January 4, 2008

In memoriam: Katie Brush, RN

Kathryn Ann "Katie" Brush, RN, MS, CCRN, FCCM, (left) died Dec. 23 following a brief illness. She was 50 years old.

Brush, who joined the MGH in 1997, was a clinical nurse specialist in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. A pioneer in patient safety, she was among the first members of the Patient Safety Improvement Corps, a national partnership between the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which examines existing or potential medical problems, develops and evaluates interventions and integrates these into clinical practice.

A dedicated humanitarian, Brush devoted a significant part of her career to relief efforts throughout the United States and abroad. She was a member of the International Medical Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT), an MGH-sponsored emergency response team providing triage, medical treatment and support to victims of humanitarian and natural disasters. Through the Harvard Medical International Institute for Nursing Healthcare Leadership, Brush was instrumental in the development of the Department of Nursing Education at the Hospital de Universitario San Vicente de Paul in Medellin, Colombia.

Brush was the recipient of many honors and accolades, including induction as a fellow in the American College of Critical Care Medicine — only the 30th critical care nurse in the world to receive this distinction. She was a board member of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, current secretary and founding member of the Council of Armenian American Nurses and a member of the Disaster Committee for the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.

An MGH memorial service currently is being planned. More information will be available in an upcoming issue of MGH Hotline.