Louisiana, as many people know, has been hit hard by COVID-19. To this date there have been 28,001 cases and 1,862 deaths in the state. My role at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is the Chief of Podiatry in the Department of Surgery. I started in 2017 and was the interim assistant chief of surgery for almost a year. During this time, I had the opportunity to develop some administrative skills as well as lead our podiatry department. These skills have helped me in this time of COVID-19 to use skill sets that we normally do not use in clinic.
The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is a relatively new hospital and has done a tremendous job adapting to the changing needs and demands of COVID-19. We were quick to develop an external area, called the respiratory infection fast track, or RIFT, for Veterans to get tested for COVID-19 as well as the flu.
The goal of the RIFT is to screen patients prior to them entering the ED so that the patients who just needed to be tested and were not needing admission were able to get tested. The RIFT is staffed by providers from our medical center. Patients check in, get evaluated by nurses, and are sent to be seen by a provider. My role in the RIFT was that of the first provider who meets the patient and determines whether the patient needs a COVID-19 test and whether they need to be seen by an ER doctor or can be sent home with instructions for self-care. It meant a great deal to be able to reassure patients when they did not need treatment, and to provide treatment for those who did need it.
Both the hospital and surgery administration have been able to act on their feet and adjust to the changing times. We have had all the supplies and protective equipment that we have needed, due in large part to these people. I feel very fortunate to work for such a great system that has such a great mission: to fulfill President Lincoln's promise, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
