Dr. Kortepeter joins PAHO mission to Caribbean
Mark Kortepeter, M.D., professor of epidemiology at UNMC’s College of Public Health, returned on March 21 from a two-week deployment to the Caribbean in support of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts.
Dr. Kortepeter traveled to Barbados first to meet with other PAHO consultants before travelling to the countries of Antigua and Dominica.
He worked with two other PAHO colleagues to advise the ministries of health on the islands on how to prepare. The team visited hospitals, isolation wards and laboratories, and worked with the medical staff on developing quarantine and isolation plans, triage of respiratory illness, and safe configuration of isolation wards. The team also provided training to the medical and nursing staffs on disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, and medical management.
Dr. Kortepeter is no stranger to this type of work, having worked on containment measures while at the U.S. Army’s biodefense lab (the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases – USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and serving as a member of the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC). In 2018-19 he assisted the World Health Organization’s preparedness efforts for Ebola virus in Burundi, in east Africa.
“It is very gratifying to use the skills I have acquired over decades in public health and infectious diseases to assist others in need,” Dr. Kortepeter said. “I worked with a great team with complementary skill sets, and the medical staff and ministries were very appreciative to have our input. Dominica and Antigua recently announced their first cases of COVID-19, so the timing of our visit couldn’t have been better.”
Dr. Kratochvil named to state policy group
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts on March 23 named UNMC’s Chris Kratochvil, M.D., to the state’s Homeland Security Policy Group.
Dr. Kratochvil is the associate vice chancellor for clinical
research at UNMC, the chief medical officer at UNeHealth, and part of the leadership team of the Global Center for Health Security.
Med center sets donation policy
As the COVID-19 situation eveolves, the med center has had many people reaching out to offer donated items such as masks, gloves, sanitizer and so on.
Nebraska Medicine has created a policy on what is being accepted and where/when people can drop items off.
For those wishing to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the med center is accepting the following items:
- New, unopened manufactured N95 and surgical/procedure masks
- Unopened, manufactured hand sanitizing liquid.
The med center is not able to accept opened manufactured products, sewn masks or 3D printed masks.
Items can be delivered to 4230 Leavenworth St., on the north side of the building, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Access to this location is from 42nd Street only.)
College of Nursing supports Food Bank with annual drive
The College of Nursing announced the results of its annual drive to support the Food Bank of the Heartland’s BackPack Program.
The BackPack Program is designed to provide food for hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as during weekends and school vacations.
The college had set a goal of $1,000 for the drive, ultimately raising $1,711.18 — which can provide 428 “backpacks,” bags filled with child-friendly, nonperishable food for children.
Anji Heath, one of the drive’s organizers, thanked supporters.
“Your generosity is deeply appreciated,” she said.
Retirements announced
Joan Dinsmore, a member of the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s Department of Education and Child Development, will retire on May 2 following a more than 45-year career at UNMC. Dinsmore was the longest-tenured of six retirements reported to human resources in February. John Sparks, M.D., former chair of pediatrics, also is set to retire, on April 1, following 12 years as a leader at UNMC.
Other announced retirements included, in order of longevity:
- Veronica McManamon, UNMC College of Dentistry, retired March 3 (start date July 9, 1979)
- Christine Higgins, MMI cytogenetics, retired
- Daniel Moser, IT-Academic Technologies, retired March 1 (start date Dec. 1, 1986)
- Diane Thompson, dentistry, retired March 14 (start date Feb. 20, 1999)