Mary Ann Edens, MD, FACEP

Mary Ann Edens, MD, FACEP, EM residency director at Louisiana Health Shreveport, had just moved to Shreveport when a nurse invited her to attend a Krewe meeting. She was instantly hooked, drawn to the Krewe’s charitable work and how Mardi Gras “brings a sense of pride to the community.” A member of the Krewe of Gemini since 2011, last year she served as captain, spending two years planning the year’s programming, including overseeing fundraising, budgeting, picking the theme “Gemini’s World Adventure,” helping to design the costumes and floats, and planning the Grand Bal. Dr. Edens says the Krewe’s time commitment is significant but worth it. “[Emergency physicians] deal with the struggles of life and death every day. … But Mardi Gras gives everyone hope—hope for something better that is coming around the bend. Couldn’t think of a better stress reliever than that!”

Michael D. Smith, MD, MBA, CPE, FACEP

Michael D. Smith, MD, MBA, CPE, FACEP, director of the Ochsner Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center in New Orleans, spends his time at work “taking care of the people who have had too much Mardi Gras,” he jokes. But in his off time, he gets to be part of the fun. Dr. Smith and his wife joined the Krewe of King Arthur last year after she had previously been part of the all-female Mystic Krewe of Nyx. He says the Carnival season, which starts in early January, “envelops the whole area. Kids get off school for the last week of Carnival, and you plan your days and nights around the multiple parades per day.” Now it’s a family affair for the Smiths, whose 11-year-old twin daughters were on the Krewe of King Arthur Royal Court during its 2020 ball in January.

Angela Cornelius, MD, FACEP

Angela Cornelius, MD, FACEP, watched her fellow FACEP in the Crowd, Dr. Edens, participate in Krewe of Gemini for several years and knew she had to get involved after riding in her first Mardi Gras parade. “The people were so fun, and their love for Mardi Gras is absolutely contagious!” When she realized the Krewe was a community service organization, she loved the idea of making new friends while giving back to her community. “It’s hard to meet those who are outside the hospital. This has given me the opportunity to get to know people from the community who I would have never had a chance to meet.” She uses the organizational and multitasking skills she has developed in the emergency department to plan her Krewe’s annual Grand Bal, attended by more than 1,000 revelers.