"A Dedication to Healthcare Workers" scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15

On Thursday, Oct. 15, Taison Bell, MD, will present “A Dedication to Healthcare Workers.” Beginning at noon via Zoom, the event will honor healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19 and highlight a few stories to weave the narrative of our last several months. Sponsored by the WVU Humanities Center. Registration is required.

Dr. Bell is an assistant professor of medicine in the divisions of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Virginia. He is also the director of the medical intensive care unit (ICU) and director of the UVA Summer Medical Leadership Program.

Dr. Bell has been a key leader in UVA’s response to the COVID-19. He was instrumental in leading a team of engineers, architects, seamstresses, and nurses to design, produce, and distribute personal protective equipment for the Charlottesville area and Commonwealth. He is part of an innovative rapid-deployment team that provides in-person and telehealth care support for long-term care facilities overwhelmed with COVID-19 outbreaks. Dr. Bell was also a co-Principle Investigator for the NIH-sponsored Remdesivir trial—the first drug proven in a randomized study to be effective for the treatment of COVID-19. Dr. Bell has advanced the cause for racial justice in healthcare, joining colleagues to demand transparency from the CDC in reporting race and ethnicity in COVID-19 cases and related outcomes. He has co-hosted a weekly COVID-19 Update on Facebook Live since the beginning of the crisis. He serves as a COVID-19 content expert for the Congressional Black Caucus and the Rowland Martin Show and is a member of the medical expert panel guiding the New York Times Coronavirus Drug and Treatment Tracker Project. His expertise has been sought by several local, national and international news outlets, including National Public Radio, ABC News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BBC World News, The New Yorker, Politico, Buzzfeed, Stat News, and Al-Jazeera. Dr. Bell was awarded the United Way Caring for Community Award as a healthcare provider who has gone above and beyond during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He is recognized as Business Insider’s “Top 30 Leaders Under 40 who are Transforming the Future of Healthcare.” Dr. Bell is featured in Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary “Totally Under Control” about the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions? Contact Renee Nicholson or Nicole Beason.