HJBR Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE  I  NOV / DEC 2021 61 Stewart T. Gordon, MD, FAAP Chief Medical Officer, Medical Affairs Louisiana Healthcare Connections thing else, would he supply the vaccine. He said yes. However, it would take East Ba- ton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome requesting the Louisiana Department of Health to expedite Car- la’s application to get the vaccines in their hands in only a week. That was in March. Calling her team the “COVID Crusaders,” Nurse Brown — along with fellow crusader Missy Hastings — has used every vial they have been given and vaccinated almost 4,000 people as of Oc- tober. Using her own car, her own resources and the unrelenting strength of her convic- tions, Nurse Brown is that rare person who comes along when we need themmost. She is an inspiring example of how one individ- ual can transform the lives of so many — for the better. n REFERENCES 1 BBC News. “COVID: One dose of vaccine halves transmission – study.” April 28, 2021. https://www. bbc.com/news/health-56904993 A CRUSADER IS BORN A licensed, ordained minister, Carla sought purpose and solace. What began as a mission to simply educate people about the reality and dangers of COVID became one woman’s crusade to vaccinate as many people as possible. Fueled by her grief and her determination to protect others in her community from experiencing her loss, Carla started knocking on doors. As cases were soaring, she told people her story and educated themon the virus and how to pro- tect themselves. As a Black woman in healthcare, Carla saw first-hand how the coronavirus was disproportionately affecting her commu- nity. She knew that many of her neighbors thought either the virus was a hoax or did not trust the medical establishment. She saw a lot of fear but understood how ed- ucation from someone they could trust When Louisiana Healthcare Connections learned of Nurse Carla Brown’s efforts, we pledged to help support her efforts and to amplify her voice in the fight against COVID. On August 16, the health plan unveiled a PSA campaign featuring Nurse Brown and presented her with a $25,000 honorarium. “As a nurse, I knew there was something I could do to help people stay safe from this terrible virus. But I’m just one person. And I can’t vaccinate everyone. That’swhy I’masking for your help.When it comes to healthcare, we are all connected. Andwhen it comes to COVID-19, we are all depending on each other to end this crisis. If you have not been vaccinated, please go today and GET YOUR VACCINE.” might have a positive impact. When the vaccine became available, Carla learned from the elderly shewas caring for that they had problems registering for the injection, lacked basic information due to inadequate internet access, needed transportation or were afraid to get the vaccine. At that point, Carla pledged to intervene. She refused to believe that because people were poor, they didn’t want to live or didn’t deserve a fight- ing chance. Therefore, she went back to her door-to-door campaign to help register the elderly and drive them to their appoint- ments — wishing all along she could give them the vaccine herself … Garnering national media attention, Car- la soon had her wish granted when CBS This Morning’s David Begnaud asked her in a live interview what she needed. Turning to Paul Bordelon of Bordelon’s Pharmacy, Carla asked him if she took care of every- A POWERFUL MESSAGE