AAP Voices Blog

I will never forget the day I was asked if I would be willing to be redeployed to work with adult patients when the COVID-19 pandemic came to our community. 

I immediately knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. However, with all the unknowns about the virus at the time, and the fact that I would be willingly walking into rooms occupied by people infected by the virus, I was overwhelmed. 

After graduating from medical school, I completed residency at LSU-New Orleans in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and spent my first two years after residency as a Med-Peds hospitalist at USF in Tampa. I then decided to move back home and focus my career on caring for pediatric patients. I have been working at Ochsner Hospital for Children in New Orleans as a pediatric hospitalist since that time. 

When COVID-19 came and it was clear that adults were being hit the hardest, my department asked for volunteers to work in adult patient units in the area. Knowing that I was one of the few in the pediatric department that was most equipped for this task, I found myself suddenly faced with a difficult decision. 

After a few days of being able to mentally prepare, I was redeployed to work as an internal medicine hospitalist, caring for patients affected by COVID-19. This time was unforgettable, especially experiencing how patients with the virus could decompensate so unexpectedly. 

Despite all the uncertainty, the camaraderie of the medical team was truly inspiring, as was the gratitude displayed by the patients and their families. The support from my pediatric department throughout my time of redeployment was incredible.

Now that I have been able to take some time to reflect, it was obviously the right decision and I am so thankful that I had the skills and knowledge to contribute in caring for these patients and to help their families through the process. 

I am now back on the pediatric side, and we are currently faced with learning about MIS-C and how to identify and manage these affected children. All in all, I am very grateful for my medical training and will continue to help care for people of all ages whenever there is the opportunity. 

Thank you to everyone for all you do for your families, your patients, and your communities!

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*The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the American Academy of Pediatrics.