CYPRESS, Calif., March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On March 20, AAGL (American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists), the premier organization in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery with membership of over 7,000 physicians worldwide, hosted a publicly available global webinar for physician to physician discussion of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Crisis.
Front line physicians from China, France, Italy, Korea, Spain and the US gathered live via virtual operations to present their experiences, insights and recommendations. These valuable and unfiltered contributions of each participant come at a vital point in time as the United States and the world gear up to battle COVID-19.
Moderators Jubilee Brown, MD, President of AAGL and Professor at Atrium Health, and Linda D. Bradley, MD, Cleveland Clinic, presided over the critical exchange of information and facilitated questions and answers from physicians listening live from around the world.
The webinar now has over 11,000 views and presented a sobering reality. Dr. Marcello Ceccaroni of Verona, Italy, shared the extreme strain placed on the medical system and staggering loss of life. He stated that Italy is "in the middle of a huge storm and the worst has yet to come". Dr. Pere Barri from Spain reported that despite a tremendous collaboration between private and public hospitals in Spain, there are not enough ICU beds for the expected number of patients and not enough personal protective measures for doctors. Italy, China, and Spain report that a significant number of doctors are infected and unable to treat patients. Additional contributions echoed the severity and overwhelm of the medical systems in their countries and the demand on doctors of all specialties.
In the United States, Drs. Derek Raghavan and Catherine L. Passaretti of Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina discussed preparations being made by US medical communities and their assessment of a need for more ICU beds and protective gear. From the state of Washington, Dr. Barbara Goff documented the staggering reality of what is happening in Seattle and their preparations for the surge in hospitalizations expected around April 10.
This historical, must-see webinar is available on AAGL's Online Video Platform – SurgeryU and on the AAGL Facebook page.
Webinar Highlights (3 minutes): https://www.aagl.org/news/covid-19-webinar-highlights/
Full version (120 minutes): https://surgeryu.com/public/covid19
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AAGL is a professional medical association of laparoscopic surgeons and is the global leader in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. AAGL's mission is to elevate the quality and safety of health care for women through excellence in clinical practice, education, research, innovation, and advocacy. For the last 51 years, the AAGL has created a culture of contribution among its members and facilitated a worldwide exchange of information regarding gynecological breakthroughs and best practices. These trusted, professional relationships and long earned respect for each other's medical expertise made the formation of this webinar possible. Find out more about the AAGL at: http://www.aagl.org.
For more information please contact Linda Michels, Executive Director, AAGL, at 714-503-6204 or [email protected].
SOURCE AAGL
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