Dear Private and Public School Leaders and Board Members and School Supporters,
We are reaching out to you today as a group of concerned physicians in our community to respectfully urge private and public school leaders, boards and supporters to follow the recommendation made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)regarding masks/facial coverings: “All students older than 2 years and all school staff should wear face masks at school (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use).”
Since a significant portion of the student population is not eligible for vaccination, universal masking is imperative to protect unvaccinated students from COVID-19 and reduce transmission. There are also continued concerns regarding variants, such as the Delta variant, that are more easily spread among children, adolescents and adults. The Delta variant has been shown to be transmissible even by vaccinated individuals due to its high viral load.
We echo the AAP in strongly advocating that all policy considerations for back-to-school plans amidst COVID-19 should start with a goal of keeping students safe and physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in 2020. Universal masking not only keeps students and employees healthy, but it would also greatly reduce the number of students and employees who are quarantined – the isolation of quarantine is not healthy for students and can be largely avoided with universal masking in place.
We are grateful that progress has been made toward beating this pandemic, but if we do not stay the course now, we risk losing all for which we have sacrificed.
It’s back to school time and, as many of us have friends and family in the schools, we know that “strong recommendations” to wear masks are not resulting in the universal masking that is needed to minimize the surge of COVID-19 in our community. Optional masking is not sufficient, as masks are most effective when all individuals are wearing them. Families, students and employees should not be given the choice to mask when this choice endangers the health of those around them.
Universal masking worked last school year during in-person learning. Please stay the course and implement universal masking until students of all ages are eligible to be vaccinated. This will help to reduce illness and prevent the isolation of quarantine.
We thank you for your time and all of your incredibly hard work this past year. As physicians in the community, we ask that you make the right choice to protect our students, employees and community. We continue to encourage all who are eligible to be vaccinated, as that is the best way for us to stop COVID-19 transmission for the future. But through masking, social distancing and good hygiene practices, we can decrease the spread today.
Sincerely,
Lysa Aemmer, MD, Mercy Health – Spring Valley Pediatrics
Amy Alt-Coan, MD, Mercy Health – Pediatrics
Nathan Balusik, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Sanjoy Banerjee, MD, Gastroenterologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Sara Barnett-Hamen, MD, Hospitalist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Bruce Barnett, MD, Vice President Medical Affairs, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Dennis Bartholomew, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Stephen Bazeley, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Marianne Black, MD, Franklin Park Pediatrics
Lindsey Bostelman, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Medicine
Holly Brine, MD, Neonatologist/Pediatrician McLaren St. Luke’s
Andrea Bruss, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Mark Bruss, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Aaron Buerk, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Alan Burlingame, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Cathy Cantor, MD, Pediatrician, Mercy Health Physician Group CMO
Amy Cedargren, MD, Pediatricare Associates
Rebecca Clark, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Arrowhead Pediatrics
Susan Clay-Hufford, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Gary Collins, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
George Darah, MD, Family Medicine Physician, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Jamie Dargart, MD, Pulmonologist, ProMedica Physicians Group, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Shonola DaSilva, MD, AVPMA, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Zach Dooley, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Jon Dvorak, MD, Director of Medical Operations, ProMedica Physicians Group, Pediatrics
Abdelkhalek Elagamy, DO, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Arrowhead Pediatrics
Katherine Gerlach, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Mohammad Ghali, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Benjamin Goldstein, MD, Pulmonologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital, Associate Director, Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center
Roberta Guibord, DO, Family Medicine
Stacy Harr, MD, ProMedica Physicians Group, Perrysburg Pediatrics
Brenda Hartley, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Ateeq Haseeb, MD, Mercy Health – Children’s Hospital
Erin Hill, CPNP, Mercy Health Village Square Pediatrics
Shaina Hochmuth, CNP, Family Medicine, Mercy Health – Perrysburg Primary Care
Cailly Howell-McLean, MD, Mercy Pediatric Groups
Rajat Kaul, MD, Hospitalist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Meghan Keaton, MD, Pulmonologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Diane Kielmeyer, CNP, Family Medicine, Mercy Health – Perrysburg Primary Care
Rakesh Kumar, MD, Gastroenterologist, ProMedica Physicians Group
Tiffany Lisk, MD, Hospitalist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Jacob Maciejewski, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Oregon Pediatrics
John D McBride, MD, Franklin Park Pediatrics
Heather Meade, MD, St. Vincent Pediatric Hospitalists
Julie Miller, DO, Pediatric Physical Medicine, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Robert Mills, MD, Pediatricare Associates
Kathleen Moltz, MD, Endocrinologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Jeffrey Moore, MD, Cardiologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Melissa Moore, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Arrowhead Pediatrics
Janet Moore, NP, Nurse Practitioner, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Jennifer Mullen, DO, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Arrowhead Pediatrics
Richard Munk, MD, Orthopedist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Deepa Munkundan, MD, Infectious Disease, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Ashley Muszynski, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Oregon Pediatrics
Pamela Oatis, MD, Past Ohio AAP Pediatrician of the Year,, Mercy Health – Pediatrics
Colleen Olson, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Perrysburg Pediatrics
Katelyn Oostra, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Oregon Pediatrics
Richard Paat, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Internal Medicine
Denise Padanilam, MD, Pediatricare Associates
Drew Palermo, PA, Family Medicine, Mercy Health – Perrysburg Primary Care
Mary Ellen Pizza, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Eileen Quinn, MD, Mercy Pediatric Development
Michael Retholtz, DO , Medical Director – McLaren St. Luke’s Hospitalist Services
Hamid Riaz, MD, Mercy Health – Family Physicians
Veronica Rosenberg, MD McLaren St. Luke’s / Toledo Clinic Hospitalist
Jennifer Ruddy, MD, Pulmonologist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Beverly Scholler, MD, Medical Director of Urgent Care for Kids, ProMedica Physicians Group
Amanda Sherratt,MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Primary Pediatric Clinic
Rebecca Siders, DO, McLaren St. Luke’s Waterville Family Physicians
Shari Sontchi, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Arrowhead Pediatrics
Ann M. Steck, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency Program
Howard Stein, MD, NICU, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Dagmar Stein, MD, PhD, Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, ProMedica Physicians Group
Crawford Strunk, MD, Director, Sickle Cell Disease and Hemoglobinopathy Clinic, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Sharon Thomas, MD, Intensivist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Susan Tourner, MD, Intensivist, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital
Brooke T. Traloar, MD, Pediatrician, ProMedica Physicians Group, Toledo Pediatrics
Lauren Uhrman, CPNP, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – ProMedica Physicians Arrowhead Pediatrics
Stephanie Williams, MD, McLaren St. Luke’s Fallen Timbers Family Medicine
Shannon Wronkowicz, MD, St. Vincent Pediatric Hospitalists
