The American College of Spine Surgery, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting education and training in spine surgery, has donated N95 respirator masks to all doctors who are members of the organization, according to a recent post on the nonprofit’s Instagram page.
The masks were mailed to doctors all over the United States, according to a source. The delivery included a card for each doctor that verified their membership and read: “Stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Thousands of spine and neurosurgeons were probably pleasantly surprised to receive a safety mask demonstrating that every doctor’s health is a priority for American College of Spine Surgery. Healthcare workers carry a particularly high risk of contracting the coronavirus due to the nature of their work.
As of May 29, there are over one million cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and over 100,000 people have died from the virus. There is no definite end in sight as the world waits for a vaccine, but healthcare officials continue to recommend wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
American College of Spine Surgery was founded in 1999 and according to its website, its objectives include promoting suitable and appropriate spine surgery training, sponsoring educational programs in spine surgery and accrediting residency and fellowship training programs in spine surgery.
The organization also has a open access scholarly journal published through the University of California called Back Bone.
Chief of orthopedic spine surgery at UCLA School of Medicine Dr. A. Nick Shamie is the current president of American College of Spine Surgery.
