NEW YORK, March 12 (UPI) -- Dr. Nancy Snyderman announced Thursday she's stepping down from her post as NBC's chief medical editor after she sparked controversy last fall when she broke a self-imposed quarantine for Ebola exposure.
Snyderman issued a statement saying she is leaving the network to take a faculty position at a medical school in the United States. She connected her departure to an incident in October after she covered the Ebola virus in Liberia.
A cameraman on her team became sick with the virus and upon returning to the United States, Snyderman and other members of the NBC team were put on a self-imposed quarantine. She was spotted out in public, violating that quarantine, prompting the state of New Jersey to issue a mandatory quarantine for the team.
"I stepped out of the [operating room] a few years ago, and it is now time for me to return to my roots, so I am stepping down from my position as chief medical editor at NBC News," Snyderman's statement said. "Covering the Ebola epidemic last fall in Liberia, and then becoming part of the story upon my return to the U.S., contributed to my decision that now is the time to return to academic medicine.
Advertisement"I will be shortly taking up a faculty position at a major U.S. medical school. More needs to be done to communicate medicine and science to our viewers and citizens, especially in times of crisis, and with my experiences in the field and on air, that is going to be a priority for me.
"I have loved my nine years at NBC and I am proud of the work my team has done. Very few people get the chance to combine two professions and I have appreciated the chance to inform the public about medical updates and the plight of so many in other countries. Every moment has been an honor."
Snyderman's departure is just one of a number of shake-ups at NBC News lately. Last week the network tapped Andrew Lack to return to his post as news chief to oversee NBC News and MSNBC following the suspension of anchor Brian Williams.
