be reassured that someone heard them and cared about their concerns. I have always tried to listen and remember that no situation is all about me. 8. A good leader recognizes the importance of morale and should do everything possible to prevent its erosion. As discussed above, the loss of morale has been one of the most significant challenges to everyone over the past year. I have tried tomodel a tone of positivity for the department while emphasizing the importance of teamwork. I made an effort to start meetings with words of encouragement, stressing how much I care about the members of the Department of Medicine and their inspiring dedication. 9. Be willing to adapt to the situation. Adaptability has become the order of the day as we have struggled to cope with our “new normal.” The experience of our faculty in the Section of Emergency Medicine perfectly illustrates this, as detailed by the chief of the section, Keith Van Meter, M.D.:
residency graduation in June was held virtually so everyone could still attend. We have several COVID-related projects coming from the Emergency Department at UMC, and our faculty and residents are at the forefront of identifying and pursuing opportunities for research. Although this highlights the tremendous flexibility demonstrated by the Emergency Medicine faculty and staff, it is representative of the experiences of all of our sections, particularly the four most directly affected by the pandemic. All of the faculty and staff therein are to be commended for the adaptability they displayed during this time of uncertainty and rapid change. 10. Remain optimistic and accentuate the positives. The incredible stress of life in a pandemic has led almost inevitably to the temptation to dwell on the many negatives it engenders. However, as the aphorism (often attributed to basketball coach John Wooden but in fact of indeterminate origin) goes: “Things turn out best for those whomake the best of the way things turn out.” We have much for which to be grateful. Though our responsibilities are many, we may be grateful that we still have jobs. Though we may be tired, we may be grateful that we still have our health. And though the war against this epic disease has seemed, at times, to be a fight we cannot win, we may all be grateful that we now have new diagnostic methods and new therapies being developed at a phenomenal rate, not to mention the incredibly effective Pfizer and Moderna vaccines currently in use and the many other vaccines at various stages of being developed, studied, and approved. I am exceedingly encouraged when I consider how far we have all come in the past year, and as I look to the future, I am truly filled with optimism and hope. REFERENCES 1. Sanders CV, Lopez FA. Hurricane Katrina and the Louisiana State University – New Orleans Department of Medicine: Rebuilding, recruiting, and renewing. AJMS . 2008; 336(2): 185-190. 2. Russell G. Orleans Parish has highest per-capita coronavirus death rate of American counties – by far. The Times- Picayune|The New Orleans Advocate , 26 Mar 2020. Nola.com. 3. Sanders CV. Hurricane Katrina and the LSU–New Orleans Department of Medicine: Impact and lessons learned. AJMS . 2006; 332(5): 283-288. Note: This article would not have been possible without the superb and extensive assistance of the editor of the LSU Department of Medicine, Michelle Holt, M.Ed., M.F.A.
The Section of Emergency Medicine has been on the frontline of the COVID crisis in New Orleans since February 2020. Our faculty physicians, residents, fellows, and administrative staff have risen to the challenge. We have remained flexible during these constantly changing times and have learned newways to continue our missions, [from] the delivery of patient care [to] the delivery of academic lectures. Last year, we worked closely with the hospital to find ways to deal with an anticipated crush of patients. We secured and manned tents on our ramp so patients could be screened before entering the hospital. Our faculty physicians manned telemedicine visits so we could screen patients in a safer manner. Our faculty physicians worked with the DHH to set up and staff a hospital at the Convention Center for COVID patients. We worked with the hospital to determine the most efficient use of the PPE that was on hand. We sampled all the testing methods and figured out what worked best for our department. As we learned that this medical crisis would present itself differently than we had anticipated, we adapted. The tents came down, but the telemedicine link remained. We continue to keep abreast of upcoming updates and are prepared for another surge of cases at any time. Academically, we have adapted also. Our conferences, faculty meetings, peer-review meetings, CCC meetings, and journal clubs have been held on Zoom. Usual social events have been done virtually or not at all. Even
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