Dear Deans J. Larry Jameson, Antonia Villarruel, and Mark Wolff,
We, the Deans of schools at the University of Pennsylvania, on behalf of our communities of employees and students, want to thank the Deans and their faculty and staff at the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and School of Dental Medicine for their brave and commendable response to the pandemic.
Your first responders, nurses, physicians, dentists, public health experts, leadership, and support staff, have “given their all” to administer care and comfort to patients and their families, mitigate the public health consequences, and navigate the mysterious properties of COVID-19 illness with novel and science-based approaches each and every day.
The challenges you have faced on a daily basis are unimaginable to us, but hear us when we say that you are our heroes and we will never forget your bravery, your expertise, and your sacrifices. We deeply appreciate everyone in the Penn Health System who has delivered healthcare to COVID-19 patients and other patients in need of care given the risks of exposure, which are very real.
Thank you for being there for us, your Penn family. Before each sunset, we say thank you for another day when healthcare workers have joined forces, and with life-sustaining knowledge and skills, have pushed back the virus.
Further, we are sorry for the losses you have experienced during the pandemic. Again, we cannot know how this feels, but we do know that you have done your absolute best.
Please accept our deep gratitude for everything you are doing—yesterday, today, and everyday going forward—and remember that you can lean on us.