Society Honors Ebola Heroes

Society Honors Ebola Heroes

The Dallas County Medical Society honored two of Dallas’ Ebola heroes on Thursday night at a ceremony where members also welcomed their 132nd president.

Dr. Ed Goodman received the Charles Max Cole, MD, Leadership Award and Rev. George Mason received the Millard J. and Robert L. Heath Award for outstanding leadership and service to the community and profession of medicine.
Dr. Goodman, the chief of infection control at Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, was a critical asset during the Dallas Ebola crisis, merging his efforts to make the hospital Centers for Disease Control compliant with on-demand preparations and extensive post-crisis training, teaching and cultivation of best practices and lessons-learned. Dr. Goodman is internationally recognized for his work in the field of infection control and prevention.

Rev. Mason, the senior pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, assisted Louise Troh and family through the difficult loss of fiancé Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with the Ebola Virus in the United States, and the family’s subsequent relocation. Rev. Mason has selflessly served the Dallas community since 1989 and is the founder of Healing Hands Clinic, which provides weekly health screening and immunizations to people in need.

The Dallas Ebola crisis challenged health providers and the skills of city, county and state professionals. Overwhelming clinical successes and a few missteps provided opportunities that have better prepared everyone involved for any future large scale crisis.
“We’ve identified problems that we didn’t know even existed prior to experiencing the situation firsthand, as well as many best practices that are still evolving,” stated Dr. Goodman. “We were as prepared as we could possibly be.”

Caring for a family in the midst of unknown risks is not an easy task, but Rev. Mason and his congregation assisted Louise Troh and family in their journey of grief and loss, while helping calm a concerned city and nation.

Rev. Mason focused on the restoration of humanity and empathy during the family’s isolation and ongoing challenges.

“It was up to us, not just to contain infectious diseases, but to bring wholeness to the community,” said Rev. Mason. “My goal was to help everyone involved become whole again.”

The Dallas County Medical Society is a professional organization of some 7,200 local physicians, medical students and residents dedicated to serving Dallas and works to unite and empower medical professionals to support the health of all residents.

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