The Pandemic, Vermont Medicine Magazine, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Alumni Face the COVID-19 Pandemic

In towns and cities large and small across the country, alumni have been at the front lines of treating patients suffering from COVID-19. They’ve also been heading up public health efforts, leading major health organizations through uncertainty, and rethinking how they practice medicine to meet the needs of patients at this unprecedented time.

Flagstaff, Ariz.

“The healthcare providers here have had to work with a severe lack of PPE. NAVMC has created a paradigm shift, helping the hospitals on the Navajo and Hopi Nations move from disposable gowns to reusable cloth gowns...The response has been one of great praise and thanks.”

- John "Bull" Durham, M.D.'85, orthopaedic surgeon for the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation and founder of the Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corps (NAVMC)

Los Angeles, Calif.

“I was on the family medicine inpatient service in the hospital when COVID-19 started becoming a very real concern. I then transitioned to working in the county ED of one of the large Los Angeles Department of Public Health safety net hospitals...I also helped to mobilize 20 different 3D printers through the Los Angeles Public Library system to help print and distribute face shields where needed.” Read more on the blog.

- Michael Ohkura, M.D.'18, third-year family medicine resident at UCLA

Los Angeles, Calif.

“Imbasciani, secretary of California’s Department of Veterans Affairs, and his staff are responsible for keeping the novel coronavirus away from the state’s eight veterans homes. California’s defenses are holding. The explanation, many say, lies in CalVet’s intense preparation, quick response, attention to hygiene and leadership, starting with Imbasciani, a physician and retired colonel who not too many years ago could have been discharged from the military because he is gay.” Read the news story.

– From a Los Angeles Times story highlighting Vito Imbasciani, M.D.'85

Chatham, N.J.

“A lot of the support that I am providing for my patients is in the form of psycho-education, specifically about resilience. We are in uncharted territories. So stick with the basics of life because the basics right now are more important than ever. Have a regular schedule: don’t go to bed too late. Wake up at a reasonable hour. Eat three meals a day. Get dressed every day. These are the small things that make a huge difference. There is a lot of work happening with both the kids and their parents.”

- Seth Dorsky, M.D.'10, child and adolescent psychiatrist in Chatham, N.J.

Burlington, Vt.

“The whole world has changed in a few short weeks; both personal life and work life have taken on a completely different feel. What used to be rote, normal, hectic, and routine has become apprehensive and earnest, but also, to a certain extent, calm and serene. The pace of life has slowed, and the focus has narrowed. It is easy to forget that there is more to life and clinical practice than COVID-19.” Read more on the blog.

– Katie Dolbec, M.D.'10, emergency medicine physician at UVM Medical Center and assistant professor at the Larner College of Medicine

Libertyville, Ill.

“I introduced myself. ‘I’m Dr. Akbarnia, Mr. C. I was the last person you saw in the ER. You told me you trusted us to get you to this side. Looks like you did just fine.’ He started to cry. He said, ‘I remember your eyes.’ And I started to cry. What he didn’t know is that, at that moment, I realized that we do what we do exactly for people like him, for moments like these. His strength, his kindness, his calming words to me meant everything.” Read her full Facebook post.

- Halleh Akbarnia, M.D.'98, speaking about her experiences with a COVID-19 patient as an emergency medicine physician at Advocate Condell Medical Center

New York City

“It’s been heart breaking, having to call families in the middle of the night to share unthinkable news, knowing they are unable to see their loved ones one last time due to visitation restrictions.” Read more on the blog.

– Hyunsoo No, M.D.'19, completing a preliminary medicine rotation at Flushing Hospital Medical Center prior to radiation oncology residency at Stanform

Wilmington, Del.

“I feel fortunate to be able to serve communities in need. I’m also grateful to work with exceptional people, many of whom work tirelessly behind the scenes and often don’t get the credit they deserve.” Read more in a news story.

- Omar Khan, M.D.'03, president and CEO of Delaware Health Sciences Alliance

Portland, Maine

“Practicing as one of four pediatric pulmonologists for the entire state of Maine, and we also serve part of New Hampshire, I think telehealth is a potentially phenomenal tool. We stand to learn a lot about how to reach more families and provide care in real time for our patients in Caribou, which is right on the Canadian border, all the way down to Portsmouth, N.H.”

– Anne Coates, M.D.'07, pediatric pulmonologist at Maine Medical Center

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