On Friday, December 11, 2020, Cooper University Health Care, the region’s leading academic health system, hosted Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, and Dr. Deborah Birx from the White House Coronavirus Task Force for a roundtable discussion on the response to COVID-19 in Southern New Jersey.
“Having been in government for many years and knowing how thankless a job it can be, I want to offer a special thank you to Governor Murphy, Commissioner Persichilli, and Dr. Birx for all you’re doing and for your leadership during this pandemic,” said Kevin O’Dowd, Co-CEO of Cooper University Health Care, to start the session.
“Cooper, in this crisis over the past months, has been a leading light in our state, having treated over 7,000 COVID-19 patients, testing more than 63,000 people, and providing hero bonus wages for frontline workers. It starts with the Chairman of the Board, George Norcross, who has stood tall in this community and with this medical center and beyond for decades,” Governor Murphy stated.
“I’m very proud of how this state has conducted itself and the way in which our leadership, under Governor Murphy, have come together to make the people of New Jersey feel that honest, hardworking people are attempting to keep them safe and secure. I want to thank Governor Murphy for his leadership,” said George E. Norcross, III, Chairman of Cooper.
Dr. Birx emphasized the need for vulnerable individuals to be put on therapeutic drugs as early as possible once symptoms appear, for more creative ideas to test younger people to prevent the spread, and the data showing how the second wave has spread throughout the country.
“I want to thank Cooper for all the work you have done through this pandemic. We rely on you as the Southern New Jersey Coordination Center and being able to call you with questions. You did things down here that we were able to share to Central and North Jersey,” said Commissioner Persichilli.
Also joining the roundtable were Cooper’s Chairman of the Board, George E. Norcross, III, Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, Co-CEO of Cooper, Orion Clarke, Director of Environmental Services at Cooper, Dr. Eric Kupersmith, Chief Physician Executive who is leading the regional coordination in South Jersey, Dr. Raquel Nahra, Cooper’s Hospital Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease physician, and Dr. Joseph Montella, Cooper’s Chief Medical Officer.