HJNO Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2020 43 Mendy Richard Deputy Secretary Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health Who among us in public health would have imagined anyone outside the health- care sector would become fluent in terms like PCR, PPE, testing turnaround times, and flattening the curve? The public has learned the importance of personal protec- tion, proper test collection, and that differ- ent tests can give you different information about a disease process. Before this pandem- ic, who could have predicted anyone would know, or even care, about what happens in a laboratory? Laboratory scientists are often invisible to the patient. Most people never see what happens in a laboratory because laborato- ries are full of biohazardous materials, so it is not a place where tours are typically pro- vided. The people who work in labs are like the people behind the curtains who make all the special effects, costuming, and musical magic happen during a theater production. Their work is rarely seen, and almost never questioned, because they are just so good at getting the job done timely and accurately. The saying “no news is good news” certain- ly applies to laboratory processes, but now the curtains have been pulled back, and these public health heroes are having a turn at the tap dance. That curtain has probably been pulled back forever. Louisiana’s testing capacity for COVID-19, which, as of this writing, has allowed us to conduct a stunning 1.5 million tests, came about mostly behind the scenes through the work of an unprecedented multi-dis- cipline team. In order for this to occur, the laboratories across our state have been working in sync to ensure their efforts are complimentary. Another silver lining in this strange era of COVID-19 testing, has been the collaboration and cooperation result- ing from a complex network of healthcare workers. It has led to one of our state’s big- ger successes—making testing accessible to all residents. Our public health infrastruc- ture has been working hand in hand with our emergency preparedness partners, advised and supported by a network of laboratories across the state. Private and public labs have shared expertise, supplies, couriers, and staff, as well as the encouragement needed to get such a big job done. Early in the response, Louisiana formed a group known as the Testing Action Col- laborative, or the TAC. This group includes health care leaders, professional organiza- tion leaders, state Office of Public Health em- ployees, academics, and a diverse contingent of private sector representatives (especially those representing labs), who work togeth- er to ensure testing can flourish in Louisi- ana. The TAC relies heavily on networking, relationship-building, and information-shar- ing skills that has made us more informed, more agile, and more able to tend daily fires. The group’s diverse structure also allowed us to work collaboratively toward solutions to larger problems. When the worst of the pandemic passes, I firmly believe the TAC will be well-suited to solve other health problems in the state us- ing our newly acquired knowledge of how to break down silos and innovate on incredibly tight time frames. We have shared resourc- es, guidance, and field experience to ensure we all have the benefit of knowledge devel- oping around us daily. Lab industry partners have worked tirelessly to support the front- line healthcare workers. Healthcare workers are saving lives, and comforting those struggling to survive the virus, and the families of those who have lost their battle with COVID-19. The staff taking care of the most vulnerable of our community are being supported through testing in nursing homes and other settings where many people live together and have increased risk of transmission of this terrible virus. The lab work churns on, day in and day out, as fast as they can operate, to return re- sults to provide these healthcare heroes the information they need to care for people. Like masks and social distancing, getting tested has become a part of everyday life. For some, these inexpensive and easy-to-im- plement behaviors have become a lifeline that allows the lab and frontline caregivers to avoid getting sick themselves, which al- lows them to keep performing the pressing work of responding to testing. Wearing the special N-95 masks for ultimate protection from sample aerosols, has led to a new lab term: the “face break,”which is to let the cir- culation return to your face. These heroes are without complaint as the lab work continues, day after day. One of my responsibilities in the Office of Public Health is oversight of the Office of Public Health laboratory. I always knew we had a very capable staff, a great history of high-performance standards, and dedicat- ed, dependable professionals. I am not sure I knew to what standard of excellence these unsung heroes would rise to. I am truly in awe of them, and privileged to work beside them daily. They have challenged me to solve problems I never imagined we would have to solve in a lab operation. Their creativity has been inspirational, but we have so much left to solve and improve.