After lunch, the atmosphere in the Emergency Department returned to normal.
Perhaps it was due to the thick skins Liu Banxia had helped them develop. He had a habit of stirring up issues, and his confrontations with Director Qin Hai were nothing new.
"Shuwen, you’ve come to see me. It looks like you’ve made up your mind?" Chen Zhenxing asked jovially in his office.
"Teacher, the Emergency Department is in terrible shape. I’m willing to go, but can Qin Hai be transferred out?" Zhou Shuwen asked.
"Oh, what happened this time?" Chen Zhenxing frowned.
Zhou Shuwen recounted to Chen Zhenxing the incident that had taken place in the operating room that morning.
"Sigh... Old Qin," Chen Zhenxing sighed in exasperation after hearing the story.
"Teacher, I don’t mind hard work, nor am I afraid of exhaustion. I can continue my work while also training people. But with Qin Hai around, I truly don’t know when I might lose my temper," Zhou Shuwen said.
"I used to think Liu Banxia was too impulsive, so I hesitated a lot when recommending him. Recently, I’ve gained a full understanding of Director Qin. He cares more about his own reputation than the facts."
"Take today’s patient, for example. Even if he wanted to be more cautious, he shouldn’t have rushed into surgery. Was it really so difficult to order an X-ray first? I’m very much inclined to agree with Liu Banxia’s assessment."
"You’re not a hot-headed young man anymore. Do you really think Liu Banxia is an impulsive person? If he were truly that impulsive, could he have endured until now?" Chen Zhenxing said with a laugh.
"Teacher, are you saying he’s putting on an act? That can’t be right, can it?" Zhou Shuwen asked, visibly surprised.
"Well, it’s not necessarily an act. It’s more like he’s decided to stop caring about the consequences," Chen Zhenxing shook his head.
"This also highlights the failures in our hospital’s residency training program. If Liu Banxia can afford to be so defiant, are there other residents in other departments who are dissatisfied but don’t dare to speak out for fear of not getting their residency certificates?"
"So, this time we need to properly reorganize the Emergency Department. Once the list of full-time attending physicians is finalized, we must also clearly define their responsibilities within the department."
"All internists need to master basic emergency procedures, like non-invasive and invasive intubation, and emergency needle thoracostomy for pneumothorax. Similarly, all surgeons must acquire as much internal medicine diagnostic knowledge as possible. Disciplines may be divided into internal medicine and surgery, but emergency physicians need to blur this line."
"Why did I single out Liu Banxia as a benchmark? Because he has the potential in this area. Many surgeons believe that as long as they can perform surgery well, they are qualified surgeons. That’s nonsense; they’re merely skilled hands, just ’knives’."
"If our emergency physicians can master more medical knowledge outside their own specialties, they can offer patients a better chance of survival when treating emergencies."
"We always talk about reform, but genuine changes are few. It’s like changing the label on the bottle without changing the medicine itself; it always amounts to the same old thing. This time, we need to seize this opportunity to thoroughly reorganize."
"If you go, you’ll be the Director of the Emergency Department, though it will be a concurrent post. If you neglect your duties in General Surgery, that department will fall into disarray too. It will be tough, so manage the transition period well."
Zhou Shuwen nodded. "Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll go back and arrange my work in General Surgery, and I’ll devote more time to the Emergency Department."
"Good. We’ll continue with the ’special matters, special handling’ approach. I’ll have the hospital issue an announcement immediately. You’ll officially start tomorrow," Chen Zhenxing said happily.
Zhou Shuwen felt somewhat resigned, knowing his mentor had set his sights on him long ago.
Chen Zhenxing picked up the phone and made the arrangements right away. After hanging up, he felt much more relieved.
Just as Zhou Shuwen suspected, he was the only suitable candidate in Chen Zhenxing’s mind, and no one could dispute the choice once it was announced. He possessed both managerial abilities and professional expertise.
Don’t underestimate this Emergency Department Director position; the competition is fierce. Chen Zhenxing had ambitious plans for the Emergency Department, though he hadn’t revealed them yet.
If Zhou Shuwen could manage the Emergency Department well and eventually establish a trauma emergency center, a Vice Chief Director position would be his for the taking.
How could he entrust such an important task to just anyone? If it were bungled, it would be a disaster.
When the announcement was posted, the entire Second Hospital was practically buzzing. The small Emergency Department unexpectedly had two directors.
Although Zhou Shuwen was appointed Deputy Director, the notice specified his primary responsibilities: overseeing medical affairs and training within the Emergency Department.
Since Qin Hai was nearing retirement, this arrangement was quite telling. They were clearly being considerate of Qin Hai by not transferring him out immediately.
"My heavens, this is incredible!" Liu Banxia exclaimed after reading the announcement.
"Dr. Liu, are you happy now?" Xu Dan asked with a smile.
"Happy? I’m more likely to cry my eyes out," Liu Banxia replied with a bitter smile.
"When Qin Hai was here, I could be as disruptive as I wanted, and he couldn’t do anything about it. But now that Director Zhou is here, with that stone-cold face of his, I wouldn’t dare make a peep."
"Well, at least you know your place," Liang Xiaolin interjected before sauntering off.
"Haha, that’s hilarious! Do you two always bicker when you have nothing better to do?" Zhou Li asked with a laugh.
"Ah, the residents these days... they get worse with each cohort," Liu Banxia shook his head, affecting an experienced air.
Liang Xiaolin, who hadn’t gone far, naturally heard his remark. She wanted to turn back and glare at him but restrained herself.
She couldn’t do anything about it. Liu Banxia was no longer a resident; he was now a rank above her.
Liu Banxia thought for a moment, then pulled Wei Yuan aside. "Brother Wei, I think things have stabilized. What are your thoughts?"
Wei Yuan nodded vigorously. "I’ll go for it. I’ll stick it out in the Emergency Department for two years. If I still can’t make something of myself by then, I’ll leave."
DING! Wei Yuan’s Choice: Task Completed.
Liu Banxia scratched his head. That’s it? Why didn’t I get anything else?
Since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it. The most important thing was still his medical skill. The system is a bit stingy, but I can always study and practice harder.
Since there were no patients to see at the moment, he idly watched Qi Wentai’s expressions, thoroughly enjoying the sight.
Zhou Shuwen’s arrival in the Emergency Department was likely the biggest blow to Qi Wentai, as his special privileges there were instantly gone. Zhou Shuwen wasn’t just stern-faced; he had managed to bring the General Surgery Department to heel at such a young age precisely because he was also ruthless when it came to work.
Shi Lei was merely upright, but Zhou Shuwen wouldn’t care about any of that. Even if Shi Lei himself made a mistake, Zhou Shuwen would deal with it impartially. This is also what gives me a headache; I’ll have to keep an even lower profile from now on.
A simple personnel change drastically shifted the atmosphere in the Emergency Department.
Liu Banxia was, at best, a benchmark; Zhou Shuwen was a standard-bearer.