FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sept. 7, 2021 Amy Goodwin 410-379-6200 x3309 [email protected]

Maryland Hospitals Urge Marylanders to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Elkridge, Md. – The leaders of all hospitals and health systems released a letter today to Marylanders, encouraging everyone to help save lives by getting the COVID-19 vaccine:

Dear Marylanders,

The dedicated caregivers at Maryland’s 60 hospitals and health systems have fought more than 500 straight days to protect all of us from the coronavirus. Having treated and released more than 45,500 COVID patients since the outset of this crisis, while also delivering world class care to everyone else, they are tired.

As leaders of the state’s hospitals and health systems, we urge all Marylanders to step up, to protect your children, yourselves, and your friends and neighbors.

Roll up your sleeves and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination is our best hope to stay well and to enjoy a return to normal living. The evidence is clear: the vaccines now in use in the U.S. do shield people’s health.

More than seven in 10 Marylanders aged 12 and up already are fully vaccinated. That’s among the best in the U.S. Yet, more people are being hospitalized daily—almost all unvaccinated. Just 5.3% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland since January 2021 and 4.6% of COVID- related deaths have been among fully vaccinated individuals.

And we’re sadly seeing a rise in COVID cases among those not yet eligible for vaccination— children under 12.

In June, Maryland hospitals and health systems collectively issued a first-in-the-nation consensus statement calling for health care workers to be vaccinated. More and more hospitals insist that employees protect themselves, their co-workers, and importantly, their patients. This decision was rooted in science and in our mission to protect the health of our communities.

When everyone who’s eligible is vaccinated, we will prevent needless illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. We will end the pandemic. Go get vaccinated today.

Bob Atlas Noel Cervino Michael Franklin President & CEO President & CEO President & CEO Maryland Hospital University of Maryland Atlantic General Hospital Association Charles Regional Medical Center Garrett Hoover Shafeeq Ahmed President & COO President Bradley S. Chambers Howard County General President Hospital MedStar Good Samaritan Maulik Joshi Hospital & MedStar Union President & CEO Victoria Bayless Memorial Hospital Meritus Health President & CEO Luminis Health John B. Chessare Cynthia Kelleher President & CEO President & CEO Richard G. Bennett Greater Baltimore Medical University of Maryland President Center Rehabilitation & Johns Hopkins Bayview Orthopaedic Institute Medical Center Daniel Cochran President Thomas A. Kleinhanzl Daniel Blum Adventist HealthCare President & CEO President & CEO Shady Grove Medical Frederick Health Sinai Hospital of Center Baltimore & Grace Kenneth D. Kozel Medical Center Norvell “Van" Coots President & CEO President & CEO University of Maryland Mark Boucot Holy Cross Health Shore Regional Health President & CEO Garrett Regional Medical Louis Damiano Sharon Kurfuerst Center President President Holy Cross Hospital ChristianaCare, Union Alison Brown Hospital President Jill Donaldson University of Maryland President Steven E. Leonard Medical Center Midtown MedStar Harbor Hospital President & CEO Campus TidalHealth Terry Forde Craig Carmichael President & CEO Stuart Levine President & COO Adventist HealthCare President Northwest Hospital MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

Edward Lovern Sherry B. Perkins Lyle Sheldon President & CEO President President & CEO Ascension Saint Agnes Luminis Health Anne University of Maryland Arundel Medical Center Upper Chesapeake Health David Maine System President & CEO Deneen Richmond Mercy Medical Center President Eunmee Shim Luminis Health Doctors President Michele Martz Community Medical Adventist HealthCare Fort President Center Washington Medical UPMC Western Maryland Center Brent Reitz Jessica Melton President Thomas Smyth President & COO Adventist HealthCare President & CEO Rehabilitation University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center Neil Meltzer Nathaniel Richardson Jr. President & CEO President & CEO Kevin W. Sowers LifeBridge Health University of Maryland President Capital Region Health The Johns Hopkins Health Redonda Miller System President R. Lynn Rushing The Johns Hopkins CEO Anthony Stahl Hospital Brook Lane President Adventist HealthCare Kathleen McCollum Doug Ryder White Oak Medical Center President & CEO President University of Maryland Holy Cross Germantown Sheldon J. Stein Baltimore Washington Hospital President & CEO Medical Center Mt. Washington Pediatric Kenneth A. Samet Hospital Kurt Newman President & CEO President & CEO MedStar Health Mohan Suntha Children's National President & CEO Hospital Thomas J. Senker University of Maryland President Medical System Bert W. O'Malley MedStar Montgomery President & CEO Medical Center Dean Teague University of Maryland President & CEO Medical Center Bradley Schlaggar CalvertHealth Medical President & CEO Center Kennedy Krieger Institute

Harsh Trivedi Steven Walas Christine Wray President & CEO CEO President Sheppard Pratt Encompass Health MedStar St. Mary's Rehabilitation Hospital of Hospital & MedStar Salisbury Southern Maryland Hospital Center

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About the Maryland Hospital Association The Maryland Hospital Association serves Maryland’s 60 nonprofit hospitals and health systems through collective action to shape policies, practices, financing and performance to advance health care and the health of all Marylanders. For more information, visit www.mhaonline.org.