UMMS COVID-19 Incident Commander Comments On Governor Hogan’s Pandemic Announcement

“The actions announced today by Governor Hogan are a recognition of what hospitals across the state are experiencing and will likely become more significant during the winter months,” said David Marcozzi, MD, COVID-19 Incident Commander for UMMS, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Senior Vice President/Chief Clinical Officer at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“At our 12 University of Maryland Medical System hospitals, we have experienced a 187 percent increase in COVID-positive patients during the past four weeks and are only beginning to feel the impact of the Omicron variant.”

“For patients, this surge means longer waiting times right now in emergency departments as we focus on caring for the sickest patients first. Potential additional impacts may include reductions in non-emergent surgical care, busier inpatient units, changes to visitation in hospitals and patient transfers across the state to facilities where beds are available.”

‘The best way Marylanders can support the state’s health care system during this surge is by getting vaccinated, ensuring they receive a third dose, and by following other guidance including masking, social distancing and frequent testing.”

For more information on COVID-19, the vaccines and the System’s response, visit https://www.umms.org/coronavirus.

About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

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