Three Teams Graduate RITE Program

February 12, 2025

Three teams from the Department of Surgery graduated from Stanford's Realizing Improvement through Team Empowerment (RITE) program on Monday.

The projects and teams recognized were:

Reducing Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections Pre-operative Length of Stay
1. Team Lead: Dr. Ariel Knight
2. Coach: Tara Lahiji-Neary
3. Sponsors: Drs. Joe Forrester and Bill Frederick
Reducing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Pre-operative Length of Stay
1. Team Lead: Dr. Cassie Sonntag
2. Coach: Amin Etemad-Rezai
3. Sponsors: Drs. Joe Forrester, Morad Hameed, and Sam Wald
Enhancing operating room efficiency by optimizing pre-operative checklist utilization and lab draws
1. Team Lead: Dr. Clemens Ortner
2. Coach: Ryan Darke
3. Sponsor: Sam Wald, MD, Jay Shah, MD

“It’s a proud moment for all of us,” said Etemad-Rezai, who is a quality programs manager in the Department. “[The first two] projects are both part of our FY25 [Improvement Capability Development Program] ICDP under the Patient Flow and Capacity Operational Pillar, and the success gained is significant for our organization’s goals and for our patients in reducing length of stay.”

Dr. Arash Fereydooni, a vascular surgery resident, worked on the third project with Vascular Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Kenneth Tran, Dr. Kelsey Kukuruza, Claire Goldschmidt (MHA, BSN), and Sophia Prendiville (CRC).

"Ultimately, our aim was to reduce OR turnover times and minimize first-case start delays in Vascular Surgery," said Fereydooni. "Through this initiative, we strove to improve healthcare provider wellness and enhance patient satisfaction."

Forrester will also sponsor the department’s participation in the Spring RITE Cohort, which begins on February 19.

Reducing the Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Rate in the SICU
Team Lead: Dr. Harrison Chau (Fellow)
Coach: Etemad-Rezai

Learn more about Stanford Surgery’s commitment to quality improvement.

Media Contact

Director of Communications

(650) 723-2301

rebaker@stanford.edu

Bio

As the Director of Communications for Stanford Surgery, Rachel Baker tells the stories of her department's faculty, staff, and trainees. With the help of an amazing team of content creators, she produces and curates original articles, photos, videos, graphics, and podcasts. She works with each division, center, program, and lab within her purview to define their audience and reach their goals while maintaining a consistent brand voice. She also offers both 1:1 and group education on a variety of topics including media training, using social media to advantage, and presentation refinement. Rachel holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on photography from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland.

About Stanford Surgery

The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:

• pioneering cutting-edge research,
• developing the next generation of leaders, and
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion.

To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu

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