KEY INDUSTRIES
Johns Hopkins also served as a reliable source for information as it rolled out its Coronavirus Resource Center, tracking global and U. S. cases, deaths and key news announcements in addition to providing resources and expert insights for journalists, scientists, policymakers and members of the public. It even began offering free online classes and regularly updating training for practitioners, as its own experts joined those across the world who were researching the fallout from the pandemic and potential COVID-19 treatments.
Meanwhile, the University of Maryland Medical Center also worked to protect
and care for its patients, visitors, staff and community while allocating time and resources to pandemic-related tasks. For instance, the center rolled out a nurse call line dedicated to providing information about COVID-19— especially important as patients and residents had questions about care and safety— as well as developing other informational resources and guides. And the medical center offered these resources, all while still providing care in a range of specialties, even managing to secure its ranking among the best hospitals in the state on U. S. News & World Report’ s 2020 Best Hospitals Rankings.
Furthermore, as its faculty focused on the situation at hand, along with other faculty within the university system,
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center tracks global and national cases, deaths and vaccine doses administered.
Software development consultancy SmartLogic had been working on a webbased directory of resources for CharmCare, a free resource guide for Baltimore’ s vulnerable populations, since late 2019.
the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore was set to receive up to $ 3.6 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to“ rapidly test hundreds of drugs approved and marketed for other conditions to see whether any can be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19,” the state reported, in addition to its other testing and research projects.
But it wasn’ t just federal and academic entities that had to adjust. The Baltimore
City Health Department, like others across the country, also saw its priorities shift as its staff needed to communicate with the public about the evolving healthcare situation in response to an increased demand for information. Software development consultancy SmartLogic had been working on a web-based directory of resources for CharmCare, a free guide for Baltimore’ s vulnerable populations, since late 2019. But with the pandemic especially affecting members of these populations, and the demand for information from credible sources increasing, the team was able to adapt and add a section that would contain specific information about facilities for COVID-19.
The chief information officer at the Baltimore City Health Department, Mike Fried, subsequently told news organization Technical. ly that the partnership was“ yet another example of Baltimore’ s incredible technological capacity.”
Though 2020 had its share of dark days, including serious illnesses and deaths resulting from the pandemic, healthcare professionals continued to work— sometimes around the clock— to diagnose and treat patients, provide up-to-date information, and even research potential treatments and cures for COVID-19.
As the healthcare industry keeps adapting to the changing situation in the nation and in the world, Baltimoreans will continue to adjust to the demands of the fight. Whether they are at academic institutions and federal laboratories, at biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies, or even within the biomanufacturing sector, the area’ s innovative professionals can continue to tackle healthcare crises in Baltimore and around the globe. VB
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