Em Pulse

As we watched the novel coronavirus spread through China and Italy, we knew it was just a matter of time before a wave of illness hit the US. The surge struck early in New York and New Orleans, threatening to overwhelm health care resources, including PPE, ventilators, ICU beds, and hospital staff. We hear from Dr. Leslie Palmerlee, an emergency physician in New Orleans, about her experience there. Then we go in depth with Dr. Alfredo Astua, a critical care physician at one of New York’s hardest hit hospitals. We explore how they prepared for and managed the COVID-19 surge, how it affected every level of the health care system, and what they learned along the way. Has your hospital experienced a COVID surge? How did you handle it, or how are you preparing for a potential surge? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com. And stay tuned for Part 2, when we’ll talk practical preparedness strategies from EMS, administration, and ED operatio