome of Lung Transplants. Presented at the 2006 World Transplant Congress, Boston, Massachusetts July 22-27, 2006

Allan SH, Borja, MC, Orens JB, Yang SC, Diette GB, and Conte JV Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland. Does induction therapy have a significant impact on long-term survival in lung transplantation? A prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing daclizumab, anti-thymocyte globulin and no induction therapy. Presented at The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 25th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, Philadelphia, PA April 2005. J Heart Lung Transplant (2005), Jan;

Conte, JV, Allan, SH, Borja, MC, Orens, JB, Yang, SC, Girgis, RE, and Yuh, DD. Is acute rejection primary in the development of obliterative bronchiolitis? A retrospective study of daclizumab and thymoglobulin. American Society of Transplantation – Vienna, Austria, April 2003. J Heart Lung Transplant, 2003; 22:S122

Conte, JV, Borja, MC, Allan, SH, Yang, SC, and Orens, JB. The impact of donor organisms on post-transplant infection. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 22nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, Washington, DC April 2002. J Heart Lung Transplant (2002), Jan; 21(1) 61.

Conte, JV, Borja, MC, Allan, SH, Yang, SC, Girgis, R, Jhaveri, R, Orens, JB. Does Secondary Pulmonary Hypertension increase morbidity/mortality risks following successful lung transplantation? American Society of Transplantation – Washington, DC, April 2002. Am J Transplant (2002); 2 supplement 3:311 #689

Conte, JV, Allan, SH, Borja, MC, Jhaveri, R, Yang, SC, Orens, JB. Should Celsior cold storage solution be the solution of choice for pulmonary preservation in lung transplantation? Am J Transplant (2002); 2 Supplement 3:311 #690.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Allan SH, Borja, MC, Orens JB, Yang SC, Diette GB, and Conte JV Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland. Does induction therapy have a significant impact on long-term survival in lung transplantation? A prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing daclizumab, anti-thymocyte globulin and no induction therapy. Presented at The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 25th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, Philadelphia, PA April 2005. J Heart Lung Transplant (2005), Jan;

Conte, JV, Borja, MC, Allan, SH, Yang, SC, and Orens, JB. The impact of donor organisms on post-transplant infection. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation 22nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, Washington, DC April 2002.

Conte, JV, Borja, MC, Allan, SH, Yang, SC, Girgis, R, Jhaveri, R, Orens, JB. Does Secondary Pulmonary Hypertension increase morbidity/mortality risks following successful lung transplantation? American Society of Transplantation – Washington, DC, April 2002.

Conte, JV, Allan, SH, Borja, MC, Jhaveri, R, Yang, SC, Orens, JB. Should Celsior Cold Storage Solution Be The Solution of Choice For Pulmonary Preservation in Lung Transplantation? American Society of Transplantation – Washington, DC, April 2002