July 5, 2020

Dear Superintendent Davis and Hillsborough County School Board:

As a concerned group of Pediatricians and Physicians serving children and teachers/staff in Hillsborough
County, we urge you to mandate masks and face coverings in our public schools during this global
pandemic of COVID-19. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations in COVID-19 Planning
Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry (attached) indicate that masks and face coverings are high
priority for elementary, middle, and high school students. Exemptions to wearing masks for children
with individualized education plans or with medical conditions that would prohibit safe and effective use
of masks should be handled on a case-by-case basis. Though some of our youngest (pre-school and
kindergarten) students may be initially unable to wear a mask the full school day, with time and proper
modeling, many of these young students may be able to properly wear masks when social distancing is
not possible. At a population level, masks are undeniably useful at reducing cases of COVID-19 in our
community. Mask usage is most effective when all persons wear them, and families that chose to not
wear masks endanger others by risking asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic spread of the virus.
Mandating masks in our schools can: 1) prevent spread of viral infection that will compromise the
health of children, their families and school employees, 2) reduce outbreaks that will threaten school or
classroom closure 3) prevent unnecessary time off work for parents, staff and teachers, and 4) save
health care resources of our pediatric practices which will be tasked with testing and clearing students
for return to school.

We appreciate the hard work of our educators and administrators in Hillsborough County. We value the
guidance and commitment of our School Board to make schools safe, accessible, and academically
robust. We hope that you will follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and
make masks and face coverings required for students and faculty in our schools.

https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-
19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/

Sincerely,

1. Anne M. Lenz, MD (Pediatrician, Endocrinology)

2. Tiffany Hernandez, MD (General Pediatrician)
3. Kiersten Hartlage, MD (General Pediatrician)
4. Leigh J. Ruth, MD (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
5. Sapnalaxmi Amin, MD (Family Medicine)
6. Rachel Irby, MD (Internal Medicine, Infectious disease)
7. Alisa Pierce-Kee, MD (General Pediatrician)
8. Grace Dougan, MD (Pediatrician, Endocrinology)
9. Rebecca Pruitt, MD (General Pediatrician)
10. Karina A. Parilo, MD (Family Medicine)
11. Shikha Sharma, MD (Internal Medicine)
12. Crystal Jacovino, DO (Internal Medicine)
13. Elisa Thompson, MD, FAAFP (Family Medicine)
14. Lindsey Bowser, MD (Family Medicine)
15. Melinda Murphy, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
16. Monique Sajjad, DO (Hematology-Oncology)
17. Eric Schilling, DO (Pulmonary Critical Care)
18. Paul Nanda, MD (Urgent Care Medicine)
19. Leslie Turner, MD (Pathology)
20. Edgard Janer, MD (Rheumatology)
21. Richard Wilde, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
22. Preeti Kallu, MD (Internal Medicine)
23. Heather Simpson Khanna, MD (Adult and Adolescent Psychiatry)
24. Amanda Sergay, MD (Dermatology)
25. Lilly Chang, MD, DDS (Pediatric CranioMaxillofacial Surgery)
26. Eva Gupta, MD (Hematology-Oncology)
27. Parul Aneja, MD (Infectious Disease)
28. Anil Chopra, MD (Infectious Disease)
29. Kate Knupp, MD (Internal Medicine, Pediatrics)
30. Catherine Kubiak, MD (Allergy Immunology)
31. Maria del Pilar Cekan, MD (Family Medicine)
32. Alex Anton, MD (General Pediatrics)
33. Jacqueline Hartman, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
34. Christina Paulson, MD (General Pediatrician)
35. Shara Young, MD (OB-Gyn)
36. Catherine Hough-Telford, MD (General Pediatrician)
37. Rachel Rapkin, MD, MPH (OG-Gyn)
38. Andrew Galligan, MD (Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)
39. Lisa Rush, MD (General Pediatrician)
40. Matt Minick, MD (General Pediatrician)
41. Francesca Sabia, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
42. Eliana Piedrahita-Llano, MD (General Pediatrician)
43. Gwennaelle A. Wilson, MD, MPH, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
44. Mary Chrisochos, DO, FAAP (Pediatrician)
45. Jennifer White, MD (Psychiatry)
46. Bhumi Kumar, DO, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
47. Elizabeth Harris, MD (General Pediatrician)
48. Natasha Hughes, MD (General Pediatrician)
49. Nay Hoche, MD (OB-Gyn)
50. Madhurima Sanka, DO (Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology)
51. Sheila Mak, DO (General Pediatrician)
52. Rachel Epstein, DO, FAAD, FACMS (Dermatology)
53. Celia Williams, DO (General Pediatrics)
54. Solimar Salud, MD (General Pediatrics)
55. Lauren Sequeira, MD (Family Medicine)
56. David Van, DO (Family Medicine)
57. Ria Ross, DO (Dermatology)
58. Jennifer Pesce, MD (General Pediatrician)
59. Tracey DeLucia, MD, PhD, FAAOS (Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery)
60. Danita Wongchantara, MD (Primary Care Medicine and Pediatrics)
61. Julie Dekle, MD (General Pediatrician)
62. Ashley McPhie, MD (General Pediatrician)
63. Sara Ansari, DO (General Pediatrician)
64. Anjali Nirmalani-Gandhy, MD (Child Psychiatry)
65. Ana Maria Oliva, MD (Ophthalmology)
66. Beena Wilkins, MD (General Pediatrician)
67. Rosmery Victoria, DO (Family Medicine)
68. Jennifer Sawka, MD (General Pediatrician)
69. Carolyn Robinson, MD, FAAP (Pediatrician, Pulmonology)
70. Theresa Dam Lohmiller, MD (Family Medicine)
71. Jean Del Valle, MD (Child Psychiatry)
72. Laura Cruse, MD (Rheumatology)
73. Denise Edward, MD (Internal Medicine- Pediatrics)
74. Tsu-Hui Lin, MD (Pediatrics, Endocrinology)
75. Kelly Grabbe, DO (Emergency Medicine)
76. Lisa Hayes, DO (General Pediatrician)
77. Maliena Longley, MD (Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology)
78. Dolores Razman, MD (General Pediatrician)
79. Michelle Mendoza, MD (Emergency Medicine)
80. Julie Hallanger Johnson, MD (Endocrinology)
81. Lisa Champoux-Rhoden, MD (General Pediatrician)
82. Kimberly Hartney, MD (Psychiatry)
83. Marsha Ramsay, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrician)
84. Shahla Escobar, MD (Pediatric Anesthesiology)
85. R. Meredith Plant, MD, FCAAP (General Pediatrician)
86. Dana Obzut, MD (Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)
87. Sami Nallamshetty, MD (Allergy and Immunology)
88. Elizabeth Arrington, MD (Dermatology)
89. Stephanie Lewis, MD (Anesthesiology)
90. Sherley Valdez Arroyo, MD (Neurology)
91. Shelley Jaquish, MD (Otolaryngology)
92. Kristen Lagor, MD (General Pediatrician)
93. Dawn Palaszewski, MD (Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology)
94. Yvonne Latimer, MD (Family Medicine)
95. Paola Dees, MD, FAAP (Pediatrician, Hospitalist)
96. Galina Shistik, MD (Dermatology)
97. Elimarys Perez-Colon, MD (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
98. Mona Mangat, MD (Allergy and Immunology)
99. Glenda Parker, MD (Internal Medicine)
100. Leelakrishna Nallamshetty, MD (Radiology)
101. Eric Lenz, MD (Radiology)
102. Mark Hartney, MD (Surgery)
103. Jody Coonradt Barris, DO (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
104. Christine Clark, MD, FAAP (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
105. Tasmia Ahmed, MD (Family Medicine)
106. Laura Arline, MD FAAP, FACP (Pediatrics and Internal Medicine)
107. Beverly Deliz-Tirado, MD (Nephrology)
108. Noah DeVicente, MD (Gastroenterology)
109. Christina Stamoolis, MD (Family Medicine)
110. Sylvia Campbell, MD (Surgery)
111. Samantha Schaefer, MD (Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)
112. Lisa Cronin, MD (General Pediatrics)
113. Stanley Rosenthal, DO (General Pediatrics)
114. Marcy Solomon Baker, MD (General Pediatrics)
115. Kimberly Ginsberg Smoak, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrics)
116. Richard J. Sheridan, MD (Neonatologist)
117. John S. Curran, MD, FAAP (Pediatrician)
118. Laura Weathers, MD (Pediatrician)
119. Karen Paltoo, DO (Pediatrician)
120. Nancy Simons Ling, MD (Dermatologic Surgery)
121. Russell Radtke, MD (Pediatric Emergency Medicine)
122. Laura Levitt, MD (General Pediatrician)
123. Carina Rodriguez, MD (Pediatric Infectious Disease)
124. Mohan Rao, MD (Pediatrician, Neonatologist)
125. Enrique Escobar, MD (Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology)
126. Patricia J. Emmanuel, MD (Pediatrics, Infectious Disease)
127. Suzanne Jackman, MD (Pediatrics, Endocrinology)
128. Matthew Gates, MD (Pediatrics Resident)
129. Claudia Espinosa, MD (Pediatric Infectious Disease)
130. Dalys Gilling, MD (Pediatrician)
131. Christopher Griffith, MD (Pediatrician, Geneticist)
132. Tara M. Randis, MD, MS (Pediatrician, Neonatologist)
133. Phan Lindsey, MD (Pediatrician)
134. Maya Balakrishnan, MD, CSSBB (Pediatrician, Neonatologist)
135. Tony Kriseman, MD (Pediatric Pulmonologist)
136. Yanina Abaunza Fiallos, MD (Pediatrician)
137. Laura Drach, DO (Pediatrician)
138. Tanya Murphy, MD, MS (Psychiatry)
139. Esther Tatoy, MD (Pediatrician)
140. Jameson Kuang, MD (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
141. Juan Felipe Rico, MD (Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)
142. Carol M. Lilly, MD, MPH (Pediatrician)
143. Nicole Dinescu, DO (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
144. Mahad Mohammed, DO (Internal Medicine-Pediatrics)
145. Hugo Narvarte, MD (Internal Medicine- Pediatrics)
146. Erin Burgasser APRN (Pediatrics)
147. Patricia O’Brien MD, PhD, FAAP (Pediatrics)
148. Emma Westermann-Clark, MD (Allergy/Immunology)
149. Sagarika Nallu, MD (Pediatric Neurology)
150. Jennifer Takagishi, MD (Pediatrics)
151. Amy L. Weiss, MD, MPH (Pediatrics)
152. Beatriz A. Sankey, MD, MPH (Pediatrics)
153. Alfonso Campos, MD (Pediatric Nephrologist)
154. Karen Wickline, MD (Pediatrician)
155. Antoinette C. Spoto-Cannons, MD, FAAP (Pediatrician)
156. Don Eslin, MD (Pediatric Hematology-Oncology)
157. Carolyn L. Marasco, MD (Pediatrician)
158. Nicole Mulheron, MD (Pediatrician)
159. Monica Sams, DO (Pediatrician)
160. Karen Wickline, MD (Pediatrician, Neonatology)
161. Brooke Bavinger, MD (Pediatrician)
162. Julie Shamas, MD (Emergency Medicine)
163. Panida Sriaroon, MD (Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology)
164. Karin Hotchkiss, MD, FACS (Otolaryngology)