Ada Mayor Leaned on his Medical Training in Navigating the Pandemic

Like most Oklahoma mayors, the coronavirus pandemic presented Ada Mayor Tre’ Landrum with a challenge unlike anything he had ever experienced. But his training as a medical doctor also provided him with a unique perspective that he leaned on when making decisions about how his city would respond to the deadly virus.

“This is a health crisis, but it is also hurting our economy and our (city) budget,” Landrum said. “I also own my own business, so I understand the challenge that presents to small business owners.

“There is just so much involved in this.”

After graduating from medical school in Philadelphia, Landrum had plenty of options on where to put down roots. But raised in southeast Oklahoma with family there before statehood, Landrum felt a tug to go back home and opened his own practice in Ada in 2012.

Called Landrum ENT, his practice specializes in ear, nose and throat services.

“Ada is home and it allows me to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t be able to do in a larger municipality, such as open my own medical practice,” Landrum said. 

While in medical school, Landrum joked he was “just a small town redneck guy” and he actually had a friend predict that upon returning home he would be elected mayor in two years. 

“He was wrong, it took me four years,” Landrum said. 

Landrum said his entry into politics came after being a resident who consistently approached city leaders with solutions to problems. He quickly became seen as an “idea man” and was asked to run for city council. 

After two years on the council he was elected mayor with a 5-0 vote from his fellow council members.  

Landrum said there are always challenges facing a mayor but the spread of COVID-19 was unlike anything he had seen during his tenure. As a medical doctor Landrum would get questions from city officials and residents about the coronavirus but he didn’t initially feel like he had great authority to speak about an infectious disease. 

“I kept wanting to say I pick noses for a living, I'm not an epidemiologist,” Landrum joked. “But at the same time I would be talking to people and realize I had some helpful knowledge.”

Landrum had friends he studied with in medical school who had an expertise on infectious diseases and he made regular calls to get their advice. When he spoke with local emergency responders Landrum also found he spoke the same language that helped him communicate better with those on the frontlines. 

In April, the city council ordered residents to wear masks in public if social distancing couldn’t be maintained. The council also recommended that people shelter in place if they do not work at a critical infrastructure job or need to run an essential errand. 

While Landrum said his medical training influenced his decisions as a mayor he also understood the plight of business owners who were worried how restrictions and closures would impact the bottomline. 

“People would share their concerns with me but I would be able to tell them I’m in that same situation too because I own my medical practice,” Landrum said. “There was nothing that I required from any business that I wasn’t already doing in my office.”

When masks were required in Ada Landrum had already been requiring them in his own office. 

Like many others, Landrum was worried about the impact on the economy and the city’s sales tax revenue. But as a doctor he also understood that the best thing for the local economy was to take the coronavirus seriously in an effort to eradicate it as soon as possible. 

Landrum never felt like he had to balance his perspective as a business owner with his perspective as a medical doctor. 

“I understood that what was good for one is really good for the other,” Landrum said. 

Landrum received some citizen complaints but always responded that he understood their concerns. 

“I remember after one meeting we had a lot of people who came up and were really upset with us and I was able to go ‘I get it, I really do,’” Landrum said. 

Cities across the state began reopening last month, but a recent spike in coronavirus cases has officials considering new restrictions. 

Landrum said he continues to watch local case numbers closely and is relying on his medical community for advice. 

“The big question for a while is going to be are we going to have another big peak, do we need to start shutting down things again?” Landrum said. “I’m watching the numbers and I’ve got several friends from medical school that I have been in contact with regularly.” 

But Landrum said he will also continue to view the situation through the eyes of a business owner and a steward of city finances. 

“On the flip side I am looking at whether we need to alter our budget,” Landrum said. This has been a massive budget crunch and so far we seem to be doing okay but what we are really watching is if the hammer is going to really fall.”

Even after the city makes requirements and recommendations on how businesses are to act during the pandemic, Landrum said a major part of his job is communicating the orders to the public because they can be confusing. 

One of Landrum’s favorite restaurants serves peanuts at each table and allows the shells to be tossed on the ground. When restaurants were allowed to reopen under some restrictions, Landrum found the floor of his favorite restaurant completely clean and no peanuts were on the table. 

“I asked and they said we are sorry the mayor passed a law saying we couldn’t do peanuts anymore,” Landrum recalled. “I went, ‘No, that is actually not true, I’m the mayor and I can assure you that the ordinance I signed had nothing to do with peanuts on the ground.’

“Part of this job is helping people understand the orders that are in place and that can take effort because it’s not always easy to understand.”