Sidelined by restrictions on elective surgeries in his practice, Dr. Baule, 55, of UNC Neurosurgery in Rocky Mount, N.C., returned to Queens, N.Y.-based Elmhurst Hospital, where he began his career 28 years ago.
For two weeks, Dr. Baule assisted hospital staff. Rotating between day and night shifts, he worked 12-hour periods, three days on.
Elmhurst Hospital typically has three ICUs, but has transitioned several units into makeshift ICUs to deal with the surge in coronavirus patients. The hospital’s mortality rate is very high, according to Dr. Baule.
He was tested for COVID-19 and stayed in Raleigh, N.C. When the results came back negative, he returned home to his family.
Dr. Baule is glad that he could support front-line workers, who “are the real heroes,” he told The News & Observer. “Those people don’t get to go home. They are there for the duration.”
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