Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Physician Headed to New York City

When Gov. Newsom issued an urgent request for California doctors to travel to New York City and support urgent medical needs there, Dr. Louis Tran answered the call.

Dr. Tran, an emergency room physician with the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, flew to New York yesterday along with 19 other California doctors. He will be working at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where approximately 100 patients are currently intubated on ventilators and in critical condition.

“When the governor sent a request for volunteers, I responded immediately; this is why I became a physician,” said Tran. “I not only get to help care for desperately ill people, but it gives me an incredible, hands-on learning opportunity that will be invaluable back at home in California.”

Dr. Tran noted that he was impressed and humbled by the New York doctors, many of whom have been working extremely long hours, under extraordinarily stressful conditions, for several weeks without a break.

“They have been fantastic sharing information and insights that they’ve gained during this crisis — and that includes being candid about failures. I am so happy to be able to help relieve their burden so that another doctor or nurse can get some much-needed rest,” he said.

Dr. Tran said that approximately 280 medical professionals from around the country, including doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, technicians and others, are currently in New York to assist with the city’s intense medical needs. He is scheduled to treat patients and help where needed for a period of two weeks, after which he will go into quarantine for another two weeks before returning to California.

"One of the great benefits of these doctors going out to the front lines in New York is what they'll bring back, which is a deep understanding and knowledge of what's happening in the most acute point of the crisis in this country,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday.