Members of the Emory University Hospital medical team who successfully treated the first patients with Ebola virus disease in the United States will reunite with former patients Dr. Kent Brantly, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Ian Crozier for a media briefing on Friday, Aug. 2. This marks the fifth anniversary of Brantly’s arrival at Emory University Hospital as the first patient with Ebola virus disease to be treated in the U.S.
The event will be livestreamed on the Emory University Facebook page beginning at 10 a.m.
The briefing will include updates on progress that has been made in fighting Ebola, the status of the current epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the outlook for continuing to advance innovative care and patient safety. A question-and-answer session with the former patients and a tour of Emory’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit with Brantly and Dr. Colleen Kraft will also be held.
Participants in the briefing will include:
- Dr. Bruce Ribner, professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Emory University School of Medicine and medical director, Serious Communicable Diseases Unit, Emory University Hospital
- Dr. Colleen Kraft, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and deputy medical director, Serious Communicable Diseases Unit, Emory University Hospital
- Dr. Carlos del Rio, Hubert Professor and chair of the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, and professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine
- Sharon Vanairsdale, DNP, APRN, program director of Serious Communicable Diseases, Emory University Hospital
- Dr. Bryce Gartland, Emory Healthcare hospital group president
- Dr. Kent Brantly, family medicine physician with Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, and the first patient with Ebola virus disease treated in the U.S.
- Nancy Writebol, global trauma healing coordinator with SIM international mission organization in Liberia and the second patient with Ebola virus disease treated in the U.S.
- Dr. Ian Crozier, infectious disease physician in Democratic Republic of Congo and the third patient with Ebola virus disease treated at Emory University Hospital