April 3, 2020
All of us at MSK are thinking of you and your family, and hope you are safe. As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, we recognize this is an unprecedented time. Now more than ever, we are grateful to you for your continued support and partnership.
I am writing to update you on how MSK is continuing to deliver exceptional cancer care. We are treating patients at our Manhattan campus as well as our regional facilities — and have stepped up to care for people with cancer who are transferred from other local hospitals that have become overcrowded.
Our highest priorities remain the health and safety of our patients and staff. People with cancer are at particularly high risk for COVID-19 due to the strain that cancer places on the immune system. As expected, we are treating many patients with the disease, including some who have developed severe cases. To protect our community from the virus as it continues to spread, we have invested in telemedicine so that more cancer patients can be treated at home.
To keep our amazing doctors, nurses, and other staff safe, we are providing protective masks to all employees at MSK clinical sites, and our procurement team is working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of the worldwide supply shortage. In addition, several weeks ago we shifted to a remote workplace for employees who do not engage in direct patient care. We have also canceled upcoming in-person events and are reimagining ways to meaningfully engage with our community. You may read about MSK’s response to COVID-19 here.
MSK was able to respond quickly to COVID-19 because we always think creatively on behalf of our patients. Our researchers have already launched new investigations to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19. More than a century of focusing on cancer has taught us that, working together, no disease is too big to tackle.
Thank you for your generosity that allows us to give our patients and staff what they need at this challenging time. Together, we will emerge even stronger.