Pulmonary & Critical Care Division Newsletter

Congratulations to all our fellows and faculty for their outstanding work and for representing Henry Ford Health at the national level!

We are excited to announce that Dr. Rana Awdish’s new book, After Shock, focused on healing that truly honors the body’s wisdom, will be released in June. Early reviews call it a “piercingly honest and honest, insightful, deeply vulnerable examination of the true nature of healing.”

From the publisher: In this powerful follow-up to her bestselling memoir, In Shock, a doctor asks: What does it truly mean to heal?

In the aftermath of her own critical illness, physician and writer Dr. Rana Awdish finds herself oddly estranged from her own body. Medicine has conditioned her to view sick bodies as broken objects, not as sites of meaning, mystery, and quiet wisdom. As she deconstructs her belief system and reassembles the pieces, she finds a radical alternative: healing as an embodied and relational process. What emerges is a profound meditation on the stories we create about ourselves, their value and their limitations.

Guided by the evocative power of art from Frida Kahlo to Mark Rothko, as well as her own creative process, After Shock is part memoir and part guidebook to sustaining wonder and attention to beauty even in the face of grief and loss. Awdish elegantly draws us into a space where our perception shifts and curiosity leads to profound revelation. She invites us to reclaim the power that resides in our attention, relationships, and willingness to stay present with suffering long enough for it to transform into something else.

Through her poetic prose and evocative imagery, we learn to see differently, feel deeply, and trust that healing is always possible.

Thanks for the memories

The RELIANCE Trial (comparing azithromycin to roflumilast in patients with COPD) has now closed for new patients. The research team extends sincere thanks to all clinicians who referred their patients for screening. We successfully enrolled approximately 64 patients at Henry Ford, contributing to a national total of about 1,000 participants.

Looking ahead, please consider the ZION Trial for your COPD patients with an FEV₁ between 40–80% predicted who have the Type 2 phenotype with elevated eosinophils. Potential candidates can be referred to Mr. Nicolas Ebner or Drs. Dan Ouellette, Alex Garbarino, or Al Muthanna Shadid.

Did you know...

COVID-19 Isolation Update

Starting October 22, 2025, Limited Airborne Precautions will replace Droplet PLUS Precautions for COVID-19. This change reflects updated evidence on transmission and PPE requirements.

COVID-19 primarily spreads through inhalation of airborne particles and larger respiratory droplets. Transmission via contaminated surfaces or ocular exposure is now considered minimal.

Required PPE:
• N95 (or higher) respirator
• Eye protection during and after aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs)*
• Gown and gloves are not required

Room Requirements:
• Negative pressure room not required for Limited Airborne Precautions
• Negative pressure room recommended for patients undergoing AGPs* (use private room with door closed if unavailable)

Candida auris Reminders

Continue to utilize Contact Isolation for all patients being screened for or known to be positive for Candida auris. Strict adherence to PPE and infection-control protocols remains essential.

Key Practices:
• Use required PPE for every room entry
• Place confirmed C. auris patients in private rooms (not shared bays)
• Maintain frequent and thorough hand hygiene
• Ensure disinfection of patient environments and all shared equipment, including Sonosite machines, bladder scanners, and other portable devices
• Upon discharge, nursing is responsible for disinfecting the mounted thermometer and glucometer within the room

The medical ICU teams celebrated the Halloween season with a fun and festive Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Teams put their creativity on full display, turning ordinary pumpkins into spooky, funny, and downright impressive works of art.

Staff, fellows, and faculty joined in the voting, and the competition was tight! Thank you to everyone who participated for bringing some fall cheer and friendly rivalry to the pods.

And it wasn't just pumpkins. "There was a great pumpkin Charlie Brown diorama" said Dr. Lazar, one of the ICU rounders that month.

Winner: TBA!