Meet Dr. Hoffman, Medical Advisor for American Seafoods

American Seafoods is proud to welcome our first Medical Operations and Strategy Advisor, Dr. David Hoffman, to our team. Dr. Hoffman is experienced in infectious disease control and will lead our efforts to protect the health and wellness of our crew as they prepare to head out to sea in January.

“This pandemic is tough,” Dr. Hoffman said. “The information is changing constantly. We have to keep our chin up and move ahead, following the best science available and common sense.”

Dr. Hoffman first advised American Seafoods in 2014, when the outbreak of Ebola shook the world and required extra precautions to keep our fishing crews safe. He helped us screen every crew member that year, leading to a successful season for all vessels.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, running its healthcare system that includes about 64,000 visits every year. There, he helped put COVID-19 protocols in place, including testing and contact tracing. Dr. Hoffman previously worked for U.S. HealthWorks in a variety of capacities, including as Regional Medical Director for Washington and Alaska and Managing Physician.

He brings this extensive experience to American Seafoods with the goal of protecting each and every crew member in upcoming seasons. Prior to the season’s start in January, Dr. Hoffman advised American Seafoods and worked with additional health professionals to bolster existing protocols to best protect our crews from COVID-19. The team addressed standard operating procedures for almost every aspect of the operation, from quarantining before the season begins to safety procedures onboard.

“It’s so important to try to create a quarantine bubble so COVID-19 doesn’t get onto our boats and disrupt the lives of our fishing crews and our fishing season,” Dr. Hoffman said. “We are taking extraordinary measures to keep it off the boats.”

Dr. Hoffman will also assist American Seafoods in conducting its customary “Fit for Duty” protocols, which assess crew members’ health before the season begins, and begin planning the company’s approach to COVID-19 vaccines when they become available for our crews.

“Certain health issues can become problems out at sea, and they need to be dealt with ahead of time,” Dr. Hoffman said, citing high blood pressure, dental cavities, and the annual flu as examples of risks for crew members. “It’s good to eliminate lookalikes for COVID-19 and deal with other medical issues as much as possible.”

Preparing for the upcoming season is a challenging task. We are glad to have Dr. Hoffman with us to meet that challenge.