Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic: The five lessons learned

Author's Biography

Lily Jung Henson , MD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, USA, after having served as Chief Medical Officer there and Chief of Neurology at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Medical Affairs at Swedish Ballard Hospital in Seattle, Washington, USA, after her tenure as the inaugural chief of staff at Swedish Issaquah Hospital. Dr. Henson has been a neurologist with 30 years of practice and focuses on multiple sclerosis. She was an associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington Medical School. Dr. Henson attended the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she obtained her BS and MD degrees. She completed her neurology training at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has a master’s degree in medical management from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a past Regent-at-Large and a 2016 Thomas Dolan Executive Diversity Scholar. Dr. Henson had served on the board of directors of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and was Chair of the Brain PAC of the American Academy of Neurology.

William Watkins , MD, FACEP, is the Chief Medical Officer of Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia. He is a board-certified emergency physician, with over 30 years of bedside emergency medicine care and leadership. Dr Watkins received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Doctor of Medicine from Howard University College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine in Los Angeles at Los Angeles County/ University of Southern California Medical Center and UCLA — Martin Luther King, Jr./Drew Medical Center. He previously served as Emergency Medicine Chairman at Southern Regional Medical Center and Piedmont Henry Hospital. Dr Watkins is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Alpha Omega Alpha, and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Paula Butts , MSN, RN, is the Chief Nursing Officer at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, GA. She has 35 years of nursing experience with a strong background in critical care and leadership. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing from the University of Arkansas and a BSN and MSN from the University of Phoenix. She is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders. Mrs Butts serves on the Board of Hands of Hope, a non-profit clinic serving the underserved and underinsured residents of Henry County. She also serves as an advisory board member for Gordan State School of Nursing and Clayton State School of Nursing Programs.

Walter Williams , PharmD, MBA, is the Director of Pharmacy and Outpatient Infusion Center at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, GA. where he manages pharmacy services, vaccine and monoclonal antibody clinics, and outpatient infusion and oncology infusion services. Earlier he was the Director of Pharmacy at Rockdale Medical Center (now Piedmont Rockdale Hospital) and launched its first antimicrobial stewardship programme. Dr Williams received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia and his Master of Business Administration from Clayton State University. He is a member of the American Pharmacist Association and the Georgia Pharmacist Association and is a graduate of the Georgia Hospital Association Leadership Program.

Kathy Collins , MSN, RN, CCRN, has been a registered nurse for twenty-two years with experience ranging from Critical Care, Nursing Resident Coordinator and Rapid Response. Her current role is the Director of Quality and Safety Integration at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, GA. Prior to this, she was the Manager of a postoperative surgical unit at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the first medical surgical unit to be awarded the designation of the PRISM Award (Premier Recognition in the Specialty of Med-Surg) at Piedmont Healthcare. Ms. Collins is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. She has served the community in many leadership roles. She has been a mentor in the Women’s Leadership Alliance. She serves as the medical lead for the local high school band.