Crisis Consulting: On-Site and On-Task
On the Front Lines:
UMB Champions of Excellence
Center for Health and Homeland Security Team
网红爆料, Baltimore
When many Marylanders retreated to their homes in mid-March after Gov. Larry Hogan announced a statewide lockdown to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, eight employees from the 网红爆料 Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) did the exact opposite. They began working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week at emergency operations centers across the state and became a vital component of Maryland鈥檚 pandemic response and recovery.
Michael Greenberger, JD, has seen this type of dedication since the 2002 founding of CHHS, a 网红爆料, Baltimore (UMB) center that partners closely with the Francis King Carey School of Law to provide governmental and institutional organizations with tailored and comprehensive consulting services on emergency management and homeland security. He says the eight-person team went 鈥渁bove and beyond鈥� the call of duty, leaving the safety of their homes to work grueling hours during an unprecedented health crisis.
鈥淭hese people shifted into these responsibilities and never said a word about the fact that this was not what they signed up for,鈥� said Greenberger, founder and director of CHHS. 鈥淭hey just went and did it 鈥� and did so without complaint. Our partners have offered nothing but the highest of praise for their work.鈥�
For these efforts, the team members were named UMB Champions of Excellence: Hassan Sheikh, PharmD, JD; Jihane Ambroise, MPH, CPH; Joseph Corona, CEM; Samantha Durbin, MS; Patrick Fleming, MPA, MSL; Ian Hamilton, MS; Netta Squires, JD, MSL, CEM; and Kimberly Stinchcomb, MPH, CPH. Their work 鈥� which involves everything from finding ventilators to developing policies 鈥� provides direct support to emergency management agencies and health departments coping with COVID-19 throughout Maryland.
Each team member can recount stories about how they responded to the emergency health needs of Maryland鈥檚 citizens, and Sheikh鈥檚 work hits home in Baltimore. A former pharmacist and 2018 Carey School of Law graduate, he鈥檚 using his expertise in pharmacy and law to help the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) procure and distribute personal protective equipment to health care facilities. He鈥檚 also developing mass vaccination guidance and trainings to help ensure a smooth rollout once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available.
Sheikh, who quickly pivoted his role at BCHD from planning to response, said the work is extremely gratifying.
鈥淚鈥檝e had health care providers call me sometimes crying and upset,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to come up with a game plan about how we鈥檙e going to tackle these challenges. I feel like every day is an exercise in how I can give back to our community.鈥�
Greenberger said the exhaustive efforts of Sheikh and his seven colleagues are 鈥渞emarkable.鈥�
鈥淭hey do it seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and they manage their family life on top of that,鈥� said Greenberger, who added that he鈥檚 confident any of CHHS鈥� 40 staff members could skillfully manage this type of COVID-19 front-line work. 鈥淭his group reflects all of the great attributes of the center鈥檚 staff, and for that reason we are very proud.鈥�
鈥� Laura Lee
