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From left, Angela Hewlett, M.D., Phil Smith, M.D., Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. |
World-class care.
That’s the verdict of President Barack Obama while discussing the treatment received by Richard Sacra, M.D., at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit.
President Obama was speaking Wednesday at an event to recognize the U.S. response to the Ebola crisis. He mentioned Dr. Sacra, “who received world-class care at Nebraska Medical Center.”
The event highlighted how the U.S. government has worked with other governments, international organizations, private sector leaders and non-government partners to support a focused response to the virus.
See the president speaking here.
UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., Phil Smith, M.D., medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center, and the unit’s associate medical director, Angela Hewlett, M.D., attended the event.
“It is both humbling and gratifying to be praised by President Obama for the level of our care in the face of this crisis,” Dr. Gold said. “This is a compliment for the dedicated health care professionals of our Biocontainment Unit, but also for the professionals of Nebraska Medicine and UNMC as a whole. We also should see it as a challenge to maintain our national and international leadership position in the worldwide fight against Ebola and other highly infectious agents as we continue our global educational efforts and regional preparedness.”
UNMC/Nebraska Medicine has one of three biocontainment units in the nation that have treated Ebola patients. Having drilled for countless hours since the unit opened in 2005, the Nebraska biocontainment team was uniquely qualified to answer the call. The original team was soon joined by other experts on campus.
Congratulations. This is just confirmation of the level of teamwork that Nebraska Medicine and UNMC represents.