On Aug. 4, Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Jim Linder, MD, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, sent the following message to the medical center community:
Over the last month, we have seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among you. We all must do our part to reverse this trend.
This increase corresponds in time to the expansion of various social gatherings and subsequent increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the metro Omaha area. Most of the recent infections among our faculty, staff and trainees have been the result of exposures in the community, not at work. A number of these exposures appear to have occurred in settings with lax approaches to social distancing and use of masks. Thankfully, each of the infected individuals is recovering.
If this trend continues or worsens, it will put our ability to carry out our clinical, educational and research missions at risk.
As health professionals, we must be aware of the risk of acquiring COVID-19 through social gatherings outside of the medical center. We must treat this risk as seriously as we do while at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine facilities.
The significant potential in Omaha for asymptomatic infection and ability to spread the virus to others, particularly among individuals in younger age groups, is increasing and cannot be ignored. For the benefit of our patients, as well as everyone in the UNMC/Nebraska Medicine community, please exercise the same caution and use of masks and social distancing to prevent COVID-19 while away from UNMC and Nebraska Medicine as you do while here.
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor, UNMC and UNO
James Linder, M.D.
CEO, Nebraska Medicine