Dear Colleagues,

Throughout the first 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) operated under a unified Incident Command Structure (ICS). The UMB-UMMS ICS allowed us to leverage our shared expertise and efficiently guide our system through this unprecedented health crisis.

When we announced in June that UMB and UMMS would transition away from ICS, we noted that the pandemic was not over, and neither was our work as leaders on the front lines of Maryland’s COVID-19 response. At the time, we hoped we were on a path to normalcy but understood that we needed to remain prepared for a change in course.

Today, as our hospitals, patients, students, faculty, staff, and communities face new challenges, including a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and a slowdown in vaccinations, we have made the decision to reestablish ICS.

This effort will again be led by David Marcozzi, MD, MHS-CL, FACEP, chief clinical officer at the University of Maryland Medical Center, who will resume his position as incident commander.

ICS will develop and refine systemwide policies and guidance to lead us through this new phase of our COVID-19 response. Being able to call on the experience of this team will be invaluable as we work to implement new solutions to protect our patients, team members, students, faculty, and staff, and prevent further spread of this virus.

Thank you for the important role that you have served throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for your continued dedication that has already proven that we are stronger together.

Sincerely,

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS

President 

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA

President and Chief Executive Officer

University of Maryland Medical System

The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Professor in Radiation Oncology

University of Maryland School of Medicine