The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) have announced that they have engaged the services of medical experts to assist with COVID-19 safety planning and ensure that their members are protected.

The two unions will work with Dr. Mark Cunningham-Hill, Dr. Laura S. Welch, and Dr. Stephen J. Anderson, who have experience in protecting the health of employees and maintaining healthy workplaces.

In a joint statement both organizations said, “AGMA and SDC are ready to work together with our team of doctors and our signatory companies to navigate the complex decisions surrounding reopening. With the expertise of Dr. Cunningham-Hill and his colleagues, we are confident we will identify the risks, outline ways to protect everyone, and achieve an agreement for a safe reopening. We are confident that we will emerge from this crisis with the utmost focus on our members’ health and safety.”

The three doctors will work with AGMA and SDC leadership to help identify safety concerns in a COVID-19 environment and ensure that these concerns are addressed and best practices are implemented before artists return to work at AGMA’s 60+ signatory companies and SDC’s employers that include producers on Broadway, Off-Broadway, League of Resident Theatre (LORT), and others representing hundreds of signatory companies across the country.

Cunningham-Hill has led response to SARS, MERS, Zika, and Ebola for GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson, while Welch is an occupational medicine specialist, board certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine, licensed to practice in Maryland, and consultant.

Anderson is a renowned sports medicine doctor who has provided medical care for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the United States Diving Team, NCAA and Pac 12 sports, and numerous local high schools and club teams.