UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, was joined by a handful of special guests Tuesday, May 12, at his monthly all-campus forum.
Angela Hewlett, MD, medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, George W. Orr MD and Linda Orr Chair in Health Security and infectious diseases physician-scientist, and Michael Wadman, MD, Muelleman Chair of Emergency Medicine at UNMC and medical director of the National Quarantine Unit, updated the UNMC community on the 16 Americans repatriated to UNMC and Nebraska Medicine from a cruise ship associated with a hantavirus outbreak. This has once again put the medical center in the national spotlight.
“This has been an incredible coordination effort with so many people involved at the federal, state and local level,” Dr. Davies said. “I cannot thank our faculty, staff and clinical teams enough. The whole country is looking at us and watching what we are doing.”
Dr. Wadman reported that guests at the National Quarantine Unit, who arrived early Monday, take part in a daily Zoom town hall to keep informed, stay on the same page and share a sense of community while under observation.
While there is yet no sign the 15 guests in the quarantine unit are infected with hantavirus, Dr. Wadman said, having them on campus is safe for the community. “The facility is state-of-the-art,” he said, with protections in place to prevent any pathogens from escaping. The highly trained team’s policies and procedures also offer additional guardrails to protect the health of the public.
Dr. Hewlett said the ability of the Nebraska Public Health Lab, a cooperative partnership among UNMC, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Nebraska Medicine, to bring hantavirus testing in-house has been a gamechanger.
“We’re so grateful to have the support of our institution. We definitely couldn’t do this work without all of you,” Dr. Hewlett said.
Dr. Davies also was joined by incoming UNMC Student Senate president, Allie Daro, M4, and vice president Alex Martinez, P3. The student leaders cited the new residence hall, parking, communication and campus culture as priorities for the upcoming year.
In addition, the chancellor’s forum hosted the presentation of the inaugural UNMC Staff Advisory Council awards.
Jacqueline Hankins-Berry, community engagement administrative associate with the Munroe-Meyer Institute, was presented the first Above and Beyond Award. This honor recognizes a staff member who consistently exceeds expectations, demonstrates exceptional initiative and makes a significant positive impact beyond their regular job duties.
Maria Ball, communications specialist with the department of internal medicine, won the first Staff Excellence Award. This award recognizes a staff member who demonstrates sustained excellence, leadership and dedication in their role while positively impacting colleagues, students, patients or the broader UNMC community.
See this UNMC Today article for more information on the awards.
Dr. Davies and Linda Cunningham, assistant vice chancellor and director of human resources, addressed “a very difficult decision” to close the UNMC Child Development Center daycare after more than 30 years, citing a combination of operational and financial challenges.