WISER Leads the First WISER / UPMC Rapid Response Symposium 

Mr. Smith, a 71-year-old male patient, enters the hospital with the need for an emergent appendectomy. Shortly after surgery, he arrives at the unit and is doing well. 

About an hour later, he calls the nurse stating, “I am having chest pain and trouble breathing.” The nurse enters the room and sees Mr. Smith in obvious distress. 

The code button on the wall is pressed and the code team is activated. The team arrives at his bedside, connects him to a monitor, and diagnoses him with an active heart attack. After the initial treatment of medications and oxygen, the code team leader calls the cath lab.   

Mr. Smith is transferred to the cath lab by the code team, receives a cardiac catheter, and is doing well.  

There is a lot that must happen—and go well—when a medical emergency occurs in a hospital. WISER’s extensive work on assessment of medical emergencies through the In-Patient Crisis Response System Evaluation program has been instrumental in the improvement of code teams, systems, equipment, and local responses to medical emergencies. From this work with many hospitals, WISER has created the WISER/UPMC Rapid Response Symposium, to be held on October 26, 2022, for UPMC hospital personnel only.  

The symposium will focus on advancing rapid response team capabilities across the UPMC System through education and networking. The keynote speaker for the event will be Dr. Michael DeVita, Critical Care Physician and Director of Palliative Care at Harlem Hospital, Founding President of the International Society for Rapid Response Systems, and former UPMC Critical Care Physician. 

WISER is pleased to coordinate such an amazing event with more than 40 different presenters covering topics like: Code Team Constructs, Mock Codes, Subspeciality Responses, Advanced Directives, and much more. 

Please visit the Rapid Response Symposium page or more information on the event.