UNMC, Nebraska’s public academic health sciences center, continues its support of the state’s collective effort to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
These endeavors include development of an innovative data-driven model that will help to guide decision-making; guidelines for meat processing facilities that include strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (with Nebraska Medicine and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health); and, other sharing of resources and expertise.
And the latest initiative: Leading efforts to collect and organize resources related to training for frontline providers, first responders and other groups looking for information on COVID-19.
“This could be for a primary care physician in central Nebraska, a nursing home director in the panhandle, or a surgeon in a larger city,” said Kelly Caverzagie, M.D., associate dean for educational strategy at UNMC and vice president for education at Nebraska Medicine.
Colleagues from UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and beyond put the information together in conjunction with and in support of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“There were a lot of resources out there, but they were ‘living’ in disparate areas,” Dr. Caverzagie said.
Now, it’s curated in one easy-to-find page on the HHS website.
The work is the result of, “Listening to a lot of what the needs are across the state,” Dr. Caverzagie said. “What are the ‘pressure points,’ and where are the critical spots where we need training to be stood up quickly? We heard from people on the front lines and worked with experts in the field.
“Along with some research, we found out what training resources and information existed and connected that with the question, ‘What do people need?’ From there, we worked to make it accessible.'”
Information on the site includes:
- Clinical care of COVID-19 patients;
- Personal protective equipment (PPE);
- Contact tracing;
- Care at home, and afterwards;
- Systems-level controls and strategies;
- Self-care and mental health; and more.
Though he is the spokesman for this latest effort, Dr. Caverzagie emphasized that he is one of “dozens and dozens” affiliated with UNMC working to lend a hand in any way possible. Likewise, he said, state and local health departments and workers, and many other outside entities, are pulling together in an all-hands effort against COVID-19.
“Our role is to support the state,” Dr. Caverzagie said.