The Washington Times - Freshman Sen. Ben Sasse Honors Ebola Doctor with State of the Union Invite

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A freshman senator will honor the doctors and nurses on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak by welcoming one of them as his guest Tuesday night at the State of the Union Address.

Sen. Ben Sasse, Nebraska Republican, invited Dr. Philip Smith to join him for President Obama's speech.

Dr. Smith is medical director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's biocontainment unit, which treated three Ebola patients last year.

"The courage, precision, and hard work of these doctors, nurses, and medical professionals saved lives, educated health providers, and calmed public fears," Mr. Sasse said.

The senator highlighted the Omaha facility as one of four specially trained biocontainment hospital in the country. Those facilities were thrust into the spotlight last year, when several doctors and aides fighting Ebola in West Africa were infected and rushed home for treatment.

Two nurses from Dallas caught the virus on American soil, but recovered after treatment in Atlanta and Bethesda, Maryland.

Ebola has died down in areas of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, but continues to rage in isolated hot spots. So far, it has claimed nearly 8,500 lives in the trio of nations.

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