Message sent on behalf of Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD, Dean, Emory School of Medicine
To: All School of Medicine Faculty, Staff, Trainees and Students
Dear Colleagues,
As we approach a well-deserved day off to celebrate the Fourth of July, I want to again express my gratitude to our entire staff and faculty for your tremendous work over the past few months. Our research teams have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to continuing the important work of discovery, as some pivoted to focus on COVID-specific projects while others maintain critically important research in other areas. Our education team has developed comprehensive fall return-to-campus plans, constructing educationally sound and reasonably safe experiences that will allow our students to gain the skills and experience they need. Our clinical teams have worked tirelessly, caring for COVID patients while simultaneously leading a safe and careful ramp-up of clinical services in other areas. And across all our missions, our dedicated staff members are leading, supporting and collaborating to ensure we reach our collective goals. Never have I been more proud of this team and the role each and every one of you play in addressing this crisis—not only at Emory but in our society as a whole.
As you enjoy the holiday weekend, please remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing. A few additional updates and reminders are below:
For all staff and faculty
Research
Education
Clinical care
As always, our plans are subject change depending on the epidemiology of COVID-19. We continue to rely on guidance from the university and Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) to make the safest possible decisions for our community.
With gratitude,
Vikas
Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD
Woodruff Professor
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare
Director and co-Founder,
Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine
To: All School of Medicine Faculty, Staff, Trainees and Students
Dear Colleagues,
As we approach a well-deserved day off to celebrate the Fourth of July, I want to again express my gratitude to our entire staff and faculty for your tremendous work over the past few months. Our research teams have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to continuing the important work of discovery, as some pivoted to focus on COVID-specific projects while others maintain critically important research in other areas. Our education team has developed comprehensive fall return-to-campus plans, constructing educationally sound and reasonably safe experiences that will allow our students to gain the skills and experience they need. Our clinical teams have worked tirelessly, caring for COVID patients while simultaneously leading a safe and careful ramp-up of clinical services in other areas. And across all our missions, our dedicated staff members are leading, supporting and collaborating to ensure we reach our collective goals. Never have I been more proud of this team and the role each and every one of you play in addressing this crisis—not only at Emory but in our society as a whole.
As you enjoy the holiday weekend, please remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing. A few additional updates and reminders are below:
For all staff and faculty
- Those who can perform their work remotely should continue to do so until further notice.
- Department leaders have received guidance on how to obtain SOM and university approval for those employees whose work functions require an occasional or episodic return to the office. Talk to your supervisor if you have questions.
- Monitor your own health daily. If symptoms develop, you must:
- Stay home (do not report to work, or go home if you are at work).
- Immediately inform your supervisor or department leader (chair or administrator);
- Call your doctor/primary care provider;
- Call the Emory Healthcare COVID Information & Nurses line at 404-71-COVID (404-712-6843) for consultation. They will instruct you on next steps which may require testing.
- Review the most recent travel guidance (shared with faculty on June 16).
Research
- We continue to work with our department, university and healthcare leaders to implement a careful and safe expansion of critical and essential research on campus. If you have any questions about your return-to-campus status, reach out to your PI or department leadership.
Education
- All School of Medicine students continue to follow the Fall 2020 guidance provided on June 11.
- As noted in the guidance, some learning experiences will continue to be remote, while other elements of the curriculum will require in-person attendance. When in-person teaching is required, we will take all reasonable precautions to keep our students as safe as possible.
- Students are currently precluded from providing care to patients being evaluated or treated for COVID-19 infection.
- We welcomed our incoming class of residents as they began orientation this week.
Clinical care
- Employees working in our partner health care institutions should continue following the guidance of those institutions.
- Links to the latest information and guidance from each of our health care partners can be found on our COVID-19 Communications page.
As always, our plans are subject change depending on the epidemiology of COVID-19. We continue to rely on guidance from the university and Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) to make the safest possible decisions for our community.
With gratitude,
Vikas
Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD
Woodruff Professor
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare
Director and co-Founder,
Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine