Madhu Subramanian, M.D. | Acute Care Surgeon

Summary

Dr. Mother Subramanian, an acute care surgeon at Johns Hopkins and Assistant Medical Director of Trauma Services at Bayview Medical Center, discusses her commitment to serving underrepresented communities influenced by her upbringing. Her patient care philosophy emphasizes building rapport quickly during emergencies to foster trust. Her research focuses on systems and quality improvement in patient care, as well as optimizing blood product use in trauma patients. She stresses the importance of community engagement, participating in events like 'Stop the Bleed' campaigns, and fostering long-term relationships with patients as part of the Baltimore community.

Takeaways

• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Mother Subramanian is an acute care surgeon specializing in emergency and trauma surgery at Johns Hopkins and Bayview Medical Center.
• 🌟 Her choice of specialty was influenced by her upbringing in a diverse community in Chicago, where she witnessed healthcare disparities.
• 🤝 She believes in building rapport quickly with patients during emergencies to ensure trust and confidence in the healthcare system.
• 🔍 Her research focuses on systems and quality improvement to enhance patient care during their hospital stay.
• 🩸 She investigates the optimal use of blood products in trauma patients to maximize benefits and minimize risks.
• 🏥 Dr. Subramanian emphasizes the importance of being an active member of the community she serves, living in Baltimore and treating her neighbors.
• 👥 She is involved in community engagement activities, such as teaching emergency response skills and promoting trauma awareness.
• 📈 The medical center she works at organizes social events with patients to foster a sense of community and support.
• 💡 The goal is to ensure patients feel comfortable and confident in seeking care at Johns Hopkins, knowing they are valued and supported.
• 🗣️ Trauma awareness month is an annual event where patient stories are shared to inspire hope and demonstrate ongoing care.
• 🏘️ The script highlights the importance of building long-term relationships with patients, emphasizing that a single encounter is not the end of the care provided.

Q & A

Who is Mother Subramanian and what is her professional role?

Mother Subramanian is an acute care surgeon in the division of acute care surgery and trauma at Johns Hopkins, and she also serves as the assistant medical director of trauma services at Bayview Medical Center, as well as the head of their quality improvement program.

What motivated Dr. Subramanian to specialize in emergency and trauma surgery?

Dr. Subramanian's motivation to specialize in emergency and trauma surgery stems from her upbringing as a child of immigrants in Chicago, where she was exposed to communities that were often overlooked by the medical field. She was raised with a desire to serve these communities and ensure they have equal access to healthcare.

What is Dr. Subramanian's philosophy of patient care?

Dr. Subramanian's philosophy of patient care is centered around servitude. She believes in quickly building rapport with patients who come to her in emergencies, ensuring they feel confident in the hospital and its systems during what could be the worst day of their lives.

How does Dr. Subramanian's research contribute to patient care?

Dr. Subramanian's research focuses on systems improvement and quality improvement to ensure patients receive the best care possible. She and her team analyze patient hospital stays from start to finish, looking for ways to enhance patient care and using data to drive improvements.

What specific area of research is Dr. Subramanian involved in regarding trauma patients?

Dr. Subramanian is involved in research related to bleeding problems associated with trauma patients. Her work aims to maximize the benefits of using blood products while minimizing the associated risks and complications.

Why is community involvement important to Dr. Subramanian as a physician?

Community involvement is important to Dr. Subramanian because she believes that as a physician, one should be an active part of the community they serve. By living in Baltimore and being engaged with her neighbors, she aims to treat and care for the people around her.

What social initiatives does Dr. Subramanian's medical center undertake to engage with the community?

The medical center where Dr. Subramanian works coordinates social events with patients, such as 'stop the bleed' campaigns to teach emergency response skills, promoting seat belt use, and raising trauma awareness. They also host events during Trauma Awareness Month to share patient stories and provide hope to others.

How does Dr. Subramanian view the relationship between the medical center and the community it serves?

Dr. Subramanian views the relationship between the medical center and the community as one of mutual care and understanding. She emphasizes that the medical staff are not just providers but also members of the city of Baltimore, interested in the well-being of their patients and ensuring they have appropriate access to care.

What is the significance of the 'stop the bleed' campaigns mentioned by Dr. Subramanian?

The 'stop the bleed' campaigns are significant as they aim to educate patients on how to use tourniquets in emergency situations, potentially saving lives by controlling severe bleeding until professional medical help arrives.

How does Dr. Subramanian's approach to patient care reflect her personal experiences and values?

Dr. Subramanian's approach to patient care reflects her personal experiences growing up in a diverse community and her values of inclusivity and equal access to healthcare. Her commitment to building rapport quickly and ensuring patient confidence demonstrates a deep understanding and respect for the communities she serves.

What is the goal of the relationship-building efforts between the medical center and the community as described by Dr. Subramanian?

The goal of the relationship-building efforts is to ensure that patients feel comfortable and confident coming to Johns Hopkins Hospital, knowing that the medical staff are their neighbors and genuinely care about their well-being, beyond just the medical treatment they receive.

Outlines

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👩‍⚕️ Dedication to Emergency and Trauma Surgery

Dr. Mother Subramanian, an acute care surgeon at Johns Hopkins and the assistant medical director of trauma services at Bayview Medical Center, discusses her journey into the field of emergency and trauma surgery. Influenced by her upbringing in Chicago among a diverse community of Black and Latinx individuals, she was inspired to address healthcare disparities and serve communities often overlooked by medicine. Her patient care philosophy emphasizes building rapport quickly in emergency situations, aiming to foster confidence and trust in the hospital system.

📊 Systems Improvement and Quality in Patient Care

Dr. Subramanian's research focuses on improving healthcare systems and patient care quality. She is dedicated to examining patients' hospital stays from admission to discharge to identify areas for improvement, using data to enhance care delivery. Additionally, she investigates the use of blood products in trauma patients to maximize benefits while minimizing risks, reflecting her commitment to providing the best possible care.

🏘️ Community Engagement and Building Trust

As a physician, Dr. Subramanian believes in being an active part of the community she serves. Living in Baltimore, she is invested in treating her neighbors and ensuring they have access to appropriate healthcare. She and her team at Johns Hopkins Hospital are involved in community events such as 'stop the bleed' campaigns and trauma awareness initiatives, aiming to educate and engage patients, showing that they are not just healthcare providers but also neighbors who care about their well-being.

Keywords

💡Acute Care Surgeon

An acute care surgeon is a medical professional who specializes in the immediate and comprehensive care of patients with severe injuries or illnesses requiring surgery. In the video, Dr. Mother Subramanian identifies as an acute care surgeon, highlighting her role in the division of acute care surgery and trauma at Johns Hopkins, which is central to the theme of emergency and trauma care.

💡Trauma Surgery

Trauma surgery is a branch of surgery that deals with injuries caused by accidents or violence. The video emphasizes Dr. Subramanian's specialization in trauma surgery, which is integral to her mission of serving communities that often face disparities in healthcare access, as mentioned in her personal background and motivations.

💡Quality Improvement Program

A quality improvement program is a systematic approach to enhance the level of care provided in a medical setting. Dr. Subramanian heads the quality improvement program at Bayview Medical Center, indicating her commitment to ensuring patients receive the best possible care, which is a key theme in the video.

💡Patient Care

Patient care refers to the healthcare services provided to patients, focusing on their physical and emotional well-being. The video's theme revolves around Dr. Subramanian's philosophy of patient care, emphasizing the importance of building rapport quickly in emergency situations and providing ongoing support.

💡Servitude

Servitude in the context of the video refers to the selfless service that healthcare providers offer to their patients, especially in emergency and trauma situations. Dr. Subramanian views her role as one of servitude, aiming to build trust and provide the best care possible during critical moments in patients' lives.

💡Systems Improvement

Systems improvement involves evaluating and enhancing the processes within a healthcare system to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Subramanian's research into systems improvement is directly related to the video's theme of striving for excellence in patient care through data-driven enhancements.

💡Blood Products

Blood products are medical preparations derived from human blood, used to treat conditions such as severe bleeding. The video discusses Dr. Subramanian's research on the use of blood products in trauma patients, highlighting the balance between their benefits and potential risks.

💡Community Engagement

Community engagement refers to the active involvement of healthcare providers with the communities they serve. The video emphasizes Dr. Subramanian's belief in being a part of the Baltimore community, participating in social events, and educating patients on emergency preparedness, which ties into the broader message of healthcare accessibility and community support.

💡Trauma Awareness

Trauma awareness involves educating the public about the impact of trauma and how to prevent or respond to it. The video mentions an annual trauma awareness month, where patients share their stories, illustrating the hospital's commitment to raising awareness and supporting trauma survivors.

💡Rapport

Rapport is the harmonious relationship established between healthcare providers and patients, which is crucial in building trust and ensuring effective care. The video underscores the importance Dr. Subramanian places on establishing rapport quickly with her patients, especially given the emergency nature of their visits.

💡Confidence in Healthcare

Confidence in healthcare refers to the trust patients have in the medical system and its ability to provide quality care. The video's narrative stresses the importance of fostering this confidence, as Dr. Subramanian and her team work to ensure patients feel comfortable and valued at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Highlights

Mother Subramanian is an acute care surgeon and assistant medical director of trauma services.

She is also the head of the quality improvement program at Bayview Medical Center.

Dr. Subramanian's choice of field was influenced by her upbringing and exposure to underserved communities.

Her parents were immigrants, and she grew up in Chicago, surrounded by diverse communities.

She is committed to serving communities that are often overlooked in the medical field.

Dr. Subramanian's philosophy of patient care is centered around servitude and building rapport quickly.

She emphasizes the importance of establishing trust with patients during emergencies.

Her research focuses on systems and quality improvement in patient care.

Dr. Subramanian uses data to identify areas for improvement in hospital care.

She also researches the optimal use of blood products in trauma patients to maximize benefits and minimize risks.

Dr. Subramanian believes in being an active part of the community she serves.

She lives in Baltimore and aims to treat her neighbors with the same care and attention.

The medical center coordinates social events with patients to promote trauma awareness and safety.

Events include 'Stop the Bleed' campaigns and promoting seat belt use.

Trauma awareness month is an annual event where past patients share their stories to inspire hope.

The goal is to build a relationship with the community and ensure patients feel comfortable and confident in the hospital.

Dr. Subramanian and her team aim to make patients feel that the hospital is an extension of their neighborhood.

Transcripts

my name is mother subramanian i'm an

acute care surgeon

in the division of acute care surgery

and trauma

at johns hopkins as well as our

assistant medical director of trauma

services at bayview medical center

and the head of our quality improvement

program at bayview medical center

i chose to go into the field of surgery

and specifically

emergency surgery and trauma surgery

largely due to my upbringing as a child

my parents are immigrants

to the united states and we grew up in a

in the city of chicago really

around a large population of black and

latinx

people who i grew up with and who helped

raise me

and just my experiences with them and

being a part of that community and and

being raised through that made me aware

personally on a personal level

of the fact that there are population

that are largely uh ignored by most of

medicine

and who need just the same access to

health care as any other group

and being that i saw that firsthand as a

child and growing up

i wanted to be a part of that and serve

as

a as someone in medicine who could help

that community and help

people like the people that i was

growing up with so my philosophy of

patient care is that i

serve in a role of servitude patients

come to me

in an emergency they come to the

emergency room either with an emergency

general surgery problem

or due to a trauma and it's my first

time meeting them

i don't have the opportunity to really

build a rapport with them

in clinic or in another setting because

they come to me

in potentially what could be their worst

day of their life

so to me it's important to try to build

that rapport with them

in a short really period of time and try

to ensure that while they

are in the hospital and when you know we

first meet through their

surgery and then their follow-up that we

can build a strong relationship

and they can build confidence in the

hospital and the hospital system

my research serves two roles so

one is that everything i do is in the

service of patient care so

a lot of the research that i do is on

systems improvement and

quality improvement and trying to ensure

that when a patient comes to the

hospital that they're getting the best

of care that they can receive here so

we spend a lot of time going through

patients hospital stay from the

beginning to the end

and looking for ways that we can improve

patient care

and use data to try to provide better

care to them

the other thing i look at is bleeding

problems associated with trauma patients

so

over time we've learned that the use of

blood products

can be beneficial for people who are

bleeding but also have risks

and so we try to do research to try to

maximize

the benefit of using blood products

without all the

the complications that can be related to

giving patients blood

so a big thing for me in medicine is

that

as a physician it's important to be a

part of the

community that you treat so i live in

baltimore

and so it's important for me to want to

treat those people that are around me

and who are my neighbors

a large part of what we're trying to do

is make it so that our patients

understand that we are

members of the city of baltimore and

that we

are just as just as interested in in

them and how they do

and that they have access to care that

is appropriate for them so

as a medical center we're trying to

coordinate

events social events with our patients

such as

stop the bleed campaigns to teach

patients how to use tourniquets

in cases of emergency improve

use of seat belts during driving

also just getting engaged in things like

trauma awareness

every year we have a trauma awareness

month where we try to bring back

patients who suffered from trauma and

kind of explain their stories and how

they're doing

to give hope to other patients and

understand that we care about these

people and

just because you see us once doesn't

mean that's the last time you see us you

may see us in the future

and you may be our neighbor so it's our

goal to try to

build that relationship with the

community and and make sure that people

feel comfortable and confident coming to

johns hopkins hospital

and knowing that we care about them and

that we're their neighbors