U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse hosted Philip Smith, M.D., medical director of the Nebraska Medicine Biocontainment Unit, as his guest at Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address. Dr. Smith, a professor of internal medicine-infectious diseases at UNMC, leads the specialized Nebraska team that treated three Ebola patients last year.
“By risking their lives for strangers, Nebraska’s biocontainment team inspired us to service above ourselves,” said Sen. Sasse. “The courage, precision, and hard work of these doctors, nurses, and medical professionals saved lives, educated health providers, and calmed public fears. Nebraskans are tremendously grateful for Dr. Smith’s team, and it is an honor to welcome him to Washington as a representative of Nebraska Medicine and UNMC’s dedicated staff.”
“I am deeply honored to have been invited by Sen. Sasse to attend the State of the Union Address. This is a tribute to all of our dedicated and skilled staff who make it possible for us to care for Ebola patients at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit,” Dr. Smith said.
Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Patient Care ‎Unit is the largest in the country and one of just three facilities in the United States equipped and trained to handle Ebola patients. Between September and November of last year, the world-class Biocontainment Unit successfully treated Dr. Rick Sacra and freelance journalist Ashoka Mukpo.
Nebraska Medicine and UNMC have established the gold standard in treatment of Ebola, Sen. Sasse said. Since the fight against Ebola began, the Biocontainment Unit staff has trained the staffs of more than 40 hospitals across the United States in how to safely handle and treat Ebola patients.