Dear faculty, staff and students,
I want you to know that the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and University of Miami Health System are closely following all Ebola-related developments, both in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Our infection-control experts are receiving new information on a daily basis, and we are updating our Ebola Preparedness Manual as necessary.
Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, we are providing Ebola-specific education and training to all healthcare workers with direct patient contact.
In addition, we are in regular contact with leadership at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center to carefully align our preparedness, and that of our affiliated centers and clinics, wherever possible.
As Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System, and I wrote in an op-ed article in the Miami Herald on October 9, we are ready.
You may wonder if there is anything you can do to protect yourself and others. I offer three suggestions:
- Don’t travel to countries in West Africa affected by the Ebola virus, for academic or personal reasons, unless it is absolutely unavoidable. A list of those countries can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- Wash your hands, often. No personal habit helps prevent the spread of any communicable disease better than hand washing.
- Get a flu shot. Ebola training is a precaution, but the flu is a certainty, and it kills at least 3,000 Americans every year.
Thank you for your attention, and remember: A healthy “U” begins with you.
