The following statement is made on behalf of the Chief Medical Officers and Chief Clinical Officers of North Carolina Healthcare Systems and Hospitals identified below.
What would you do to save someone’s life? For most people, it’s an easy answer: at a minimum, you would do anything you could without significantly endangering your own life or the lives of those you hold most dear.
The COVID-19 pandemic is killing thousands of people each day and sickening millions more around the world. It’s a global problem with a huge, local impact. Yet many people are choosing not to take the threat seriously and, in doing so, are endangering not only their own lives but also the lives of our neighbors and families.
As the physician leaders of hospitals and health systems throughout the state of North Carolina, we have seen firsthand our friends and neighbors all too often become our COVID patients. We see the number of cases rising every day. We see the potential for large spikes in cases which will overwhelm some hospitals. We see people dying and wonder how many of them could have lived if more people made different choices about closely following public health guidance.
This pandemic knows no borders. It is impacting our cities and towns and every rural corner of the state. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we urge every resident of and visitor to North Carolina to think about these simple ways we can all protect each other:
- Keep Thanksgiving festivities small; limit the number of guests to make sure everyone can properly keep their distance.
- Hold events outside, keep tables spread out and guests seated with other members of their immediate household.
- Consider getting a COVID-19 test ahead of time, and remember – testing is not foolproof; it is a snapshot in time and you could still be contagious at a later point.
- Avoid large Black Friday crowds in retail stores.
- And always wear a mask over your mouth and nose, except while eating.
We recognize masks are uncomfortable and it’s both frustrating and disappointing not to celebrate this year’s holidays with traditional large gatherings. While we are encouraged that safe and effective vaccines may be coming soon, we know that we are months away from making vaccination widely available. With this in mind, we are asking for your help now. We must decrease the spread of this virus and in doing so save lives – lives of real North Carolinians who will get to celebrate many more holidays to come.
This statement has been submitted by:
Niti S. Armistead, MD, FACP
Chief Medical Officer
Vidant Health
Affiliate Professor, Internal Medicine
Brody School of Medicine at Eastern Carolina University
Andrew Chesson, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Catawba Valley Health System
Todd Davis, MD, MMM
EVP & CMO
CaroMont Health
Chris DeRienzo, MD, MPP
SVP and Chief Medical Officer
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Eric Eskioglu, MD
EVP and Chief Medical Officer
Novant Health
Mickey W. Foster, MHA
Chief Executive Officer
FirstHealth of the Carolinas
Anthony J. Frank, MD MBA CPE
Chief Medical Officer
Carolinas Healthcare System – Blue Ridge
William Hathaway, MD,
Chief Medical Officer
Mission Health
HCA Healthcare NC Division
Teresa Herbert, MD, MPH, FAAP
Chief Medical Officer
AdventHealth Hendersonville
Russell M. Howerton, MD
SVP and Chief Medical Officer
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Shawn Howerton, MD
Chief Executive & Chief Medical Officer
Sampson Regional Medical Center
James Hunter, M.D.
SVP and Chief Medical Officer
Atrium Health
Danielle Mahaffey, MD, MMM
Chief Physician Executive
Appalachian Regional Healthcare System
Ronald May, MD, FAAP, CPE
Chief Medical Officer
CarolinaEast Health System
Joseph Mazzola, DO, CPE, MBA
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Iredell Health System
Rodney McCaskill, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Johnston Health
West Paul, MD
Chief Clinical Officer
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Joseph Roberts, MD
Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Southeastern Health
Joseph G. Rogers, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Duke University Health System
Jonathan Snyder, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital
Dr. Bruce Swords, PhD
Chief Physician Executive
Cone Health
