Ensights Magazine

Dr. Shannon Niedermeyer

Alumni Profile: Dr. Shannon Niedermeyer '02

Kirby Wiley '10
The passions and professions of our alumni reflect the lasting impact of our school’s Mission statement. Read on to see how three Ensworth alumni are facing current challenges and opportunities. Shannon Neidermeyer ’02 is profiled regarding her experience on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Dr. Shannon Niedermeyer ‘02 is used to taking care of some of the sickest patients who come to the hospital. After completing her residency at Duke University in 2019, Shannon began her fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Pulmonary and Critical Care where she mostly sees patients who are suffering from lung disease and other life-threatening illnesses.
 
Since COVID-19 first hit the Baltimore area, her work has been almost entirely with coronavirus patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit, most of whom require prolonged support on mechanical ventilation.
 
“If a [COVID-19] patient is sick enough to need ICU-level care, we anticipate a long duration of illness. This cannot be understated,” says Shannon. “Even though it’s a small portion of patients with COVID-19 that get really, really sick, it’s tragic and life-altering and devastating for that person and their family. While this is also the case in traditional ICU care, there are certain aspects of COVID-19 care that make it unique for providers, patients, and families.”
 
Like many medical facilities across the world, coronavirus forced Johns Hopkins to completely change the way the hospital runs. From creating new intensive care units throughout the hospital to recruiting fellows who were primarily doing research back into a clinical setting.
 
“Taking care of these patients is tough, emotionally, but also physically because of the personal protective equipment required for providers,” explains Niedermeyer. “We have broken it up into shift work so that nobody is in the hospital for more than 12 hours at a time, and nobody is working more than four days in a row.”
 
Shannon says one of the most emotionally challenging things as a provider is fighting a virus that is still so new, with no known treatment.
 
“There’s no—that we know of now—single drug or therapy that we can give or do to cure this disease. We work to support their breathing, support their blood pressure if they need it, support other organs that might fail. Ultimately we are left closely monitoring the patient and hoping that our support is enough to get them through. This, I think, is emotionally challenging for providers.”
 
As the pandemic continues to bring new challenges to individuals and communities across the world, Niedermeyer says there are a few positive things she’s seen come out of the crisis.
 
“In ICU care in general, your day is filled caring for the critically ill,” she says. “You really have to hold it together as you go from room to room to talk to each family. In the world of physicians, the emphasis and importance of talking about workplace stress have increased over the last few years. I think this pandemic has really opened that door even more.”
Back

Share This Article

List of 4 news stories.