Chicago Bears, Advocate Aurora Health to send vaccinated health care workers to Super Bowl
The Chicago Bears and Advocate Aurora Health, in conjunction with the National Football League, have selected four Chicago-area vaccinated health care heroes to attend Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay.
“Our frontline team members provided healing and hope as they worked through the pandemic to keep their communities safe and healthy. Now they're leading the way again, showing that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is our way out of the pandemic and back to the activities we love,” Advocate Aurora Health Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Jo Golson said. “This once-in-a-lifetime experience is yet another example of how our partnership with the Bears helps us give back to those who've given so much, while promoting the importance of public health best practices like vaccination.”
Select health care workers from around the country were invited by NFL Clubs to take part in various Super Bowl LV festivities at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.
Recently surprised with the invitation from former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, the participants from Advocate Aurora include:
• Shawndra Ferrell, who is a home health nurse with Advocate Trinity Hospital in Cihcago. As a palliative care home health nurse, Ferrell's focus is optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious illnesses. Following her second dose of the vaccine, she said, “I got mine to protect my family, to protect myself and to protect your loved ones in my care.”
• Carl Paige, who is in facility operations at Advocate Trinity Hospital. For over 15 years, Paige has been a maintenance mechanic at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago. Since the pandemic began, he has gone the extra mile to cover for quarantined co-workers and help maintain a clean environment. He recently was vaccinated to help keep the hospital a safe space for patients and his fellow team members who care for them.
• Alicja and Jacob Salman, who are hospitalists at various Advocate Aurora locations. This married clinician duo has been on the front lines since the beginning of the pandemic and have treated over 1,000 COVID-19 patients between them. Recently, the couple got their vaccine together. They agree that, “This is the solution, this is the way out of the pandemic.”
Watch as @peanuttillman surprises them at twitter.com/AdvocateAurora/status/1353379173478379521
Health and safety precautions such as increased physical distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene stations, first aid areas and directional signage will be in place to create a safe environment for all individuals in attendance. For more information on Super Bowl LV gameday COVID-19 protocols, visit www.nfl.com/super-bowl/event-info/fan-gameday-playbook.
All activities during Super Bowl week, including gameday, will be conducted in accordance with CDC and local health guidelines.