Dec. 1, 2014: Thank You for Your Commitment to Ebola Preparedness

Dear Colleagues,

The past two months have been full of unprecedented activities and preparations across the Johns Hopkins enterprise. 

Even before two health care workers contracted Ebola virus disease in the U.S. while caring for a patient who ultimately died from it, we quickly recognized that because of our proximity to airports and our clinical expertise, particularly in infectious diseases, Johns Hopkins Medicine could see or be tapped to care for a patient with Ebola. Since late summer/early fall, we began to ensure that we were ready for that possibility. Today, we can say with confidence that we are better prepared to screen, detect and safely isolate a patient with an emerging infectious disease, including Ebola. And we have you to thank for that.

Despite the fear and anxiety around this virus, you bravely stepped up to the challenge. Staff members across Johns Hopkins Medicine have been diligently training, assuring cases are identified and developing processes to provide peace of mind, even when information and protocols continued to evolve. 

Whether you absorbed additional responsibilities so other team members could focus on Ebola preparations or you started working on Ebola preparedness yourself, we are and continue to be impressed by your contributions to our patients, your hard work and your dedication. You asked all the right questions and identified issues while making sure we addressed your concerns.

Your commitment to providing exceptional care to ensure the health of the people and communities we serve is obvious. Thanks to your individual and collective efforts, we can safely implement strategies to identify and care for patients considered at risk of Ebola, should that time come.

We also want to offer special acknowledgment for the great teamwork from the Johns Hopkins Ebola Working Group, the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, and the Johns Hopkins Office of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention.

As we head into the holiday season, please accept our sincere appreciation for being part of the great Johns Hopkins family.

Sincerely,

Paul B. Rothman, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine