Our Public Medical Leaders Must Speak Out Concerning Governor Christi’s Ebola Policies

Rutgers Medical Chancellor Brian Strom, M.D., Deans Robert Johnson, M.D., New Jersey Medical School, Vicente H. Gracias, M.D. RWJ School of Medicine; and Thomas A Cavalieri, DO, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, why don't you speak out concerning the medical response to the Ebola epidemic and what steps we need to take to protect people outside the epidemic area and to help treat and manage the epidemic in West Africa?  You are the leaders of academic medicine in New Jersey and we have not heard a single statement on containment or treatment of the Ebola epidemic from you. 

The President and the Democrats just suffered a major electoral defeat with all of the Democratic candidates “running” from the President’s policies and distancing themselves from him.  In New Jersey, with respect to the Ebola response, do we have a very similar phenomenon occurring—all of our healthcare leaders staying silent with regard to Governor Christi’s Ebola isolation policy?  I have said many times that I believe the Governor is scientifically correct and politically brave for taking the stand on forced isolation to protect the people living in N.J.  But who am I—just a professor at the New Jersey Medical School-Rutgers University.  Where are the voices of our medical public health leaders—Drs. Strom, Johnson, Gracias and Cavalieri?

I am not talking about freedom of speech, which is something we all enjoy in our country; I am speaking of one of the obligations of being an academic leader—can you stay silent when we, the people of your State need your opinions.  Is this not an integral part of your position?  With opinions coming from the Federal healthcare leaders and the President contradicting our Governor’s position, aren’t you obliged to speak out?  Or, do you disagree with the Governor and are simply remaining silent?  You are accomplished public health officials and academics who have an obligation to speak out—support or disagree with our Governor, but remaining silent is shirking your responsibility to your academic community and the people of our State.

Steven Keller, Ph.D.

Tenured Professor New Jersey Medical School—Rutgers University