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Stories of Strength

Team Members Reflect on the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was a defining moment in history — one that tested our resilience, reshaped healthcare and brought out the best in our team members. At Our Lady of the Lake Health, frontline caregivers and support teams faced the unimaginable with courage and compassion. Their experiences, challenges and triumphs offer a powerful look into what it meant to serve during a global crisis.

In partnership with the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at Louisiana State University, we’ve gathered firsthand accounts from those who lived it. These voices — nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and hospital leaders — share moments of hardship, hope and humanity. Some stories are told through video, others through audio, but each captures a unique perspective on a time that changed us all.

The COVID-19 Experience at Our Lady of the Lake

To ensure these experiences are preserved for future generations, Our Lady of the Lake Health partnered with LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and LSU Libraries to create Under Pressure: A Louisiana Hospital’s COVID-19 Experience, an oral history project documenting the challenges, innovations and resilience of those on the front lines.

Catherine O’Neal, MD

Catherine O’Neal, MD, former chief medical officer, Our Lady of the Lake, and current chief academic officer, FMOLHS, shares her memories of that time.

Amy Giarrusso, MD, associate medical director for hospital medicine; Steven Gremillion, MD, chief medical officer; Cody Ford, MD, critical care medicine; Adam Ferguson, PA, critical care medicine; and Phillip Allen, MD, head and neck surgeon and vice president of perioperative services, share their memories of that time.

Catherine O'Neal, MD, chief medical officer; Nicole Telhiard, chief nursing officer; Christopher Thomas, MD, chief quality officer, FMOLHS; Lesley Tilley, vice president of regional operations; and Wendy Gaudet, formerly director of pharmacy and vice president of operations, now chief operating officer of Baton Rouge Orthopedic Clinic, share their memories of that time.

Jim Teague, laboratory director; Emily Johnston, PharmD, BCCCP, critical care clinical pharmacist; Christi Pierce, formerly vice president of quality and safety at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and now chief operating officer of Our Lady of Lourdes Health; and Shantelle Graves, senior director of respiratory care, share their memories of that time.

Christopher Thomas, MD, Reflects on COVID-19
Heather Runnels, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Reflects on COVI...
Jason Rogers Reflects on COVID-19
Mark Laperouse, MD, Reflects on COVID-19
Mary Raven, MD, Reflects on COVID-19
Our Lady of the Lake Executives Reflect on COVID-1...
Our Lady of the Lake Nurses Reflect on COVID-19
Mary Raven, MD, Reflects on COVID-19
Ryan Landry Reflects on COVID-19
LSU Medical Researchers Reflect on COVID-19

Christopher Thomas, MD, VP, chief quality officer for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, shares his memories of that time.

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COVID-19 Team Member Stories Submission

All team members are welcome to leave their own stories and memories from the COVID-19 pandemic. Submissions can be either written using the text box or a self-recorded video using the file upload button. All submissions will remain anonymous unless additional consent is given.

Submission Form