{"id":1245,"date":"2026-05-07T19:26:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T19:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/herpowernetwork\/the-therapist-who-changed-icu-protocols-across-new-york-city\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T19:26:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T19:26:50","slug":"the-therapist-who-changed-icu-protocols-across-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/herpowernetwork\/the-therapist-who-changed-icu-protocols-across-new-york-city\/","title":{"rendered":"The Therapist Who Changed ICU Protocols Across New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick-Thinking Therapist Spurs Citywide Safety Upgrade<\/h2>\n

It started as an ordinary hospital transport in the Bronx\u2014but one respiratory therapist\u2019s sharp instincts made all the difference. When a critically ill, pregnant patient was being moved between facilities, everything nearly took a dangerous turn<\/a>, until quick action and a simple question changed the outcome for the better. The result? NYC Health + Hospitals now has a required ICU transport safety checklist, proof that alert staff can shape hospital policy far beyond their own floor.<\/p>\n

A Close Call During a Routine Transfer<\/h2>\n

Hospital-to-hospital transfers happen all the time in New York City. On this occasion, the patient\u2014eight weeks pregnant with twins and facing a severe pulmonary embolism\u2014needed continuous oxygen while moving from North Central Bronx to Jacobi. Respiratory therapist Winnie Wong noticed something others missed: Would there be enough oxygen for the journey?<\/p>\n

Trusting her instincts and recalling past experiences with high-flow tanks, Wong insisted on bringing extra oxygen and an Ambu bag. “Oxygen runs out fast at high flow,” she explained. That decision, simple as it seemed, proved crucial.<\/p>\n

How One Person\u2019s Caution Averted Crisis<\/h2>\n

Wong\u2019s commitment\u2014backed up by her colleague Ketty Seide\u2014ensured the patient remained stable. As later confirmed, their actions likely prevented a life-threatening emergency. Leadership at the hospital emphasized that no checklist can capture every risk; sometimes it takes someone on the frontlines, asking the right question at the right time. Dr. Chinyere Anyaogu, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, put it simply: “She used her lived experience of what could possibly go wrong. And unbeknownst to her, she taught that EMT something he will never forget.”<\/p>\n

From One Intervention, System-Wide Progress<\/h2>\n

After this incident, North Central Bronx launched a mandatory ICU transport checklist, with extra focus on oxygen supplies and equipment checks. It\u2019s a great example of how staff innovations ripple outward\u2014policy and patient safety are sometimes shaped by small moments of persistence.<\/p>\n

“Winnie asked such a simple question in such a non-threatening way: \u2018Do you have enough oxygen?\u2019 And then she was persistent. She had a gut feeling, and she didn\u2019t let it go,” noted Heidi Baer, the hospital\u2019s Patient Safety Officer. Thanks to this, all future ICU transfers now run through a robust safety protocol, becoming a model for other hospitals in the system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How the Checklist Strengthens Patient Transfers<\/h2>\n

The newly introduced protocol aims to prevent oxygen shortages \u2014 a particular worry for high-risk patients who rely on continuous respiratory support. These safeguards are now standard:<\/p>\n