The Cleveland Browns today announced that the team and University Hospitals have selected three local health care heroes to be the team's special guests at Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay on Sunday, February 7. The University Hospitals staff members were identified by UH leadership and ultimately selected in recognition of their unwavering commitment to the community and for making impactful personal and professional sacrifices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to tickets to Super Bowl LV, University Hospitals' Dr. Rana Hejal (Medical Director of UH Cleveland Medical Center's Medical Intensive Care Unit),Rolando Mirandilla (registered nurse at UH Parma Medical Center) and Catherine Wilson (emergency room assistant nurse manager at UH Cleveland Medical Center) will receive complementary airfare and hotel accommodations, courtesy of the Browns and NFL, in testament to their tireless service and exceptional care, particularly during the past year.
Select health care workers from around the country, including local health care heroes invited by NFL clubs, will take part in various Super Bowl LV festivities at Raymond James Stadium. All health care workers attending Super Bowl LV will have completed their COVID-19 vaccination prior to traveling to Tampa Bay.
"We are so very proud that Rana, Catherine and Rolando will represent UH's amazing health care workers at the Super Bowl," said Dr. Daniel Simon, UH Chief Clinical & Scientific Officer and President of UH Cleveland Medical Center. "We are so thankful for the generosity of the NFL and Cleveland Browns in honoring our dedicated, resilient and compassionate caregivers who have sacrificed so much during this long and challenging pandemic."
"We are incredibly grateful for the consistent and remarkable efforts of all of our country's frontline workers throughout the pandemic, including our local health care heroes," said Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic. "While everyone has faced challenges this year, we have been honored to highlight many commendable individuals and groups during the 2020 season, and we are excited to close the season by thanking these three local UH representatives for their admirable work with a unique Super Bowl experience."
"As the NFL season culminates in Tampa Bay, we are thanking our health care heroes who have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President of Club Business and League Events. "We are honored to salute those who have demonstrated dedication, commitment and courage and deserve our deepest gratitude and admiration."
Throughout the pandemic, the Browns have strived to recognize all frontline workers through various initiatives, including the "Hats Off to Our Heroes" campaign. The team also worked diligently with University Hospitals experts, along with various medical, sports and other relevant industry leaders, to implement comprehensive policies and best practices at the team's facility in Berea and FirstEnergy Stadium designed to keep everyone – players, coaches, staff, fans and the entire community – as safe and healthy as possible. The team collaborated with UH to select three deserving individuals for the Super Bowl LV experience in appreciation of these ongoing efforts.
University Hospitals became the Cleveland Browns' Official Health Care Partner in 2013. Since that time, UH and the UH Sports Medicine team have been dedicated to helping the Browns on and off the field, including through their support of various health and safety programs focusing on youth and high school sports and other important community initiatives.
More about the three University Hospitals health care heroes attending Super Bowl LV:
Dr. Rana Hejal, Medical Director, MICU, UH Cleveland Medical Center – Dr. Hejal has spent the past 23 years with University Hospitals and serves the Northeast Ohio community as a pulmonary and critical care doctor. She currently resides in Pepper Pike.
"Who is my favorite team? The best team is the team we work with at UH," said Dr. Hejal. "The amount of camaraderie we have seen across UH departments and locations is phenomenal. We get burned out, but we lift each other up."
Rolando Mirandilla, registered nurse at Parma Medical Center – Mirandilla, a die-hard Cleveland sports fan, will be experiencing his first professional football game in-person when attending Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. Mirandilla has been with UH for 17 years and lives in Cleveland.
Catherine Wilson, emergency room assistant nurse manager at UH Cleveland Medical Center – Wilson, who calls North Royalton home, has been with University Hospitals for 14 years. She hoped to further challenge herself through her dedication to Northeast Ohio patients and transferred to her current role in the emergency room one month prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wilson shared that she is honored and excited to have the opportunity to attend Super Bowl LV but also wishes her entire team could join her. "I couldn't do this job without the people I work with," she said.
More about Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay:
Health and safety precautions such as increased physical distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene stations, first aid areas and directional signage will all be in place to create a safe environment for all individuals attending Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. For more information on gameday COVID-19 protocols visit www.nfl.com/super-bowl/event-info/fan-gameday-playbook.
All activities during Super Bowl week, including gameday, will be conducted in accordance with CDC and local health guidelines.
