CLEVELAND — Family and friends of Cleveland Clinic healthcare workers welcomed back their loved ones with hugs, smiles, relief and flowers after working overseas at the clinic’s Abu Dhabi location.
A team of 40 frontline medical staff workers, including nurses, physicians and allied health professionals were greeted by family and friends at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Tuesday.
The dedicated team of healthcare workers spent more than a month in Abu Dhabi, taking care of patients who contracted COVID-19.
While caring for the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients, hospital staff shared key learnings and experiences about what it’s like to manage the disease in the United States, while also learning what progress was made in testing and treating the virus in the United Arab Emirates.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been designated as a tier-three hospital by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, to care for patients with the most severe symptoms, the hospital said.
“I want to thank these remarkable physicians, who are willing to cross oceans to assist people. By working together, hospitals around the world will be able to better understand this disease and the most effective ways to treat it. We are grateful to the authorities and people of Abu Dhabi for their warm welcome and willingness to share their insights with us," said Herb Wiedemann, chief of staff at Cleveland Clinic in the U, at the time of their departure to Abu Dhabi.
