Ellen Pompeo, who played Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy, has announced that she will no longer be working in the medical field.

The actress made the announcement in August that she will be playing a supporting role in the 19th season of the medical drama, which began airing in October after the announcement. Thursday was the day she addressed the issue head-on with her devoted following.

“I will be eternally grateful to each and every one of you for the love and support that you have shown me, Meredith GREY, and the show for the past 19 seasons!” Pompeo posted on many social media platforms. “Without the most incredible supporters in the world, none of this would have been possible at any point in time. You are all RIDERS, and you have contributed to making this ride so enjoyable and ICONIC! I adore you with all my heart and thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been on the rollercoaster before, so you are aware that the show must go on, and you can be sure that I will be coming back to see you again. With a great deal of affection and an overwhelming sense of thanks, XoE”

Pompeo explained to Yahoo Entertainment in September the reasoning behind her decision to exit the show after more than 400 episodes.

“People are motivated to pursue careers in the medical industry as a result of watching the show. Young people are motivated to pursue careers as healers and medical professionals as a result of it. It’s an incredible platform, and I absolutely adore using it “Pompeo stated. “After 19 seasons, though, there is only so much of it that I can stomach. It’s quite a bit. And I’ve given the fans and the show so much of my heart, passion, and energy, and if, 19 seasons later, I don’t have that same level, then I don’t deserve to be in every single episode of the show. The fans deserve to have people there who are incredibly excited about being there and who are happy to be there. And these new children who will be joining us are bubbling over with joy and can’t wait to get started.”

Even though Pompeo will only appear in eight episodes of the hit show’s current season, it is expected that she will continue narrating the episodes and executive producing them.

Pompeo will be working on a new project called a Hulu limited series about the true story of American parents who adopted a Ukrainian woman acting as an orphan child in between her pop-ups at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The program will be based on genuine events.