January 11, 2016

Colleagues, 

I want to say thank you to everyone who is continuing to care for patients and keep affected hospitals and clinics running, where possible;attend to critical experiments and care for lab animals, and attempt to keep students progressing in their studies during what feels like an unprecedented patch of inclement weather in the Portland metro area and well beyond.

I am aware that a number of you and our health care colleagues are sleeping on cots in the OHSU Student Center and elsewhere in order to continue prioritizing patient needs. This has already been a very busy period for a number of our patient care areas, including the Department of Emergency Medicine. And the weather has been among factors to slow the opening of the Unity Center this week, which has caused all of you who are involved with psychiatric care to adjust. I want you to know that your efforts are recognized and appreciated. 

Read more about OHSU faculty and staff efforts on the 96,000 Square Miles blog

Thanks also to those of you, including Nicole Lockart in the Dean's Office, who are assisting on our emergency management and operations teams. We are grateful for your efforts.

For colleagues in what is usually viewed as snow country, send advice. For those home with children on yet another snow day, best wishes for continued patience and creativity. And for anyone who wishes, please share your stories of colleagues going above and beyond during this period. Comments can be shared on this InsideSoM blog post (OHSU internal login required) and photos sent to Erin Hoover Barnett, communications director for the OHSU School of Medicine. The team will create a compilation.

Stay safe and please make me aware if there is support you or your team needs.

Dr. John Hunter