[OK, right about now your mind may be starting to wander, but hang in there. My story does have a point.] 

The biggest offender is a program called Holmes on Homes. The host is Mike Holmes and his production company is "Make It Right Productions". Essentially, Holmes is the kind of contractor that everyone wishes would build their own home. He can take a "fixer upper" and actually fix it up! He uses only the best materials, gets all the right permits and doesn't rest until the job is perfect. The premise of the show is for Mike to come into a home after someone else has completed a remodel, a new kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, basement or whatever. The problem is, the bathroom is leaking into the kitchen. The upstairs is falling into the basement and the contractor is long gone, along with the homeowner's cash. But never fear- Holmes is here. He inspects the house, diagnoses the problem, and then brings his own people in to "Make It Right". The point is that he never tries to go it alone. He brings in the right electricians, plumbers, carpenters and painters. He identifies the problem and builds a team to solve it. The team is the key and it's what we've been talking about for the last ten years.

An injured sonographer can't go it alone either.  It will take a team effort to bring down the injury rates for sonographers. Everyone needs to join in- management, physicians, department managers, fellow sonographers and even people from other departments that interact with the ultrasound department. We each see the problem from a different perspective and have our own objectives and agendas. All too often when an injury isn't addressed, tensions rise and the situation goes from bad to worse. But, working together and trying to view the problem from another perspective can lead to innovative solutions. It's easy to get angry and think that no one cares, but that won't fix the problem. So the next time you find yourself getting angry because no one cares about your injury, say to yourself "if I want to get what I need I have to find a way for them to get what they need."

This month I'm going to introduce you to a group that has taken this approach to discover their own answers. South Miami Hospital is a great example of how building a team can produce creative solutions to solve their problems.

Take a moment to review this case report and then try to take a fresh look at your own situation. We would love to hear from you. How are injuries addressed in your department? Let us know what's working for you. We would like to make this a regular feature by sharing your solutions with your colleagues.