March 16, 2020
Hello,
First off thanks to each of you for coming together in the face of a national crisis. We understand that the uncertainty and changing dynamic around the coronavirus pandemic is stressful for our McGovern Medical School community. Health and safety are our greatest concern.
In the United States, cases are surfacing rapidly as states begin to test more effectively and as the epidemic spreads. The question now is what can each of us do to help mitigate risk—individual risk, healthcare risk, and broader community risk. The university, medical school, and our hospital partners are working to try to flatten the curve of this epidemic, to reduce the rate of new cases. We each have a role to play. Please follow CDC and university recommendations and be vigilant about hygienic measures and practicing “social distancing”—to protect yourselves and others—and to help slow transmission of the virus.
Effective March 16, 2020, McGovern Medical School shifted to online and virtual classes for all students. Residency and fellowship training programs are doing the same by conducting virtual teaching conferences, lectures, journal clubs, and grand rounds. We encourage any residents or fellows who are pregnant or fall into a higher-risk bracket due to age or medical conditions, to discuss their health concerns with their program director or the Diversity and Equal Opportunity department at 713-500-3131.
On March 13, President Giuseppe Colasurdo requested all employees whose job duties can be performed remotely to telework until further notice. Please work with your supervisor to discuss next steps.
Following recent CDC guidelines that gatherings of 50 or more should be halted over the next 8 weeks, large in-person events should be canceled or postponed. Our Match Day ceremony was unfortunately cancelled – students will be able to access their results online and celebrate virtually. The university-wide decision about UTHealth commencements has not yet been made.
Discussions are ongoing with clinical leaders and hospital partners about potentially reducing non-urgent/emergent surgical cases and other procedures. Of course, emergency surgeries will continue as usual. Houston is experiencing a blood shortage. Go to giveblood.org for information about blood donation.
Effective March 17, Memorial Hermann will implement health screenings for employees, physicians, and other workforce members across all facilities. All members of Memorial Hermann’s workforce will answer a questionnaire and have their temperature taken before entering the hospital. Direct access between the medical school and MH-TMC will be limited to the door on the first floor, with screening. MH is sending out informative daily emails to faculty and staff—please read to keep up to date on changing policies.
Let’s not forget the cornerstone of proper hygiene—handwashing. Memorial Hermann has a video about handwashing. A good reminder for us all.
Most importantly, if you are not feeling well—with or without a fever—please stay home. Although difficult to do, please try to distance yourself from family members as well. UTHealth offers emergency childcare and other benefits through care.com.
As per today’s White House briefing, public health professions note that millennials have an important role to play in stopping the spread of this virus—they are our students, trainees, young faculty and staff. The latest recommendation is to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people. We should not simply be “out and about.” We all have a role to play in helping to limit the spread of this virus.
In the midst of a complex and evolving pandemic, I want to thank each of you for your leadership and hard work. Thanks to so many experts at the CDC, NIH, universities, and healthcare systems — all working nonstop to make the right decisions, encouraging public health measures to slow the epidemic, and getting systems ready for testing and treating ill people.
A special thanks to all of our front-line employees and clinical providers who courageously and safely care for others every day. Working together and doing the right thing for ourselves and our community, we will get through this together.
Resources:
UTHealth Updates
Harris County Public Health
UT Physicians
MH Now Channel
CDC
WHO
Johns Hopkins map
Stay safe.
Barbara
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