Chapter 2110: Chapter 1799: First Performance
The main entrance of City People’s Hospital is somewhat older than that of Sanbo Hospital. Little Five stood at the entrance, looked up at several buildings, and took a deep breath.
This was where he had left from, and he hadn’t expected to return after so many years, much less to return as a department director. Little Five indeed hadn’t seen this day coming.
"Let’s go," Zhang Lin said behind him. "Let’s report first."
The procedures at the Human Resources Department were conducted quickly. Dean Chen personally received them. Dean Chen was also in his fifties, with gray hair and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He spoke slowly but with considerable weight.
"Director Zhang, Director Lu, welcome, welcome." Dean Chen shook their hands firmly. "Our hospital has always wanted to make orthopedics a key development department. We have good equipment and talent, but we lack a leader. Coming from Sanbo, you carry a prestigious reputation. I hope you can elevate our orthopedics department."
Zhang Lin nodded. "Dean Chen, we will do our best."
Little Five added, "We will work diligently."
Dean Chen was momentarily taken aback, then laughed. "Good, you can familiarize yourselves with the environment and rest for a few days. In a few days, I will take you to the department and announce your appointments."
Little Five waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourself, Dean Chen. We’ll stroll around on our own first."
"Tomorrow, we can start officially," Zhang Lin couldn’t wait.
"I can accompany you together with the Medical Affairs Department."
"No need, no need. We’d just like to speak with the doctors and nurses in the department."
Alright, Dean Chen did not insist on accompanying them. After all, he would announce the appointments in the department the next morning. The two directors clearly wanted to discreetly understand the situation themselves; having him along might not be appropriate.
The orthopedics center is on the seventh and eighth floors of the inpatient building. The seventh floor is spinal surgery, and the eighth is joint trauma surgery, separated by one floor but connected by an internal staircase. Zhang Lin and Little Five each went to their respective floors, agreeing to meet at the canteen at noon.
When Zhang Lin walked into the spinal surgery department on the seventh floor, several nurses at the nurse station were chatting. Upon seeing him enter, an older head nurse approached him, "You must be Director Zhang. I am Nurse Chief Liu Min."
"Hello, Nurse Chief Liu," Zhang Lin smiled and extended his hand. "I look forward to your guidance in the future."
"Director Zhang, the department currently has twenty doctors: two chief physicians, three deputy chief physicians, six attending physicians, and nine resident physicians. We have forty-five beds, with forty-one patients currently admitted." Liu Min introduced as she walked with him. "The doctors’ office is this way, and your private office is at the end of the corridor."
Zhang Lin nodded. He also had his own private office, but he preferred spending most of his time in the main office with his colleagues; he liked that atmosphere.
In the main office, seven or eight doctors were either sitting or standing. When they saw him enter, they all stood up. Zhang Lin surveyed the room, noting the age range, with the oldest appearing in their fifties and the youngest probably just graduated.
"Hello everyone, I’m Zhang Lin," his voice was not loud but clear. "I’ve come from Sanbo Hospital and will be working with you. Please guide me."
The oldest doctor spoke up, "Director Zhang, I’m Wang Shunye. I’ve been here for over twenty years. Coming from Sanbo, I assume you’re more skilled than us. We’ll learn from you."
Wang Shunye was the deputy director of the department and felt somewhat uneasy about the parachuted-in director.
Though polite, Zhang Lin detected a sense of distance in his words. Wang Shunye said "We’ll learn from you," rather than "We’ll work together," capturing the subtle difference.
"No need for modesty, Director Wang," Zhang Lin said. "I’m new here and unfamiliar with the hospital. I have much to learn from you. Let’s find some time for a meal to get to know each other better."
Wang Shunye was somewhat surprised, apparently not expecting the young director to be so modest. He nodded, "Thank you, Director Zhang."
Little Five’s situation on the eighth floor was similar to Zhang Lin’s.
The joint trauma surgery department had twenty-one doctors and fifty-five beds, a bit larger than spinal surgery. The deputy director’s last name was Zhao, called Zhao Quan, a short and chubby middle-aged man with a loud voice, who laughed with his eyes squinted.
"Director Lu! I’ve heard so much about you!" Zhao Quan shook Little Five’s hand warmly. "Sanbo Hospital, that’s the leading hospital in our province! It’s our good fortune to have you on our eighth floor!"
Little Five winced slightly from the firm handshake, smiled, and said, "You’re too kind, Director Zhao—my last name is Lu, but everyone calls me Little Five. That’s what my colleagues at Sanbo used to call me."
Little Five knew roughly half of the doctors here, as he had been here before. However, he didn’t know Zhao Quan; he was likely brought in after Dean Chen took over.
"But you’re the director... "
"Just call me Little Five," Little Five insisted. "Names are meant to be used. You’ll get used to it."
Zhao Quan was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily, "Alright! Director Little Five, straightforward!"
Little Five followed Zhao Quan on a ward round. With fifty-five beds, forty-eight patients were admitted, showing a high turnover rate. As Little Five walked, he reviewed the medical records and noticed several issues: pre-surgery assessments were not detailed enough, post-surgery rehabilitation plans were rather arbitrary, and antibiotic use was somewhat chaotic.
This patient had a femoral neck fracture, with a pre-surgery cardiopulmonary function assessment of only one page, lacking blood gas analysis or heart surface ultrasound. The surgical risk for such elderly patients is very high.
Elderly hip fractures have a high perioperative mortality rate; a complete pre-surgery assessment is essential; otherwise, there could be issues on the operating table. This patient is eighty-two years old, also with hypertension and diabetes. At the very least, blood gases, cardiac ultrasound, and lower limb venous ultrasound should be checked to eliminate thrombosis risks.
