In The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s biocontainment unit, a physician is donning personal protective equipment designed to protect her from airborne pathogens. Staff members affix a respirator around her waist and help place the hood over her head.

During the most intense months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unwieldy equipment allowed health care practitioners to treat patients without coming into direct contact with the coronavirus.

However, on this day, Lisa Egbuonu-Davis isn’t treating a patient. As a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s board of trustees, the health care executive is participating in Live the Mission, an afternoon of demonstrations and interactive experiences with Johns Hopkins faculty members who are working on cutting edge research and clinical care.

During Live the Mission, which took place Feb. 29, 17 board members were accompanied by Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Dean Theodore DeWeese and Johns Hopkins Health System President Kevin Sowers. A collaboration between a team in DeWeese’s office and the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Live the Mission offered trustees a chance to meet faculty members and glimpse some groundbreaking programs. Trustees also were given white coats emblazoned with the Johns Hopkins Medicine name and logo.

“These experiences will underscore your pride in Johns Hopkins,” DeWeese said to the group. “They’ll bring you back to why we’re here: to change the world.”

Egbuonu-Davis was part of a group of trustees who followed Lisa Maragakis, professor of medicine and epidemiology, on a tour of the biocontainment unit. Maragakis spoke about Johns Hopkins’ work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as her team’s preparation for whatever the next pandemic may bring.

Trustees also toured the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute and the Center of Excellence for Ophthalmic Surgical Education and Training (OphSet) at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. They heard presentations on the future of digital medicine for patients with heart disease, about an innovative approach to cancer pathology, and on teaching the next generation of eye surgeons and responding to pediatric trauma.

Philanthropist Mayo Shattuck, board chairman and former CEO of Constellation energy company, called the event “an opportunity to get back to the reasons we’re on this board.” When he visited Wilmer’s OphSet lab, he performed a pretend eye surgery with a 3D simulator.

Board member Charles Scheeler, a former federal prosecutor and a retired partner at DLA Piper, chairs the board at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and has served in many volunteer roles at The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine for more than 30 years. 

“I’ve never seen an organization with so many people connected with its mission,” he says. “We teach, we heal, we discover. Everybody gets it. I’ve been involved with a lot of organizations and I can say that no one does it better than Hopkins. Today has really left me excited about the future of medicine.”

Adrienne Cappello, senior director of central development and constituent engagement at Johns Hopkins Medicine, led the team that organized the event for the board of trustees. For nearly 10 years, Live the Mission has provided opportunities for government, funders and philanthropists to engage directly with Johns Hopkins expert researchers and clinicians.

“We wanted to give our incredible trustees a chance to experience more than just a sit-down talk from some experts,” she says. “Instead, we were able to offer them a look into some of the amazing things that happen at Johns Hopkins. This was a good way to reconnect them to the mission they’re supporting.”

Trustee Marjorie Rodgers Cheshire, principal and partner at Baltimore’s A&R Development Corporation, says she was reminded “how fortunate we are to live in a city with this level of health care.”

During the Live the Mission program, she heard Isam Nasr and Erica Hodgman talk about treating pediatric trauma.

“I was really struck by the lengths that Johns Hopkins will go to make sure all kids have access to this life-saving care,” she says. “Closing that equity gap is so, so important in our city. This is a reminder that, yes, Johns Hopkins is a world class research hospital. But it’s also East Baltimore’s community hospital. That makes me proud to be part of this board.”