HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

44 JUL / AUG 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS MEDICAL SOCIETY COLUMN MEDICAL SOCIETY Physicians Reflect on RESOURCES, COLLABORATION, AND UNITY Provided by COVID-19 Weekly Teleconferences FROM MARCH 24 TO MAY 5, Jefferson and Orleans ParishMedical Societies host- ed weekly COVID-19 All-Physician UP- DATE teleconferences. JPMS and OPMS presidents, Tanya Busenlener, MD, and Juan J. Gershanik, MD, invited 23 experts from the Louisiana Department of Health, the New Orleans Health Department, LSU School of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Ochsner Health, and LCMC Health to pro- vide physicians with the most updated in- formation about COVID-19, and an oppor- tunity to ask questions. Through member emails, social media, and word of mouth, the organizations invited physicians from throughout the state to participate. More than 1,000 registered. Many participated in several calls, and others sat in on all seven. “Thanks to the commitment of the citi- zens of our region, and the dedication and sacrifice of front-line healthcare workers, political and healthcare leaders, and the many physicians that participated in these calls, our region has become an example to the world on how to effectively flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Busenlener. “I’m happy we were able to provide this resource for our peers.” “Founded in 1878, OPMS has demon- strated a long history of serving our phy- sician colleagues and the New Orleans community, dating all the way back to the yellow fever epidemic,” said Dr. Gershan- ik. “Our partnership with JPMS expands our reach and allows our organizations to build collaboration with physicians and healthcare leaders to better serve the med- ical needs of a much broader geograph- ic area. I am proud of the impact of our weekly calls on helping our colleagues ef- fectively treat patients while reducing the spread of coronavirus.” With help from moderator Susan D’An- toni, former executive director of OPMS, Dr. Busenlener and Dr. Gershanik hosted all seven of the teleconferences, which av- eraged anywhere from 200 to 400 partic- ipants. “On March 9, a gentlemen residing in