Michael Y. Lin MD

2023 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

During the time of COVID-19, Michael Lin, MD, was the interim director of the Division of Hospital Medicine, leading the division masterfully in ways that greatly impacted COVID-19 patient care and education. At the outset of the pandemic, amid many unknowns, he played a key leadership role in developing a hospitalist-based care model, which protected the most vulnerable medical students, residents, fellows, senior faculty and those with health comorbidities. Under this model, hospitalists provided the vast majority of direct COVID-19 care, working many extra shifts to expand service during multiple surges. Ultimately, they cared for more hospitalized COVID patients than any other physician group in the St. Louis area. They also provided ongoing education and consult services to medical colleagues. Of particular note: Under his leadership, Han Li, MD, developed a COVID Hospitalist Manual for patient evaluation and management, which became the key resource to guide care at our medical center and beyond. Lin and his team also developed educational programs for residents and educational programs, policies and procedures for medical students to be engaged in COVID-19 care, as appropriate. A consummate leader, he was calm, proactive and always thinking about how to put patients first and to ensure his team had everything required to provide safe, effective care. In the beginning of the pandemic, when there was very limited personal protective equipment (PPE), Lin personally went to stores across the region to buy protective eyewear and PPE for his faculty members. His leadership is among the biggest reasons for the department and the hospital’s success during the pandemic.