David Langer, MD: Answering the Call for COVID-19

“It's great to see the Army doctors, the military physicians; the culture is great. It's just so surreal.”

Much like how the disease COVID-19 doesn't discriminate against who is at risk for infection, health care providers across all specialties are answering the call to help care for patients affected by the novel coronavirus. David Langer, MD, chair of the department of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, is one of them. While Langer admits its been upwards of 20 years since he completed residency where he was exposed to pulmonary critical care, he recently joined the ranks of thousands of providers who have stepped away from their day to day clinical posts to lend a much needed hand in COVID-19 units.

Langer, who is also vice president of neurosurgery for Northwell Health Western Region and professor of neurosurgery and radiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, is currently stationed at the Javits Center in New York City, where officials have erected a temporary hospital in a matter of days to address the rising number of COVID-19 cases inundating the city.

While the circumstances are bleak, Langer hopes to make a positive impact by supporting other providers and helping to better facilitate communication between patients and their families.

In an interview with NeurologyLive, Langer described his decision to utilize his skill set as best he could in the fight against COVID-19.