HJNO Sep/Oct 2020

DIALOGUE 12 SEP / OCT 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Editor  Welcome back to Louisiana, and thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Please tell us about yourself, and why you chose the health- care field. Courtney N. Phillips, PhD At its core, health- care is about helping people. That is what drew me to the field, and I have dedicated my entire career to it. After completing my MPA at LSU, and my PhD at Southern University, I spent 12 years working my way from Medicaid manage- ment intern to deputy secretary in the Lou- isiana Department of Health. Serving in a variety of roles gave me both a broad and deep understanding of the work we do, and role we play. I then spent three and a half years in Nebraska, serving as the CEO for their Department of Health and Human Ser- vices. Under my leadership, we created a more transparent and accountable agency. I did the same in Texas, where I most recently served as executive commissioner of Health and Human Services. Under my leadership, Texas HHS developed its inaugural business plan, Blueprint for a Healthy Texas, which served as the agency’s guide to transform into a more efficient, effective, and respon- sive system. Editor  How is this new position different from the one you held in Texas? Phillips Well, as most Louisianans and Tex- ans would agree, they are very different states with distinct, but equally fierce pride. Louisiana and Texas have different cultures, different politics, and their health depart- ments have different structures. While Texas was a meaningful experi- ence, and difficult to leave behind, this role is much more personal for me. The Louisi- ana Department of Health is the place that raisedme and instilled inmemy passion for service. LDH, like Louisiana, is my home, and I want the best for this agency and my home state. I want to contribute to us being the best we can be. Editor What have been some of the biggest challenges since you stepped in? Phillips This is an unprecedented time to join LDH as its secretary. This pandemic has brought so much uncertainty, and it is a difficult time for each of us, both personally and professionally. We have confronted innumerable challenges in the response to this crisis—standing upmassive contact tracing and testing efforts, tackling misinformation, relieving pressure on our healthcare system. It is not just the scope of these challenges, or the speed withwhichwe need to deliver that make them daunting; it is that there literally are lives at stake. Editor  How much has COVID-19 affected LDH and its staff? Phillips  Louisiana is no stranger to a disas- ter, but COVID-19 is no hurricane, and LDH has been on the front lines of this once-in- a-century crisis. The COVID-19 response teamhas worked tirelessly, pulling very late nights and very early mornings since the start of this pan- demic. That means they have been going at this grueling pace since early March. There is a lot we are still learning about this virus, but we do know that no one is immune. In fact, we have documented more than 11,000 cases in children 18 years old and under. Some children may show no symptoms at all, but this does not mean a child cannot spread the virus. This is why we should make sure children are taking the same precautions we are recommending for adults: wearing masks when we go out, practicing good hand hygiene, and staying home when we are sick.