Dear Federal, State, and Local Representatives,

            COVID-19 continues to remain a threat in many regions of the United States of America. As the number of cases rise, the impact and demands on health care workers will grow.

In order to continue to support this serious need, healthcare professionals will go above and beyond their area of expertise and do the best they can to help patients and save lives. All healthcare professionals are asking federal, state and local governments to support them by adopting a special provision for “malpractice forgiveness” similar to “Good Samaritan” practices for these individuals who are doing the best they can to save lives of suffering patients in a time of dire need. This is extremely urgent and important for the continued support of health care professionals.

            All healthcare facilities including hospitals across the country are taking actions to prepare for the growing demands of this pandemic. Nevertheless, there is still a great concern that the country will not have the resources to take care of the cases that will overwhelm our hospitals. It is well known that the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) is in high demand and our supplies may not last. Even more importantly, there is also a critical concern of not having enough expert healthcare professionals.

            Physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, technologists, and many other health care workers are on the front lines taking care of patients with COVID-19. Unquestionably, health care workers in the emergency room setting & ICU/pulmonary units are at highest risk of exposure to COVID-19. As exposures occur, these highly trained individuals will be quarantined and will not be able to deliver excellent health care.

            As we have seen in other countries, there will be a shortage in these specialized health care workers. Others will be requested or required to fill the staffing vacancies. However, these individuals will not have the same experience and skill set as the ones who routinely work on these units. This will mean that physicians, midlevel providers, nurses, and many others will be working in units that they normally do not work in due to the growing demand and potential quarantine status of many health care workers.

            Health care workers will be asked to step into roles they would not normally fill when shortages develop. In order to support this need, there must be malpractice forgiveness for these individuals who are doing the best they can to care for patients in a time of dire need. When health care professionals are required to perform in roles they don’t normally perform, there must be a special provision to protect them from litigation.

            Healthcare professionals continue to go above and beyond their roles and hope that a shortage of appropriately trained health care workers does not arise. However, this scenario has occurred in other countries and could certainly happen in the USA. We must protect these professionals from litigation! It is urgent, appropriate and important. Healthcare professionals are being put on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, and lawmakers can support them by providing the legal protection that they need to help treat and save human lives.

Sincerely,

Your Health Care Professionals