Open Letter from MMC Medical Staff Regarding COVID-19

MMC Medical Staff Pens Letter to Community Regarding COVID

An open letter from the medical staff at MMC and other providers in our community: With the current surge of COVID-19 cases - specific to the variant - capacity issues, strained medical resources, testing fatigue, staff burnout, and less than 60% of the Ashland County population vaccinated, members of the medical staff feel an ethical obligation to encourage our communities to continue following precautions with COVID-19 and to get vaccinated.

Click the computer below to read their letter.

Dear Chequamegon Bay Community,

The medical staff of Memorial Medical Center live and work in this community for many reasons, but we all share a dedication to our patients and the health of this place we love. We are reaching out in concern about the surge of COVID cases in our community due to the Delta variant. This form of COVID is highly contagious and spreads easily, even causing breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals.

In our hospital and clinics, we’re seeing more people sick with COVID, some severely ill and requiring life support. Regional hospitals are also seeing many cases and are at or near capacity. This amount of illness is straining our medical resources. The steps we take to stop the spread are critical to ensuring our own health and the quality of care available for others.

Now more than ever we need to take important steps to protect ourselves from being infected, as each person who contacts the Delta variant will infect four others – leading to a lot of cases in a short amount of time:

1. Get vaccinated. The COVID vaccine is safe and highly effective against severe COVID. This is the best way to save yourself from hospitalization or death from COVID.

2. Wear a mask whenever indoors outside of your home. Masks work to reduce the spread while we’re doing our important activities of daily life. This is how our schools and businesses can safely stay open.

3. Stay six feet apart.

4. Wash your hands.

5. Stay home when you’re sick. Isolating during mild cases keeps others safe and allows you to heal.

We all wish COVID was over, but for now, we need to come together and do our part to keep this corner of the world the healthy place we love.

Thanks for your support and help,

MMC Medical Staff

Monica Lee, MD (Medical Staff President)

Leo Bay, DO

Scott Bennion, DO

John Boyle, MD

Beret Casey, MD

Chris Childs, MD

Tom Cunningham, MD

John Culliney, MD

Leah Danner, MD

Aanders Dommer, MD

Deb Dryer, MD

George Fall, MD

Craig Florine, MD

Jenna Fox, MD

Sharon Hammond, MD

Cindy Hart, MD

Theresa Hintze, PsyD

Elizabeth Homan, MD, MPH

Matthew Horning, MD

Kristie Johnson, MD

Stephen Kreuser, MD

Sam Kuchinka, MD

Meghan Kutz, MD

Jeffrey Lewis, MD

Kari Marks, PhD

Andy Matheus, MD

Kevin McClelland, MD

Dan Metcalf, MD

Katelyn Mohrbacher, MD

Kim Ogle, MD

Ann Reitz, MD

Steve Sampson, MD

Nate Schoeppach, MD

LeaAnn Schroeter, MD

Neil Schroeter, MD

Joseph Signorelli, MD

Mandeep Singh, MD

Mark Sneed, MD

Aistis Tumas, MD

Patrick Twomey, MD

Scott Warren, MD

John White, MD

*And many other providers in our communities

Looking for COVID-19 Resources?

Check out our COVID-19 resources page for information on where to get tested and vaccinated, patient testimonials, visitor restrictions, and more.