Dr. Elise Brown

By Bill Kinnard, MD, Emeritus, Pulmonary Disease

Although the Good Samaritan Physician of the Year Award has been around since the hospital opened in 2004, it was not named after anyone until 2016.

That was the year that the Good Sam community suffered the sudden loss of Dr. Elise Brown.

Dr. Brown was board certified in both Medicine and Pediatrics. She split her time serving as a hospitalist at Children’s Hospital and Good Sam. Her colleagues at both sites admired and were grateful for her passion, energy, intelligence and rare clinical gifts. She was equally comfortable doing a lumbar puncture on a newborn or intubating an 80 year old with COPD.

However, as amazing as her diagnostic acumen, knowledge of two huge and distinct clinical realms and procedural skills were, Elise’s most remarkable attribute was her patient advocacy.

Elise never, ever, went home until she had done everything she could for her patients. Every detail was addressed. All family members were tended to. All consultants were held accountable. All nurses were updated. All charts were tidied.

After her passing, the MEC considered awarding the Physician of the Year to Elise posthumously, but ultimately decided that it was more fitting to name the award after her. The recipient should know that they are in the rare company of a very special physician.