As a leading provider of health care in our community, we know the reliability of the health care system is a critical component in the fight against new pandemics. To have an effective health care infrastructure, it is critical to have a healthy workforce.

Norton Infectious Diseases Institute is leading a groundbreaking research study to gain a clearer understanding of short- and long-term effects of COVID-19 on front-line health care workers during a global pandemic. This research is paramount to be able to properly support providers across our system of more than 16,500 employees and in the future to evaluate the effects of interventions such as vaccination.

Since COVID-19 is a multisystem disease, this effort seeks to study the short- and long-term impact of COVID-19 and its presumed effects on the physical and mental health of health care workers.

Study Basics

A Team Rooted in Robust Research Experience

Norton Healthcare and the UofL Center of Excellence for Research in Infectious Diseases (CERID) have created a research team that brings its expertise to this study. Together these organizations have long and successful histories of conducting groundbreaking population health research that has benefited this community and impacted outcomes nationally.

While many health care organizations locally and nationally were furloughing staff both in clinical and nonclinical positions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Norton Healthcare invested heavily in the health and well-being of its employees through resources and serving as an early adopter of streamlined COVID-19 testing through our testing partnership with the UofL School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases. Through this study, Norton Healthcare seeks to continue to create innovative, best-in-class standards, protocols and resources for health care workers to strengthen our field during this pandemic and any we face in the future.

Research Team

Paul S. Schulz, M.D.
Principal Investigator
Medical Director, Norton Infectious Diseases Institute

Julio Ramirez, M.D., FACP
Subinvestigator
Division Chief, UofL School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases

Ashley Wilde, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID
Subinvestigator
Norton Infectious Diseases Institute

Ruth Carrico, Ph.D., FSHEA, APRN, CIC
UofL School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases

Laura Guy
Project Manager, Norton Healthcare

Michelle Rose
Project Manager, Norton Healthcare