Public Letters and Statements from the IMPACT Team
As health care professionals, we are deeply disturbed by the ruling of the Supreme Court majority to overturn Roe v. Wade, rendering abortion inaccessible to millions of people, while also widening existing healthcare disparities across our nation. We know abortion is an essential component of reproductive healthcare, and is a fundamental issue of bodily autonomy. However, it is essential that Illinois goes a step further and protects its citizens’ rights.
Read the full letter here.
As health professionals, we understand the fatigue many are feeling and the desire for normalcy. However, we are deeply dismayed by the Sangamon County Circuit Court judge’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order that challenges universal masking, regular testing and proof of vaccination in schools. The real urgency is the suboptimal rate of vaccination against COVID-19 among children in Illinois. Getting vaccinated remains the key to preventing kids from needlessly getting sick, including reducing the risks of hospitalizations or long Covid, and also stopping the chain of transmission to others, particularly those most vulnerable.
Read the full letter here.
As both Delta and Omicron surge, Illinois is experiencing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases, and our healthcare systems are again overwhelmed. As admissions skyrocket, the number of healthcare workers who are also out sick, or because a family member is sick with COVID-19, is growing even faster. Simply put, we can’t keep up. We are drowning and need help immediately.
Read the full letter here.
Zero ICU beds signals a public health emergency of epic proportions for the Southern Illinois Region 5. This is not “a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” but a pandemic that affects everyone as emergency and routine healthcare collapses for a region. The only way to stop the spread and ease the strain on the hospitals now is to mask up, which helps the bed situation more immediately, and get vaccinated, which helps the bed situation in a few weeks. That is why we have been relentless in asking people to get vaccinated and mask up. We stand in solidarity with all of our healthcare worker colleagues from across the state, and especially in Region V, who are doing everything they can to care for patients during these suboptimal conditions, all the while suffering from the mental anguish and burnout of a sustained pandemic for 18 months. Together, we can once again stop the spread and flatten the curve. Read more about the issue here. Download IMPACT’s statement here.
IMPACT endorses mandatory vaccination for COVID-19 for all healthcare workers in the state of Illinois and calls on Governor Pritzker to follow the guidance of over 57 medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Nursing Association, and the Council of Medical Subspecialty Societies. As this coalition highlighted, COVID-19 vaccination is “the logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment of all health care workers to put patients as well as residents of long-term care facilities first and take all steps necessary to ensure their health and well-being.” California, New York City, and the Veterans Administration have recently adopted similar vaccine mandates for their employees, including healthcare workers. Illinoisans deserve the peace of mind that they are protected when they are in need of care.
Read the full statement here.
Dear Governor Pritzker, Dr. Ezike, Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Ayala, members of the Illinois State Board of Education, and school boards across Illinois:
The recent release of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools has led to much discussion among parents, teachers, and administrators about the upcoming school year. We applaud the CDC and IDPH’s emphasis on getting children and adolescents back to in-person learning. However, we are concerned that the responsibility for interpreting and implementing this guidance now rests with local school districts, who may lack the resources to develop and enforce mitigation efforts for the children they serve.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stated that in-person learning is superior for the academic and social development of children, yet the benefits of in-person learning are only as good as our ability to keep schools open.
Read IMPACT’s full letter here.
This weekend, we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Together, we celebrate the importance of freedom for all Americans - a celebration made more sweet in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic.
But as we gather, new threats to that hard-won freedom emerge. The highly contagious delta variant has been identified in over 85 countries, and currently accounts for at least 20% of new infections in the United States. In response, officials in Los Angeles, Israel, other global hubs, and the WHO now urge everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, to recommit to wearing masks indoors. Their rationale: these small actions can help protect the societal freedoms that have only recently returned.
Read full statement here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
We applaud your continued support of science-based COVID-19 mitigation strategies and the state’s efforts to quickly vaccinate as many people as possible.
Earlier this week the CDC released new guidance stating that fully-vaccinated individuals can gather indoors and outdoors in groups large and small without masking or distancing. The guidance reflects accumulating scientific evidence that, in addition to preventing COVID-19-related death and hospitalization, our current vaccines are highly effective against asymptomatic transmission of SARS- CoV2.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Attorney General, and Illinois Chamber of Commerce:
We are encouraged by the progress Illinois has made in terms of a persistent decrease in our case positivity. As we continue to press on increasing our vaccination rate, we are also moving to less restrictive mitigations and reopen activities. Given this, it is imperative that all places of commerce commit to enforcing public health measures before it is too late. The discovery of more contagious variants in Illinois coupled with the newest CDC recommendations for tighter fitting masks or double masking underscores the need to not give any ground on this progress.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
With the discovery of potentially more contagious variants in Illinois, we must urgently accelerate the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations to save lives and do so with attention to equity and ease. Illinois is lagging behind the rest of the nation, ranking near the bottom in vaccine distribution and administration. We echo concerns raised about the delay in vaccination of high risk nursing home residents. In addition, the process of scheduling a vaccination is extremely cumbersome for many people, especially our seniors, and fraught with inequity. To avoid greater inequities and harm to those who lack access to high speed WI-FI or technology, or with limited technology literacy for a myriad of reasons, we strongly advise against the use of first-come first-serve websites. First-come first-serve websites not only create a systemic bias, but also add to the stress and chaos of scheduling a vaccine. Pre-registration coupled with lotteries can not only improve equity, but also reduce the stress and effort to schedule a vaccination. Proactive outreach by telephone to those who are unable to access or use technology and those with limited English proficiency is urgently needed. Additionally, those who have been initially hesitant or face significant challenges in getting an appointment are at risk of giving up altogether. All of these factors will also be more likely to harm our Black and Latinx communities, who face a greater risk of death but are not being vaccinated at the rate of their White counterparts. Lastly, every effort should be made to not only help people get their first dose, but also facilitate scheduling of 2nd dose appointments to ensure maximal immunity is achieved. Through urgent action, we can not only improve vaccine access and administration but also save lives in Illinois.
Access the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot,
We are grateful that Illinois has been a leader in vaccinations. However, it is clear that we are not moving fast enough. In the first four weeks of the campaign, only 45,000 people across the city have been vaccinated. While vaccine deployment takes time, the rising death counts and the discovery of the potentially more contagious B117 variant in the United States is a call to action to save lives as fast as we can. We are seeing high rates of vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers, including those at hospitals and nursing homes. As a result, our hospitals have excess vaccines they could be administering to high risk individuals in phase 1B. In the absence of direction to move to phase 1B, some are vaccinating anyone they can, including individuals who are not patient-facing. Others are not using their vaccines awaiting further information. This has led President-Elect Joe Biden’s team to state they plan to release nearly all available COVID-19 vaccines instead of holding back stock. We are encouraged by outreach from local and county health departments to vaccinate non-hospital affiliated frontline healthcare workers, including dentists and those at federally qualified health centers. We applaud the guidance to healthcare facilities to vaccinate anyone in phase 1A regardless of their affiliation. We support the move to include those that are age 65 or over in the next phase. However, to truly save lives, we must go faster.
Read the full letter here.
In a brighter end to 2020, Illinois hospital-based health care workers rolled up their sleeves over the past 2 weeks and received their first COVID vaccination. This brought hope to the people of Illinois and to the rest of the nation as Illinois has vaccinated more people than any other state. While we know vaccine deployment takes time, the importance of greater transparency and a timeline for vaccinating health care workers not affiliated with hospitals cannot be understated.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
Day by day, the trends in our COVID-19 data makes it abundantly clear: Illinois is in crisis. We continue to advocate for our fellow Illinoisians to do the small things - the everyday actions to help prevent our emergency rooms and ICUs from filling with COVID-19 patients. Many of you have listened, modifying your Thanksgiving plans to stay home, wearing masks and, above all, committing to staying safe. You are our heroes. But from the vantage point of healthcare workers on the COVID-19 front line, we know we must do more to stop the surge.
Read the full letter here.
Today's release of Illinois COVID-19 data makes it abundantly clear: Illinois is in crisis.
We continue to advocate for our fellow Illinoisians to do the small things to help prevent our emergency rooms and ICUs from filling with COVID-19 patients. Many of you have listened, modifying your Thanksgiving plans to stay home, wearing masks and, above all, committing to staying safe. You are our heroes.
But from the vantage point of healthcare workers on the COVID-19 front line, we know we must do more to stop the surge. The data show the initial mitigation efforts are not sufficiently stemming the tide of COVID-19 cases. All the while, our clinicians and health care systems approach crisis levels of overload. Simply put: we need to do more. But from the vantage point of healthcare workers on the COVID-19 front line, we know we must do more to stop the surge. The data show the initial mitigation efforts are not sufficiently stemming the tide of COVID-19 cases. All the while, our clinicians and health care systems approach crisis levels of overload. Simply put: we need to do more.
Because of this, we support and advocate for more intense efforts to decrease the spread of COVID-19 in Illinois, such as a stay-at-home order. Because a stay-at-home order has serious health and economic consequences for our patients and communities, we do not make this statement lightly. We feel we are left with no choice. We must control the spread of COVID-19 to reduce the already increasing burden on healthcare facilities to avoid the preventable harm associated with overwhelming our healthcare system.
Download the full statement here.
Illinois continues to exceed daily records for new COVID-19 cases. As healthcare professionals, we understand that many in our communities are experiencing pandemic fatigue, giving rise to complacency. As the weather turns cold several activities, including gathering indoors without masks and distancing, are contributing to this surge. We are better at identifying and treating this disease, and survival rates are improving slightly in COVID-19 patients since the start of this pandemic. This is good news, but has not changed the overall trajectory and danger of the pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois have doubled over the last three weeks, a very dangerous trend. Analyses of IDPH data project that Illinois will surpass its ICU bed capacity by Thanksgiving, and deaths per day will peak mid-December. These trends affect not only COVID-19 patients; if hospitals are overwhelmed, care will suffer for those with other unforeseen emergent conditions, such as heart attacks, appendicitis, cancer diagnoses, and motor vehicle accidents, all common conditions.
Read full statement here.
As front line Illinois healthcare professionals caring for those directly affected by COVID-19 and as alumni, faculty, and supporters of Illinois' most storied academic institutions, we strongly oppose recent statements made by Stanford's Dr. Scott Atlas, that masks are not effective at stopping viral transmission, that children cannot contract or transmit SARS-CoV-2, and that the United States should apply a “herd immunity” strategy to the COVID-19 pandemic. While he hails from the very same Illinois' institutions that we call home, his actions as the white house science advisor belie those institution’s deep-seated commitment to scientific integrity. Read the full statement here.
Dear Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Ayala and members of the Illinois State Board of Education,
We applaud your current school reopening guidelines requiring universal masking at all times for anyone inside the school building. This mirrors what we do in clinical care to keep patients and healthcare workers safe. A group calling themselves Million Unmasked March is staging a protest in Springfield, IL, on July 25th, 2020. They are speaking out in opposition to 1) universal masking in schools and 2) COVID-19 vaccination requirements. We are aware that Million Unmasked has been approaching Illinois lawmakers asking for support, and they claim to have 6000+ supporters.
As physicians, healthcare workers, parents, and citizens, we strongly disagree with their opinions on masking and vaccination. Universal masking in schools is critical to keeping students, teachers, and staff safe.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
As frontline health care physicians and providers, we are proud of the progress that Illinois continues to make in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the hard work of the Pritzker administration and the people of Illinois, we are moving to phase 4, which is a significant accomplishment. With the continued promotion of social distancing, using face masks, and hand hygiene, the people of Illinois can look forward to children enjoying summer programs and returning to school with IDPH-approved safety guidance.
Although Illinois is moving forward after a consistent, steady decline of new COVID-19 cases, we have continued to see record surges in other states. On Tuesday, June 23rd, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that certain states may want to reconsider their reopening plans given the surges in those states. At this time, states in the South and West are delaying opening to the next phase or even reverting to a previous phase. As Chicago reopens and we begin to see tourists coming into our city, and Illinoisians travelling to and from hot spots, we medical professionals are quite concerned about the risk posed by those arriving from states with high positive test rates. If left unchecked, we expect that Illinois rates will begin to climb, forcing us to move backward. We are concerned that this will jeopardize the progress we’ve made; a backslide will further depress Illinois’ economy and will make returning to school in the fall less likely.
Read the full letter here.
Leaders of Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative (IMPACT) stand with the American Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians and other leading medical organizations in denouncing police brutality and racism in all its forms.
Please read the American Medical Association’s statement here.
Download IMPACT’s statement here.
As leaders of Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative (IMPACT), and Masks Now Illinois we are releasing a joint statement to strongly encourage the residents of Chicago to wear masks when leaving their homes. The importance of controlling the spread of coronavirus/COVID19 cannot be understated.
Read the full statement here.
As doctors, we care for some of the most complex and vulnerable patients in Illinois. As a result, we bear witness to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on our patients' lives. We've also experienced how the stay-at-home order is saving lives by flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Read the full statement here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
As frontline health care professionals, we applaud your rapid and robust response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We commend your efforts to “flatten the curve” in Illinois by issuing a prompt state-wide shelter-in-place order, closing schools and non-essential businesses, promoting masking, and supporting social distancing by signing telehealth legislation. Social distancing has significantly altered Illinois projections of COVID-19 hospitalizations, resource use, and the possible collapse of our medical system. As a result of your decisive leadership, Illinois is a trailblazer and a public health model for the rest of the country.
We also appreciate your continued efforts to optimally protect health care professionals by expanding telemedicine, extending civil immunity during the pandemic, obtaining/distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), and expanding hospital capacity. This letter represents our individual professional opinions regarding the necessary next steps to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and reopen society.
Illinois will likely reach peak hospital resource use in the next two to three weeks. As the dust settles and the end of this public health crisis seems in sight, many will be tempted to call for the reopening of schools and non-essential businesses as unemployment and economic hardship mount. But, reopening society depends on knowing who is, has been, or has not been infected.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike:
Thank you for supporting health care workers. Given the importance of social distancing to “flatten the curve” and blunt the impending surge of COVID-19, we applaud your order for Illinois to shelter-in-place. Your call for donations of PPE to the state is also to be greatly commended. We also applaud your actions to support the use of telemedicine to help us provide the best possible care for our patients while keeping patients, clinicians, and citizens safe. Further urgent and aggressive action is needed to protect health care workers and prevent a shortage of clinicians on the front lines as we prepare for a surge in patients needing acute care, similar to the situations in Italy, France, and Spain. While we can produce more masks, convert facilities to accommodate more hospital beds, and order more ventilators, we cannot produce more clinicians to deal with the pandemic.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
We are health care professionals collectively involved in preparing and executing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the front lines in Illinois healthcare institutions. This letter and our signatures represent our individual professional opinions regarding IMMEDIATE action that must occur to further curb the devastating impact on our hospitals, our patients, the city of Chicago, and the state of Illinois. More is needed immediately to enforce social distancing and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We strongly advocate that you go further and implement more aggressive mandatory measures such as those taken in Oak Park to facilitate social distancing as soon as possible before more cases of COVID-19 that will certainly arise daily.
Read the full letter here.
Dear Governor Pritzker,
We are health care professionals collectively involved in preparing and executing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This letter and our signatures represent our individual professional opinions regarding swift action that must occur to curb the potentially-devastating impact on our hospitals, our patients, the city of Chicago, and the state of Illinois. After mass gatherings this past weekend (Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, crowds awaiting O’Hare Airport immigration re-entry health screenings), we advocate strongly that you go a step further and implement more aggressive mandatory measures to facilitate social distancing as soon as possible and ahead of more cases of COVID-19 that will certainly arise in the coming days and weeks.
Read the full letter here.