Reprinted from the Fall 2020 Issue of The Ohio Family Physician
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) is proud of all of its members and thankful for the selfless work done by family physicians on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to highlight a few OAFP members whose unique experiences during the pandemic have received recognition on the state and national levels. We are honored to share their stories.
Laurie Hommema, MD, of Columbus, OH
“On April 13, the Pentagon announced a $415 million contract1 to commission 60 decontamination systems that would allow millions of N95 face masks to be reused by the U.S. health care workforce.
This system, which processes up to 80,000 masks per day, was called a “game changer” for those on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as severe personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages existed in the early months of the outbreak.
This system originated from the minds of Columbus residents Laurie Hommema, MD, family physician and medical director of provider and associate well-being at OhioHealth, and her husband Kevin Hommema, an engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), a non-profit research organization.”
Read the full story in the winter issue of The Ohio Family Physician.
Mary Krebs, MD, FAAFP, of Xenia, OH
“Not long after the first cases of COVID-19 hit Ohio in early March, Dr. Krebs, along with two dozen other physicians and nurse practitioners in her community health center, found themselves managing an influx of patient telehealth calls and screenings from home. She recalled that over one weekend, she alone handled more than 150 patient calls.
What Dr. Krebs’ telehealth patients didn’t know was that she had already diagnosed herself with COVID-19. She experienced a fever, shortness of breath, and a dry cough after exposure to a patient who had tested positive.”
Read the full story in the winter issue of The Ohio Family Physician.
Brian Ghiloni, MD, of New Albany, OH
“The 2020 Arnold Sports Festival (Arnold) was held March 5-8 in Columbus, OH, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January, the Mount Carmel Health System (Mount Carmel) was named the Arnold’s official medical partner, charged with providing mat-side medical care for over 22,000 athletes participating in over 85 events, from more than 80 nations. Ohio Academy of Family Physicians’ Central Region Director and Mount Carmel Medical Director Brian Ghiloni, MD, led medical protocols for Mount Carmel.”
Read the full story in the winter issue of The Ohio Family Physician.
References available on the OAFP website.