Jessica Powell, CT Scan Technologist with Fauquier Health, Receives ‘Virginians Speak Up for Safety’ Award

Jessica Powell, CT Scan Technologist, has been named as a quarterly recipient of the “Virginians Speak Up for Safety” award presented by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) to recognize hospital team members who successfully intervene in clinical situations to protect patients or staff members from potential harm.

As healthcare providers, nurses, and technologists, the staff at Fauquier Hospital constantly monitors the patients and looks for any alerting signs. Jessica noticed something was not quite right. One of the patients she was providing care for was scheduled to receive a follow up CT scan. Jessica had noticed the patient’s labored breathing and it became apparent to her that the patient may benefit from a chest CT. She quickly recommended that action to the hospitalist physician. The decision was made to move forward with the chest CT. The results from the scan showed the patient was suffering from a pulmonary embolism. Fauquier Health’s interventional radiology team was then able to quickly intervene. 

Jennie Williams, Director of Medical Imaging, commented, “I really appreciate that Jessica, along with all of our imaging team, try hard to make sure that every order is appropriate for the patient’s needs and diagnosis. They truly advocate on behalf of each patient. In this case, Jessica went above and beyond to make sure the patient received the level of care they needed.”

VHHA established the statewide “Speak Up” award in 2017 as a recognition program to acknowledge the efforts of individuals and teams within Virginia hospitals who speak up to prevent potential harm to patients or other staff members. Employees who feel empowered to speak up to colleagues and those in authority roles are supported in doing so by positive organizational safety culture. Cultivating that climate is a hallmark of highly reliable organizations which value employee feedback as a vital component of the journey to achieving zero harm.

“Speak Up” awards are presented quarterly by the VHHA Center for Healthcare Excellence, whose focus is on working collaboratively with member hospitals and health systems to enhance health care quality, patient safety, and patient experience. Nominations are solicited from hospitals across Virginia and two award winners are selected each quarter. More than 250 nominations have been received since the program began. As circumstances permit, VHHA representatives travel to present awards to recipients in a small ceremony attended by hospital colleagues and administrators.