VCOM 2020 Annual Report

ALUMNI BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19

Training Put into Action

Raymond Pate, DO Class of 2010, VCOM-Virginia, Family Medicine, St. Elizabeth Physicians Urgent Care, Covington, KY

I am thankful for the education I received at VCOM. The training received from medical school and residency prepared me for two years of critical access care in emergency medicine, which in turn has allowed me to practice with great confidence and leadership. I am forever grateful for the training I received and pray that we all get through this crisis healthy as we serve our communities. As I write this, I am in quarantine awaiting my COVID-19 test, hoping it will return negative. God bless.”

I work in urgent care in northern Kentucky. We currently have two

respiratory clinic tents that are set up to treat anyone with respiratory illness.

We are testing for COVID-19, influenza, strep and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) when

appropriate. We have been serving the community in the tents now for about two weeks, and the process has gone well. There, of course, have been challenges and daily changes throughout our healthcare system. We currently have all the PPE equipment necessary to keep our staff and us safe. The use of the outdoor tents with the drive-up testing assessments has worked well and provides the safest environment for the patients and us.

[ Note: Dr. Pate’s test results came back negative.]

The Front Lines of Mental Health

Elizabeth Williams Barnhardt, DO Class of 2016, VCOM-Carolinas, Pediatrics Fellowship, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

I have felt guilty that I am not on the front lines battling COVID-19 up close

and personal like many of my hospital-based colleagues. I am seeing patients exclusively via Telehealth, and it has been extremely rewarding. The children and families that I work with are hurting—children are struggling with the changes in their routines and many parents are being asked to educate, parent and care for their children who may have severe behavioral and/or academic challenges. I urge everyone to also remember that not only is COVID-19 a threat to the physical health of our nation, it is also a threat to the mental

health and overall emotional well- being of our patients. I am so thankful that my education from VCOM included a strong emphasis on humanism and helped me develop a holistic approach to caring for my patients—this approach is now more important than ever!”

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