Carolinas Hospital Medical Staff Receive Prestigious Lewis Blackman Award

Carolinas Hospital System is proud to announce that Dr. Rami Zebian, Director of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine and Brian Greig, RN, Director of Critical Care Services have received the 2016 Lewis Blackman Award.

Every year,  South Carolina’s hospital community joins together at the Transforming Health Symposium to share best practices and learn about the ways individuals and organizations are working collaboratively to transform health and health care. One of the major highlights of the event is the presentation of the Lewis Blackman Awards to honor champions of patient safety who go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure quality care.

The awards are named in honor of Lewis Wardlaw Blackman, a bright, gifted, 15-year-old who died following an elective surgical procedure in 2000 due to complications related to a medical error. Helen Haskell, Lewis’ mother, has provided inspiration for the awards through her tireless and meaningful work to promote patient safety and quality improvement not only in South Carolina but throughout the country.

Dr. Rami Zebian, Director of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine at Carolinas Hospital, was recognized for overseeing a sepsis collaborative focused on implementing treatment guidelines that led to a dramatic decrease in sepsis mortality and established the facility as a mentor to other health systems. “I was very humbled to receive the Lewis Blackman Award. Our oath as physicians includes “Do No Harm” and the message that Lewis’ mother conveyed allows caregivers, such as myself, to be reminded of our oath. I am honored to be a part of creating a safer medical environment for patients and caregivers,” Zebian said.

Brian Greig, RN, Director of Critical Care Services implemented regular meetings and led efforts to improve care for sepsis patients and reduce other hospital-acquired infections. “It was an honor to receive the Lewis Blackman Award, not only for me, but for our entire staff in the Intensive Care Units. Our goal is to make patient care as safe as we possibly can. We are proud to be recognized for our change in processes that increase patient safety in the Intensive Care Units at Carolinas Hospital System,” Greig said.

“Dr. Zebian and Brian Greig are champion leaders whose guidance and support play a critical role in patient safety and quality improvement. Their dedication is instrumental in creating a culture of safety and quality care as they continue to initiate best safety practices,” said Costa Cockfield, Chief Nursing Officer at Carolinas Hospital System.

Carolinas Hospital System congratulates these champions of patient safety for receiving this prestigious award.