Just as the snows melt, and sunny, blue skies make more frequent appearances over Nebraska, there is spring-like optimism at UNMC regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, opened the Feb. 25 virtual all-campus forum by noting that most COVID-19 related metrics have “dramatically improved over the last several weeks.”
Ted Cieslak, MD, interim executive director for health security, enthusiastically agreed.
“It brings me a lot of pleasure to give you some very good news,” involving the elimination of COVID-19 disease on our campuses and the success we’ve had in getting our people immunized, Dr. Cieslak said.
UNMC’s Omaha campus recorded zero cases of COVID-19 last week, the first time no cases were recorded since keeping track.
Members of the UNMC community can access the recorded forum.
“With that said,” Dr. Cieslak continued, “there are still a couple thousand Americans dying a day of COVID, so we are nowhere near out of the woods yet.”
Dr. Cieslak said that he prefers this analogy: “We have the enemy on the run, and now is not the time to stop and let him re-load.”
Please see Dr. Cieslak’s advice on keeping COVID-19 on the run in the sidebar at right.
But, encouraging public-safety trends, combined with greater than 80 percent, and counting, of the UNMC community having been vaccinated, has Dr. Gold pointing to a possible “de-densified and closer to normal” in-person commencement ceremonies this May.
Dr. Gold said all NPI’s will be required and that additional testing prior to commencement also may be in the works.
“Safety will continue to be our north star,” Dr. Gold said.
That includes continued access to vaccination of our UNMC community. The med center continues to advocate for students who were not included in the initial allocation under CDC guidelines, and more shots are going into arms among that group almost daily. UNMC is working with the Douglas County Health Department to ensure vaccination for new employees.
Throughout the pandemic, viral transmission on campus has been “virtually zero,” Dr. Cieslak said.
“It’s when you’re out in the Old Market particularly in social groups after work that I’m worried about you,” he said.
A large working group continues to look at all aspects of a gradual, phased re-opening of campus.
Other topics addressed at the forum include:
- Doug Ewald, vice chancellor for business, finance and business development, shouted out grounds and operations teams that “knocked it out of the park” in dealing with record snow and record cold.
- Ewald reported that cash on hand “continues to be strong.” UNMC also has received more than $3 million in federal CARES act funding, a significant portion of which is earmarked for students. UNMC does have a projected shortfall of about $11 million, Dr. Gold said: “We hope to be able to recover that from other means.”
- On Saddle Creek, RFPs have been designated for an administrative tower and an administrative hub. Negotiations continue on acquiring properties. “We do own Don & Millie’s right now,” Ewald said, and the restaurant will continue to operate until construction dictates otherwise.
- Project NeXT takes up “a significant portion of my day, frequently seven days a week,” Dr. Gold said, but work with the federal government, City of Omaha and private sector continues to be very encouraging. “We are to the point of planning site preparation and demolition,” Dr. Gold said.
- The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center recently underwent its five-year review by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). “I have never been more proud than to have been part of that site visit,” Dr. Gold said.
- A questioner brought up concrete in poor shape around DRC I. “We’re on it,” Ewald said, noting tear out and replacement is likely set for May when students are out.
- Working from home: “For the foreseeable future, we’re going to be incredibly flexible about this,” Dr. Gold said. Individual concerns and questions should be directed to supervisors and then HR.
- The med center has successfully completed the Novavax vaccine candidate trial on campus (follow-up is ongoing), and will soon hopefully begin other vaccine and therapeutic including the start of a COVAXX trial. This vaccine candidate has already been modified to incorporate South African, South American and UK variants of SARS-CoV-2.
- UNMC is looking at resources and gaps in order to recruit diverse subjects into trials, reported Jennifer Larsen, MD, vice chancellor for research.
- UNMC and the University of Nebraska have two major budget bills before the unicameral: a requested 2 percent increase in the operating budget and a “historic” multidecade deferred maintenance capital program.