ALUMNI
ALU M N I PROF I LE S The passions and professions of our alumni reflect the lasting impact of our school’s Mission statement. Read on to see how three Ensworth alumni are facing current challenges and opportunities. Shannon Neidermeyer ’02 is profiled regarding her experience on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic at Johns Hopkins Medical Center; we interview Tavarres Jefferson ’09 about the effects the pandemic has had on his Executive Residency Program at HCA, and Kobie Jarmon ‘13 shares her perspective as a Black woman on current events.
Compiled by Kirby Wiley ’10 Communications Coordinator
Alumni Focus:
DR . SH ANN O N NIE DE RME YE R ’0 2 Dr. Shannon Niedermeyer ‘02 is used to taking care of some of the sickest patients who come to the hospital. After completing her residency at Duke University in 2019, Shannon began her fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Pulmonary and Critical Care where she mostly sees patients who are suffering from lung disease and other life-threatening illnesses.
Since COVID-19 first hit the Baltimore area, her work has been almost entirely with coronavirus patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit, most of whom require prolonged support on mechanical ventilation. “If a [COVID-19] patient is sick enough to need ICU-level care, we anticipate a long duration of illness. This cannot be understated,” says Shannon. “Even though it’s a small portion of patients with COVID-19 that get really, really sick, it’s tragic and life-altering and devastating for that person and their family. While this is also the case in traditional ICU care, there are certain aspects of COVID-19 care that make it unique for providers, patients, and families.”
Like many medical facilities across the world, coronavirus forced Johns Hopkins to completely change the way the hospital runs. From creating new intensive care units throughout the hospital to recruiting fellows who were primarily doing research back into a clinical setting.
their breathing, support their blood pressure if they need it, support other organs that might fail. Ultimately we are left closely monitoring the patient and hoping that our support is enough to get them through. This, I think, is emotionally challenging for providers.”
As the pandemic continues to bring new “Taking care of these patients is tough, challenges to individuals and communities emotionally, but also physically because across the world, Niedermeyer says there of the personal protective equipment are a few positive things she’s seen come required for providers,” explains out of the crisis. Niedermeyer. “We have broken it up into shift work so that nobody is in the “In ICU care in general, your day is filled hospital for more than 12 hours at a time, caring for the critically ill,” she says. and nobody is working more than four “You really have to hold it together as days in a row.” you go from room to room to talk to each family. In the world of physicians, the Shannon says one of the most emotionally emphasis and importance of talking about challenging things as a provider is workplace stress have increased over the fighting a virus that is still so new, with last few years. I think this pandemic has no known treatment. really opened that door even more.” “There’s no—that we know of now—single drug or therapy that we can give or do to cure this disease. We work to support 2020 SUMMER | 57
