On Oct. 2-5, GNYHA and the United Hospital Fund (UHF) held an intensive educational session for critical care fellows in using hand-held ultrasound devices on patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This training is part of a larger educational program that the GNYHA/UHF Critical Care Leadership Network (CCLN) has designed to standardize education for ICU staff and physicians-in-training, which will translate to less variation in patient care, better adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines, and, ultimately, better patient outcomes. The programs also strive to capitalize on local critical care expertise and to highlight the New York region as the leader in exceptional critical care medicine. 

The ultrasound course was the first in a series of intensive training sessions featuring local expert faculty in specialty critical care topics. Actors played the role of patients to provide hands-on instruction in critical care ultrasonography for first-year pulmonary/ critical care fellows. 

Hand-held ultrasound devices are becoming an increasingly important tool in the critical care setting because of their transportability, which enables clinicians to use the device and make more accurate diagnoses at the bedside without having to move the patient. Experiences in the clinical setting have shown that these devices can facilitate early diagnoses, but also have demonstrated the importance of ultrasound training to ensure that the devices are used correctly. 

The faculty for the program included Paul Mayo, M.D., Beth Israel Medical Center; Jose Yunen, M.D. and Lewis Eisen, M.D., Montefiore Medical Center; Seth Koenig, M.D., Long Island Jewish/North Shore University Hospital; Amy Malik, M.D.,  Elmhurst Hospital; and Elvio Ardilles, M.D. and Marilyn Kline, M.D., Bellevue Hospital Center.

GNYHA will continue to send updates to members about upcoming educational programs. For a complete schedule and to enroll hospital staff for a session, contact Zeynep Sumer at GNYHA.