October 2023 Kudos and Awards

Thank you, residents and interns, for all you do for one another and for your patients. Though often under-appreciated, your work does not go unnoticed.

Help us highlight the kindness, clinical judgement, resourcefulness, and work ethic.

Nominate a resident/intern for Housestaff of the month or just share something good.

October 2023 Inpatient Resident of the Month
Eric Mittauer

In a setting deeply entrenched in the service of veterans, the VA hospital’s corridors echoed with an extraordinary cry—a newborn’s first breath, in the most unexpected of sanctuaries, a bathroom just across the resident workroom. Eric Mittauer, a newly inducted senior resident on call, was catapulted into an unforeseen challenge that defied the ordinary realms of Internal Medicine. With an unanticipated call, the mundane transformed into the miraculous, as Eric, alongside his indomitable team, embarked on a mission to safely deliver a life in an environment far removed from the conventional embrace of a maternity ward. The rarity of this occurrence resonated through the hallways, marking it as an unforgettable episode where adaptability and expertise triumphed. His extraordinary leadership, paired with a compassionate heart, orchestrated this beautiful symphony of life, turning a bathroom at the VA into hallowed ground where a new soul was lovingly ushered into the world. His awe-inspiring ability to navigate this extraordinary event has left an indelible mark, painting him as a true guardian of life’s precious beginnings. The pictures of the vibrant, beautiful baby sent the following day were silent testimonies to his brilliance, embodying a gratitude too profound for words, marking Eric as an undeniable hero in the tapestry of life’s most unexpected moments.

October 2023 Co-Inpatient Intern of the Month
Amy Zhao

Amy resident did a phenomenal job on medicine firm! As a new senior resident, I could rely on her to have all her consults called and tasks completed. She was even catching small details that were missed on rounds and bringing them to the team’s attention. On rounds, her presentations were clear with well-formulated plans, taking patients’ social factors into discharge planning. She was operating on a much higher level than expected of an intern in the first 6 months of residency. She also had a very hard list with many difficult goals of care discussions. One particular patient’s family wanted very different things than the patient did. She navigated these discussions professionally and with empathy for both the patient and patient’s family. The patient ended up passing, and the family made it clear how grateful they were to her for talking with them every day with compassion. Last but not least, her sense of humor added to our team dynamic making it a fun, enjoyable environment for everyone. For these reasons and more, I am nominating this resident for inpatient intern of the month.

She made me laugh the entire week I worked with her. She would check boxes off her to do list faster than I could even come up with things to do – she was so freaking fast. She had so many hard GOC’s this past month, and truly, she transformed the lives of those she helped, getting patients to places of understanding and self exploration, while also helping our team reflect on our care management. I am so proud of all your growth this past week!

October 2023 Co-Inpatient Intern of the Month
Chris Douglas

Chris is an outstanding intern. His passion in life is psychiatry, but he was incredibly engaged and interested in medicine. He was kind and empathetic, a careful listener, and made patients feel heard and respected. He practiced shared decision making and took the patient’s preferences into account in multiple situations, including empathizing with a patient about a painful procedure, and balancing the complex interplay in a patient with both medical and psychiatric comorbidities. He also looked up the literature in patients with rare medical conditions and was more excited about pheochromocytoma than any psychiatry resident I have ever seen. He never hesitated to help out and took extra patients to balance the list. The staff additionally recognized him for helping to take care of a floor member in their time of need. It is truly amazing when an off-service intern is so invested on medicine, and for that I believe that he deserves to be inpatient intern of the month.

October 2023 Outpatient Intern of the Month
Charlotte Starling

Charlotte saw several patients in clinic this month that required admission to the hospital. She went above and beyond to follow up on their lab results, coordinate transportation with the help of Social Work, and communicate with the MTA to arrange their admission — and most of this work was done after the clinic had already closed for the day. Kudos to her for getting her patients the care they needed!