In letter, Athens doctors urging all eligible persons to get vaccinated against COVID-19
As Athens-area doctors, we want you to know we are still very concerned about COVID-19 and its effects here in the Athens area. Today, we are asking all eligible persons in our community to get the vaccine.
Why are we reaching out to you now? We are concerned we are not out of the woods yet.
The fourth surge has been in many ways the worst. The patients being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 right now are overwhelmingly unvaccinated. They are also younger than many of the COVID patients we cared for a year ago. The patients we are seeing now are getting sicker more quickly, requiring the help of ventilators to breathe and longer ICU stays.
The delta variant surge is outpacing our highest peak a year ago, and hospitals across the state are reaching capacity and that includes the hospitals in Athens.
The recent surge is straining Georgia’s health resources, including nurses, respiratory therapists and patient care technicians. It is also placing a big strain on supplies, such as ventilation equipment and medications.
Please know that we think this is largely preventable with the use of the vaccine. Of the COVID patients in our health system, approximately 95 percent are not vaccinated and nearly all of those who pass away are also unvaccinated.
No matter how hard we fight to save each patient who needs our care, regardless of vaccination status, what’s clear is that those who are vaccinated respond better to the treatments we have available. And most who are vaccinated and have a breakthrough case, in fact, don’t need our care at all because they simply don’t experience severe illness — a testament to the effectiveness of vaccines.
If you have worried about whether the vaccine is safe, we are here to assure you that it is. Every single doctor signing this letter has taken the vaccine and believes they are safe; and so have our families and loved ones.
Please, get vaccinated. Stay out of the hospital with COVID. Stand with others in helping us move forward. Let’s do our best to reduce the chance of another COVID surge like this one. We want to see you healthy at the grocery store, at church and at the local ballfields.
Protect yourself and your family today with a vaccine. If you already have received the vaccine, we thank you.
Sincerely,
Kevin Adams, M.D., Family Medicine
Beze Adogu, M.D., PhD, FACP, Nephrology & Hypertension
Stephanie Allen, M.D., OB/GYN
Melissa Anderson, M.D., OB/GYN
Catherine Apaloo, M.D., FACP, Internal Medicine
R. Brett Atchley, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Christian Barnes, M.D., Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
A. Karl Barnett, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Ranjana Bhargava, M.D., Hematology-Oncology
Nehal Bhatt, M.D., Pulmonary and Critical Care
Daniel Blair, D. O., Hospitalist
Mary Bond, M.D., Internal Medicine
Jayni Bradley, DMD, M.D., Pediatric Dentistry
Steven Bramlet, M.D., Neuroradiology
Charles Braucher, M.D., Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
A Patrick Brooks, M.D., General internal medicine/ Addiction medicine
Dennis Bullock, M.D., Family Medicine
Robert Byrne, M.D., Urology
Cassie Campbell, M.D., OB/GYN
Robert Cannon, M.D., General Surgery
Tresa Chappell, M.D., Pediatrics
John Mark Chestnut, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Ruby Cheves, M.D., OB-GYN
Lee Chisolm, M.D., Family Medicine
Gloria Chu, M.D., Pediatrician
Ruth Cline, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology
Jakemia Coleman, M.D., Pulmonary/Critical Care
Christopher Connors, M.D. Anesthesiology
J. Mitchell Cook, D.O., Family Medicine
Vic Copeland, M.D., Ophthalmology
Matthew Crim, M.D., Cardiology
Brent Crymes, M.D., Ophthalmology
John Cuff, M.D., Neurosurgery
Shilpi Das, M.D., Chief of Pediatric Hospitalists, Pediatrics
Greg DeLaurier, M.D., Colorectal surgery
Anthony DeMarco, M.D., Ophthalmology
Ed Dempsey, M.D., Otolaryngology
Amanda Downs , M.D., Internal Medicine
Patrick Eagleson, M.D., Chief of Emergency Medicine - St. Mary's Healthcare System, Emergency Medicine
John Elder, M.D., OB/ Gyn
Mark Ellison, M.D., Urology
Cristina Elstad, M.D., OB/GYN
Thomas Eustis, M.D., FACS, Trauma Surgery and Emergency General Surgery
Dean Firschein, M.D., Allergy & Immunology
Brian Freeman, M.D., FACS, Vascular Surgery
Henry Garrard, M.D., Pediatrics
Alan Glassman, M.D., Pediatrics
Daniel Gowder, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Andrew Greenshields, M.D., Radiology
Bryson Greenwood, M.D., Family Medicine
Jared Griffis, M.D., Interventional Cardiology
Cesar Gumucio, M.D., FACS, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Daniel Haithcock, M.D., Cardiology
Melissa Halbach, M.D., OB/Gyn
Brad Hall, DMD
Eunice Hama, M.D., Internal Medicine
Joshua Hammond, M.D., Anesthesiology
Brandon Harden, M.D., Pediatric Cardiology
Brendan Hawthorn, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP, Emergency Medicine
William Herrington, M.D., FACR, Radiology
J. Clark Hill, III, M.D., Internal Medicine
Kurt Horst, M.D., MPH, FACEP, Emergency Medicine
Jonathan Hsu, M.D., Palliative Medicine
Jane Huang, M.D., MS, Oncology & Hematology
Linda Hueseman, M.D., Addiction Medicine
Mary Bess Jarrard, M.D., Internal Medicine
Hugh Jenkins, M.D., Pulmonary critical care
Kirkley Jock, FNP, Family Medicine
Elizabeth Johnson, M.D., Internal Medicine
Farris Johnson, Jr., M.D., Family Medicine
Elizabeth Katz, M.D., Otolaryngology
Carrie Kelly, M.D., Pediatrics
Blake Kimbrell, M.D., Otolaryngologist
Shane Kudela, M.D., Radiology
Felicia Lacksen, M.D., Internal Medicine
William Lagaly, D.O., Wound Care/Hyperbaric Medicine
Michael Lebow, M.D., Vascular Surgery
Suzanne Lester, M.D., MS, Family Medicine
David Lockman, M.D., Dermatology
Stephen Lucas, M.D., Pulmonary Medicine
Rene Mackay, M.D., FASN, Internal Medicine/Nephrology
J. Trent Magruder, M.D., Cardiothoracic Surgery
Melissa Martin, M.D., Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Julie Martin, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases
TJ Martin, M.D., Pulmonary/Critical Care
Eduardo Martinez, M.D., Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine
Geoffrey Marx, M.D., Internal Medicine
Lacy McCurdy, M.D., Pediatrics
Thomas McElhannon, M.D., Family Practice
Colin McKinney, M.D., Emergency Medicine
John McMullan, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Charles Mixson, M.D., Otolaryngology
Eva Katherine Moore, M.D., General Surgery
J Alan Moore, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Laurent Morel, M.D., Internal Medicine
Cullen Morris, M.D., Cardiothoracic surgery
Laurel Murrow, M.D., MSc, Internal Medicine
Jonathan Murrow, M.D., Cardiology
Rachel Murthy, M.D., Ob/Gyn
Shelley Nuss, M.D., Internal Medicine
Mohammed Obeidin, M.D., General surgeon
Jane Parks, M.D., Pulmonary/Critical Care/Sleep
Jeffrey Pearce, M.D., FACS, RPVI, Vascular Surgery
Larisa Pearlman, M.D., Ob/Gyn
Eric Pitts, M.D., Neurology
Susan Podolsky, M.D., MPP, St. Mary’s Hospital, Emergency Medicine
Robert Price, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Fareha Rahim, M.D., FACP., Internal Medicine
Adeel Rahman, M.D., Neurology
Srilakshmi Rebala, M.D., Nephrology
Dave Ringer, M.D., Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine
Eric Robach, M.D., Internal Medicine
Richard Rosemond, M.D., OB/GYN, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Priya Rudolph, M.D., PhD, Oncology/Hematology
David Ryan, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery
Ali Sayed, M.D., Hematology/ Medical Oncology
Carrie Scruggs, NP, Family Practice
Arpit Shah, M.D., Internal Medicine/Hospitalist
Cynthia Shepherd, M.D., Hematology/Oncology
Brad Shepherd, M.D., Gastroenterology
Daku Siewe, M.D., Diagnostic Radiology
John Simpson, MD, DDS, FACS, Otolaryngology
Robert Sinyard, Chief Medical Officer for Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and Piedmont Walton Hospital, Cardiology
Michael Skelton, M.D., St Mary’s Health System, Emergency Medicine
Elizabeth Smith, M.D., Internal Medicine
Clifford Smith, M.D., Radiology
Gregory Smith, M.D., Gastroenterology
Amanda Stephens, NP-C, Internal medicine
Jonathan Swanson, M.D., St. Mary's Hospital, Emergency Medicine
Hindia Tahir, M.D., Internal Medicine
Toby Tally, M.D., General Surgery
Denise Taylor, D.O., Neurology
Daniel Tench, M.D., Pathology
Ronald Terry, M.D., Radiation Oncology
Jeffrey Thomas, M.D., Hematology/Medical Oncology
Sallie Tingle, FNP-C, Family Medicine/Urgent Care
Kim Tomlinson, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Jonathan Tomlinson, DMD, M.D., Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Shraddha Tongia, M.D., Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Meredith Udell, M.D., Pediatrics
Jon Udwadia, M.D., Pediatrics
Jan Wall, M.D., Radiology
Kimberly Walpert, M.D., Neurosurgery
J Michael West, M.D., Gastroenterology
Gustavo Westin, M.D., MPH, Hematology-Oncology
John Whiteley, M.D., Anesthesiology
David Wicker, M.D., Radiology
M. Neil Woodall, M.D., FAANS, Neurological Surgery
Leigha Woodruff, M.D., Pediatrics
A. Fred Young, M.D., Internal Medicine
Eduardo Zouain, M.D., Internal Medicine and Nephrology