Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

The Performance Improvement Quality Review (PIQR) Committee at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital has commended otolaryngologist Michael Byrd, MD , for “recognizing a good catch.” Dr. Byrd, an assistant professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UTHealth’s McGovern Medical School, saw something other practitioners missed and correctly diagnosed a stroke. The patient recovered and was released home.

The hospital’s PIQR Committee, a multidisciplinary group of physicians representing all service lines, meets once or twice a month to evaluate the practice of medical staff members and ensure that all Memorial Hermann quality standards are met. The “good catch” recognition was added to the meeting agenda earlier this year.

“Patient safety has always been a priority for physicians, even before today’s emphasis on transparency in outcomes,” Dr. Byrd says. “The importance of keeping patients safe has been taught in medical schools for centuries. I’m honored to have been recognized by the PIQR Committee but I also have to say that I was just doing my job.”

Dr. Byrd provides general ENT services for adults, adolescents and children at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. He has a subspecialty interest in conditions that contribute to sleep disorders, including common snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.