An adult immobile patient who relies on tube feedings for nutrition, hydration, and medications was seen in the emergency department to have his non-functioning J-tube replaced. The tube was replaced by the interventional radiology team, and the patient was sent home. When the family got home, which was over an hour away, they realized that the new feeding tube would not connect to their old attachments.

The family called the emergency department for help. We were initially going to advise them to return to the emergency department for reevaluation; however, Christiane overheard the conversation. She was familiar with the recent changes to feeding tubes and knew about adaptors that we could supply to allow continued care for the patient. She spoke to the family on the phone and came up with a plan.

We contacted the pediatric ED and had them tube over the attachments that the family would need to continue to care for their son. Christiane called the family back and exchanged photos of the equipment to ensure we were supplying them with the items they needed. The patient’s mother drove back to the ED, where Christiane met her in the waiting room with the bundled supplies. She then took the time to explain, step by step, how to use the new attachments. She went above and beyond to coordinate and deliver care to a patient who wasn’t even hers.