Bio-Containment Unit Team at Nebraska Medicine marks important milestone
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Nebraska Medicine marked a milestone this week.
It was 10 years ago when the hospital treated its first patient in its biocontainment unit.
The patient, Dr. Rick Sacra, came back for the ceremony, and so did some members of the bio-containment unit team.
10 years ago, medical missionary Dr. Sacra high-fived his way out of Nebraska Medicine’s bio-containment unit after being treated for Ebola.
Dr. Sacra contracted the deadly disease while treating a patient in Liberia.
Dr. Sacra returned to Nebraska to celebrate his recovery, and to recognize the treatment he received from the bio-containment unit team.
“Oh, it’s just great to see everybody again, people who literally saved my life ten years ago.” Dr. Sacra said. “I consider them lifelong friends. They’re not just the people who took care of me in the hospital, they’re really friends.”
Jay Jevne is one of those friends.
10 years ago, Jevne was a CNA, in nursing school, and a member of the bio-containment unit.
“When I interviewed, I asked what kind of agents we’d be working with, and at the time there was a very short list of things and Ebola wasn’t on that list,” Jevne said.
But, Ebola made that list.
Dr. Sacra was the first patient treated at the unit.
“I felt good about our processes and the safety plan that we had in place, all the procedures and policies, so I wasn’t worried about that,” Jevne said. “I was kind of worried about school because I was in nursing school and that’s not very easy just doing that, and I had a wife and three kids at the time... four kids, actually.”
At the time, Jevne and his family lived with his mom and dad. They were a little jumpy when they learned of their son’s work with Ebola.
“It was kind of interesting that some of our friends I means nothing really obvious but at church or something people would keep their distance from us,” Jevne’s mother Carla said.
Jevne says he felt good about the procedures they had in place. He understood the apprehension, but he was sure his work would not harm his family.
“When he talked to us about the protocols that they used there at UNMC at least I was a little more comfortable with it,” Jevne said.
Jevne returned to Nebraska to see some of his old teammates, and to get a look at the Doctor he played a role in saving 10 years ago.
“When they’re able to walk out of the unit you know Dr. Sacra kind of had a big celebration when he was let out, and seeing all the team there and his family, and his desire to go back and help, here we saved a provider that can go back to Africa or where ever he needed go to save and help more people,” Jevne said.
Dr. Sacra says he will always appreciate members of Nebraska Medicine’s bio-containment unit team.
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