UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and several other medical center leaders conducted a virtual town hall Thursday to present plans on steps being taken to reopen campus this fall and to take questions from the campus community.
Dr. Gold likened the experience of operating an academic health sciences center during a pandemic to “essentially building an airplane in midflight.”
“The north star in all of this is safety,” said Dr. Gold. “The wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff as we move forward. That is unshakable.”
Also important, Dr. Gold said, is flexibility. The virus that causes COVID-19 is truly novel, and so as we learn more about it, our plans must continually adapt. What we do inside the medical center is influenced by what is happening outside it, in the greater community.
“We have access to real-time, extremely powerful data to help us make decisions,” he said, noting the metrics that make up the Pandemic Recovery Acceleration Model (PRAM) dashboard.
Ted Cieslak, MD, interim executive director of the Health Security Office, outlined the 7 Fundamentals of Campus COVID Control. None of these is new. All of us are probably capable of reciting them, Dr. Gold said: “But we also have to live them.”
Dr. Cieslak stressed the importance of double- and triple-redundancy of safety protocols, such as wearing masks even while more than six feet apart.
Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, reported that more than $1 million has been set aside to be invested throughout UNMC’s five campuses to enhance the quality of teaching and enhance remote learning. Half of the classrooms have been upgraded, while work continues on the remainder. More than 400 students have been fitted with N95 masks for improved safety. And other resources are available from Keep Teaching Keep Learning, e-learning, faculty development and free ebooks.
State-of-the-art learning and collaborative spaces throughout campuses are available, including the new EZStudio.
Jennifer Larsen, MD, vice chancellor for research, said that UNMC is not only maintaining research during COVID-19 but expanding it. Research facilities and infrastructure are open, with masks and other safety protocols required.
UNMC will be taking part in trials for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to prevent COVID-19, Dr. Larsen said, “So watch for that.”
Phil Covington, EdD, assistant vice chancellor for student success, said each college is in the process of distributing a COVID-19 FAQ for students. Students also will be asked to commit to being positive role models in all communities wherein they engage by signing the UNMC student COVID commitment. New student orientation across UNMC’s five campuses will be a full virtual experience Aug. 19.
Aileen Warren, associate vice chancellor and executive director, human resources, said supervisors are being asked to be flexible with employees when possible, especially in cases of health conditions or kids doing school remotely.
The medical center’s childcare center is just under half capacity, Warren reported, and looking for workers. The Center for Healthy Living is open but under limited hours and by appointment only to ensure social distancing.
Check UNMC’s wellness website for resources on mindfulness, stress reduction, counseling, even healthy recipes, Warren said.
Warren and Dr. Covington said that employees or students cannot opt out or be opted out of wearing masks without going through the official accommodations process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees should contact HR-Employee Relations, and students should contact Kelly Swoboda, student disability specialist.
Employees will be asked to sign a commitment to keeping oneself and fellow co-workers and students safe. Dr. Gold signed it during the town hall, on camera.
“I would like to be the first to sign it and publicly articulate beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am committed to the safety of everybody on our campuses,” Dr. Gold said. “We are going to take responsibility for each other. We are all committed to the safety of one another.”
Questions and answers:
Questions asked at Thursday’s forum are answered below.
Are masks required when lecturing even while more than 6 feet away, at a podium? What about using a face shield instead?
Yes, masks are required even when more than six feet from another person. When a good distance away during lectures, an instructor is lecturing at a podium and can remain at least six feet away from students, a face shield would be an acceptable alternative, but is not otherwise allowed as a substitute. Students must wear masks during classes and lectures, even when more than six feet from instructors and one another.
If we are asked to pitch in on cleaning our areas, will there be supplies available?
Yes, there are 250 cleaning-supplies stations across our Omaha campus. Supplies are available on all UNMC campuses.
Students are confused about the library. They are hearing the message to stay home and avoid studying on campus, but then they hear about the amazing new library. Can you advise?
Please study from home if you can, but we realize not every student has a great study environment and would like to use the library. We discourage you from coming to campus just to study – — or, at least call first and find out if there is ample distancing space available. Those already on campus for work or classes, and who have a break between classes, are encouraged to take advantage of the library for downtime or study.
What metrics will be used when making decisions about safety?
We will use a combination of what is going on in our local community, transmission rate, number of positive tests, hospitalizations, etc., as found on the PRAM dashboard, as well as “inside” factors within our medical center. What we have found so far is the majority of cases have been community-acquired, vs. infected here on campus, even among those working in the clinical COVID unit.
Out of an “abundance of caution,” why not keep people at home if they can work from there? Seems as if we’re pushing the envelope to bring people back.
We do want to bring folks back but want to do that safely. It is up to supervisors to decide if they need their people back, but we encourage them to allow employees to work remotely if it is possible. Supervisors have been urged to be flexible with employees regarding school and childcare circumstances.
Is there a blanket policy on working from home for employees who are older over 65?
No. We are confident the safety measures we have put in place will help everyone. But, we know that those over 65 may be classified as higher risk, and we ask our supervisors to be especially considerate of letting those folks work at home.
What guidance and resources are there for students on testing on campuses outside of Omaha?
We are working diligently on the issues about surrounding testing at the other campus sites. Those campuses will be notified directly of testing protocols when these issues are addressed.
How long will vacation hours over the maximum balance allowed of 280 hours be automatically donated to the crisis leave bank? If I’m not over my maximum can I still donate my vacation time and can I do so remotely?
The policy of vacation hours generated over the maximum being donated to the crisis leave bank will continue until further notice. To donate your time to the crisis leave bank go to this page of UNMC’s coronavirus website.
Will there be repercussions for not following the campus mask policy?
Yes. We have a clear mask policy and it will be enforced. We will start with mentoring and education, and trust that everyone will exert the highest degree of professionalism and care for others. We are a health care institution and caring for others is our primary business. For those that choose to make different choices, we will use the full extent of our policy. “It is the only ethical and responsible way to do this,” Dr. Gold said. “We are serious about the mask mandate.”
Do Nebraska Medicine employees have the same policies regarding mask use and repercussions for not wearing them or improper use?
Yes.
Can I use a face “gaiter” mask? How about a face shield?
No. A recent journal article said that gaiters are not as effective in prevention of the projection of droplets. We ask people not to use them. As noted above, a face shield is also not an acceptable substitute for proper mask wearing.
Can instructors require in-person attendance for small group classes such as journal clubs, writing courses, lecture-based courses (i.e. not hands-on practical skills)?
Yes, but safety guidelines must be met. “We will ask them to be reasonable,” Dr. Cieslak said.
Will students attending class be required to keep their masks on even if they are greater than six feet apart?
Yes.
In the return to campus guidance there is a process to follow with positive test or exposure. What is the process for other campuses besides Omaha?
Work with respective Student Health entities for Lincoln, Kearney, Norfolk, and Scottsbluff campuses is underway and college leadership at each campus will be notified when that work is complete.
What are the current ratios of available beds to beds in use now? I heard a statistic of 85% of available beds are full in Douglas County, which seems very high. Is this something that is a factor for our UNMC campus or a point to be concerned about as an employee?
Dr. Gold showed that, on Thursday, on the PRAM dashboard, most of the metrics were in the green, or “new normal” range. The PRAM is updated daily.
Do droplets linger longer and travel farther in the air within passive smoke?
We don’t know that. But the recent publication by Drs. Santarpia and Lowe drives a lot of our thinking about air handling, common areas, and face protection. We continue to learn more and more constantly which is why we change policy and procedure constantly. This is a truly novel virus and we have to be flexible in our thinking until we find an effective vaccine and achieve true herd immunity.
Why are employees being asked to sign a commitment statement? It would make us as employees feel much more protected if our management and leadership signed a commitment to us that we will not face retribution as we have to adjust our lives around work and school requirements.
Campus leadership, as employees themselves, are signing the commitment, and Dr. Gold did so during the town hall. “I would like to be the first to sign it and publicly articulate beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am committed to the safety of everybody on our campuses,” he said. Senior leadership reaffirmed that supervisors are being asked to be flexible and sensitive to the adjustments employees must make due to child care and other concerns during this time.
You won't need to call the library about occupancy. We have built in social distancing with all of our seating. You can always check study room availability by looking at https://unmcscheduling.nebraska.edu