It Takes a Village:
Honoring Louisville’ s Surgery Teams
by Emily Major, Sydney Herold & Chelsea Fathauer
The operating room( OR) is a dynamic and fast-paced environment that demands seamless collaboration among professionals. At the heart of this teamwork is a shared commitment to prioritizing patient safety. As medical students, we have been fortunate to learn from experienced surgical team members across the Louisville community. Many of these professionals have generously taken time from their responsibilities to teach practical skills, such as how to properly don and doff gowns and gloves, or how to tie and suture.
Among the many lessons we have absorbed, one of the most impactful has been witnessing the adaptability and strong sense of teamwork displayed by the surgical staff. After the anesthesia team initiates induction, circulating nurses, scrub technicians, first assistants and other team members work diligently to ensure patients are optimally prepared and positioned. Their efforts create a safe, efficient and sterile environment where every detail is considered. This work is unseen by patients and their families and is often unrecognized. We would like to highlight a few individuals in the Louisville surgical community whose training backgrounds reflect the collaborative mentality of the OR. These team members exemplify excellence in patient-centered care and embody the quiet dedication that defines surgical teamwork.
( continued on page 22) June 2025 21