June's ROSE Award Recipients

Celebrating Family Medicine Heroes

08/07/17  Portland, Ore.

ROSE Award Winners

L to R: Family Medicine's Justin Jullian (South Waterfront) and Lisa Pearlstein (Richmond) were each honored with ROSE Awards this summer.

In June, several OHSU Family Medicine team members received ROSE awards for their above-and-beyond work to care for our patients.

Justin Jullian

Submitted by Corinna Wilson

In ambulatory care, we don't often have real emergencies in the clinic. When we got word that a person was in the lobby, possibly coding, everyone sprang into high gear. The person had to be taken out of his chair when we determined he had no pulse and was not breathing.

Justin, our lead Medical Assistant, took the man's torso and I grabbed his legs. We pulled him to the ground to start his evaluation and CPR efforts. The man still had no pulse and we knew we had to act immediately. Justin and a cardiology nurse started CPR. 

Justin started mouth to mouth. His only concern in those moments was the gentleman on the ground in front of him. He was focused and dedicated – he knew what needed to be done and he did it. We've all been through our basic life support training, but performing CPR in an emergency situation is a completely different experience. I'm sure there are folks up at the hospital who do this on a daily basis – I have so much respect and admiration for those people. The sights and sounds of it are horrific to the outsider. 

Sadly, the gentleman did not make it. That day haunts me and will stay with me for a long time. But within those images that stick with me is one of Justin Jullian, never wavering or second guessing himself. Although many people were involved in a real and meaningful way, Justin's actions stand out. He never wavered in his dedication to being a healthcare worker, and he was truly a hero that day.

Lisa Pearlstein

Submitted by Rachael Postman, F.N.P, D.N.P.

Lisa Pearlstein is a member of our Health Resiliency Team at OHSU Richmond, a joint project between our clinic and Care Oregon, aimed at supporting some of our chronically ill and most vulnerable patients.

Over several years, Lisa formed a trusted relationship with a Somali family, several of whom have chronic conditions that have required regular use of the health care system. Often, she was the only member of the care team that they felt comfortable reaching out to. She was instrumental at helping them to get the appropriate care, facilitating transportation, ensuring they had medications and food in the home, and coordinating with specialists and community agencies. 

Recently, Lisa transitioned to a new role within the Health Resiliency Team, which required her to part ways with many of her long-time patients. Despite this change and her new job description, she has continued to engage with this family – attending interdisciplinary meetings at one child's school, and coordinating with the justice department based on another older child's needs. She has continued to accompany the mom to specialty appointments, playing a valuable role as liaison given the language, cultural, and literacy barriers present. 

Although these tasks are no longer officially part of her new job, she has continued to support this family in a way that has made it easier for them to function within our complicated health care system. For this, she is deserving of a ROSE award.