Department of Medicine hospitalist and adjunct faculty member Brad Sutter, MD, was recently honored by peers with two notable local awards.
The Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety named Sutter a Patient Safety Hero; and Indiana University Health Physicians gave him the President’s Values Leadership Award, which is one of the highest honors awarded by the physician’s network.
Sutter has worked as a hospitalist for IU Health and at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center for more than 20 years, and he has helped train Indiana University School of Medicine fellows and residents for more than 30 years. He attended IU School of Medicine himself, earning his MD and completing residency and a fellowship in Indianapolis.
Colleagues nominated Sutter for the Patient Safety Hero award because he has championed several safety initiatives throughout his career, including IU Health’s Hospital at Home program which allows doctors to care for certain patients without the sick person needing to visit the hospital.
Each year, the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety – which is comprised of executives and officers from seven Indianapolis healthcare systems, as well as representatives from IU, Purdue University, Eli Lilly, WellPoint, the Regenstrief Institute, and others – recognizes professionals, like Sutter, for their efforts.
Similarly, IU Health regularly recognizes individuals and groups who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to the health systems values with Values Leadership Awards. Recipients of those awards are then considered for the higher honor of the President’s Values Leadership Award. Sutter earned both designations.
“Dr. Sutter has led through what I assume is the most challenging year of his 33-year career – focusing on safety, his team and providing the necessary compassion,” said Tara Casey, MHA, the Associate Vice Chair for Operations in the Department of Medicine, who helped nominate Sutter for the award. “I can guarantee that without him, the team would have felt unsafe, the focus on improvements would have become an afterthought, and the mental fortitude to get through a pandemic would have been low.”
“He has dedicated countless hours to fulfill his leadership responsibilities, but when it mattered most, he went above and beyond to be there for his physicians and advanced practice providers,” she said.
Other individuals and groups from the Department of Medicine were honored recently with Values Leadership Awards. Below are their names and a bit about why they were nominated:
Department of Medicine Service Line Administrators (Team Award)
“The team understands the importance of TEAM and asks for assistance when they need it. One example is Jim Luce, (service line administrator, Palliative Care) helped lead a focus group around Gallup scores for a separate division who needed an outsider to ask difficult questions. Melissa Mayorga volunteered help to set up a Rapid Improvement Event for Pulmonary Critical Care and Cardiology because she had transformation background, not because it impacted her specialty.
The department also placed a rising Crispus Attucks intern the summer of 2023 and this high school senior was interested in becoming a physician. The student intern told us he had a great experience. The credit goes to the administrators who were able to place him with physicians that gave an exceptional experience. Every service line administrator participated in helping with this student. This can help future generations want to work in healthcare and more importantly, IU Health."
-- Tara Casey, MHA, the Associate Vice Chair for Operations in the Department of Medicine
Kristy Gossett, RN, clinical nurse and ambulatory hospitalists at IU Health West Hospital (Nursing Staff Award)
“Kristy's influence goes beyond our healthcare setting, leaving a lasting impact on both IU Health and broader communities. Her commitment to the well-being of team members is evident through her open-door policy, fostering trust and unity. Ensuring consistent RN coverage, Kristy contributes to optimal patient care and outcomes. Her leadership extends to community outreach, providing health education and resources to underserved populations. By cultivating a supportive team environment, Kristy's influence resonates within the broader community, embodying IU Health values of compassion, teamwork and creating a lasting positive impact."
-- Jack Ward, PA-C, Manager of Advanced Practice Providers-Hospitalists at IU Health West Hospital
Hollie Mayes, service line administrator for the Division of Digestive and Liver Disorders (Professional Leader Award)
“In the midst of Hollie's first year with us, the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. She demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment by collaborating tirelessly with me to reorganize clinical schedules, transition care from in-person to virtual settings, and integrate hospital services to accommodate expanded primary service responsibilities…under her leadership, this team of 27 nurses and schedulers now manage over 30,000 outpatient endoscopies annually across five locations, a remarkable feat accomplished in just 6-12 months. Her organizational acumen, leadership prowess, and unwavering commitment to project completion were evident throughout this endeavor.”
-- Mohammad Al-Haddad, MD, MSc, FASGE, FACG, AGAF, the Naga P. Chalasani Chair of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Indiana University School of Medicine
