Thanksgiving this year will look much different for many of us. No traditional dinner with extended family. No visits from in-laws and friends, and tough decisions about how to safely welcome home college-age children.

The warning lights that have flashed yellow for weeks, now show as solid red. Maryland is seeing a dramatic rise in both COVID cases and hospitalizations—prompting the state to tighten public health measures and announce a surge plan for hospitals.

It now seems Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States. What will this mean for the hospital field, and for health care in Maryland?

The recent spike in coronavirus cases in Maryland and nationwide puts your hospitals and dedicated caregivers in the spotlight again. Our state’s strong support for hospital workers was on view this week when Gov. Larry Hogan visited Mercy Medical Center to thank them, as a representative of all our hospitals, during National Respiratory Care Week. It’s great to see him acknowledging hospitals’ central role in the ongoing fight against COVID.