great catch

Marlon Acevedo, Leonard Barraco

Great Catch winners help YNHH become a high reliability organization



Marlon Acevedo, respiratory therapist, was recognized for practicing a questioning attitude and speaking up for safety in the Emergency Department, after hearing a resident tell a patient he planned to insert a chest tube. Acevedo checked to see if the patient had a chest X-ray or diagnosis that would warrant a chest tube. Finding none, he stopped the line and escalated his concerns to the ED attending physician. Staff investigated and found that a different patient in an adjoining room needed the chest tube.


Leonard Barraco, lead plumber, Plant Engineering, and Virginia Defilippo, respiratory therapy manager (recently retired), were honored for attention to detail and 200% accountability when a problem occurred during a transport with a neonatal patient requiring oxygen. When the ventilator was hooked up to the ambulance oxygen source, equipment alarms went off. Defilippo assisted the ambulance team via FaceTime during transport. Sensing an issue with the ambulance respiratory equipment, Defilippo tested it in a patient room and escalated her concerns to Barraco, who discovered that an old regulator on the ambulance was causing the alarm. The regulator was replaced and the equipment functioned properly. Defilippo then worked with the ambulance company to ensure the equipment on their vehicles was functioning.