Thursday, March 26th, 2020
Dear DGSOM Community,
As we round out our second week of transitional activities related to COVID-19, I understand that many of us are experiencing a range of emotions as we face this unprecedented situation together, day by day. Certain changes and sacrifices related to COVID-19 response efforts carry an inherent toll, both professionally and personally – and resources are available to support you on this journey. At the same time, these challenging circumstances also grant us unique agency: to safeguard the greater welfare of humankind, to make short-term sacrifices that will engender profound long-term benefits, and to realize our capacity for creating new and remarkable solutions. Ultimately, our collective efforts – and those of our counterparts around the world – will help curtail COVID-19 and prepare us for future outbreaks. And while the end of this pandemic may seem obscure, it is there. Every day, there is new knowledge, and with it new hope.
Thank you for all that you are doing for our school, and humanity, during this difficult but temporary COVID-19 response period. To recognize a peer or colleague for their contributions, or to share a positive story, fill out a Cultural North Star digital recognition card.
For the latest COVID-19 information and resources pertaining to medical school staff, faculty, students and trainees, please see my fourth biweekly “COVID-19 Update” below. You will find general updates toward the top, followed by area-specific updates and support resources at the bottom.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Martin, MD, PhD
Dean, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
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GENERAL UPDATES
(with additional details below)
Reducing population density
- In response to safer at home orders from the State of California, County of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles, UCLA has suspended all on-campus operations with the exception of those that are essential and cannot be conducted remotely. Spring quarter instruction will continue via remote learning. For a listing of which campus services and departments are open and/or available at this time, click here.
- For specifics on how the safer at home order affects DGSOM, including telecommuting, research activities, paid administrative leave, and more, visit our COVID-19 website and click on your relevant area in the blue banner at the top of the website (e.g., “Students and Trainees” or “For Staff).
- As a reminder, those working on the premises must have their badges on them at all times to demonstrate that they are exempt from the safer at home order (click for more information on building access). Courtesy parking is available for employees and students who must come to campus to support essential services.
Child and senior care resources
UCLA Health has secured a new contract with Bright Horizons for free access to Sitter City (a component of Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports) for health care workers required to perform essential functions onsite. See the “Support services” section at the end of this email for details.
DGSOM COVID-19 website updated
Our DGSOM COVID-19 website has transitioned to a new, more user-friendly format. You will find all the same resources – and more – at medschool.ucla.edu/coronavirus-information. Click on the area-specific tabs at the top of the page (e.g., “Students and Trainees”) to access information specific to you. To submit content suggestions, email COVID19DGSOMcomms@mednet.ucla.edu.
COVID-19 clinical research update
The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has established a dedicated “help desk” email (ClinicalResearchC19@mednet.ucla.edu) to help facilitate inquiries related to conducting clinical research during the COVID-19 outbreak and specific COVID-19 clinical research. In addition, for those who have clinical research interests related to COVID-19, a DGSOM-CTSI Clinical Research Task Force has been created to prioritize, coordinate and facilitate COVID-19 clinical research. To aid this process, CTSI has created two forms: one for those who have clinical study interests related to COVID-19 and another for staff who would like to register in a pool for participation in COVID-19 research.
UCLA Health COVID-19 Mental Health Workgroup
Under the direction of UCLA health system and DGSOM Dean’s Office leadership, a multidisciplinary workgroup has been established to address the mental health needs of UCLA Health physicians, faculty, trainees, nurses, professionals, and staff working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. Facilitated group and individual check-ins, grief support, training, and materials for trauma-informed peer support are available. Please reach out to UCLAPWP@mednet.ucla.edu or 310-206-278 with suggestions and questions, or to learn about volunteering opportunities. Learn more →
Philanthropy
UCLA Health has created two new funds to support our mission: the COVID-19 Coronavirus Patient Care Fund and the COVID-19 Coronavirus Research and Education Fund. Details on each are available online, as are additional opportunities to support UCLA Health’s COVID-19 response efforts.
Health system updates
Stay informed of UCLA health system updates related to COVID-19, including the latest PPE guidance, visitor guidelines, the new UCLA Health COVID-19 testing results dashboard, and more.
Virtual town halls
All DGSOM virtual town hall details, recordings and Q&As are now hosted here, including UCLA Health’s joint DGSOM-health system town hall on March 23.
AREA-SPECIFIC UPDATES
EDUCATION (students & trainees)
MD students
- The following testing updates have been made to prioritize the health of our students, exam participants and staff:
- The upcoming Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) will not proceed as currently scheduled. Please remove your previously scheduled exam time from your personal schedules. We are examining different options for the administration of CPX and will reach out as soon as we can further clarify the status of this exam. If you have any questions about CPX, please contact Ken Lay.
- The USMLE has suspended all Step 2 CS testing until at least April 13 (usmle.org/announcements). They have indicated that once testing sites are opened, they will be adding testing dates to accommodate the expected increased demand. If you have already scheduled your Step 2 CS exam, you may wish to consider re-scheduling it until later in the year. Fees for eligibility period extensions and testing region changes will be waived.
- Prometric Testing Centers for students scheduled to take the Step 1 exam remain closed through April 17, and we’re awaiting updates on subsequent test scheduling.
- For support and other questions, please contact your Assistant Dean.
GME trainees
- Child and senior care resources: As a health care worker required to perform essential functions onsite, we understand you may need support for your family during the COVID-19 outbreak. To this end, UCLA Health has secured a new contract with Bright Horizons for free access to Sitter City, a component of Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports. Whether school’s closed, a regular caregiver is unavailable, or you need a care provider for your mom, dad, or elder relative, Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports is available to help you find sitters, nannies, housekeepers and pet sitters through a premium account on Sittercity — including a waived membership fee ($150 value) and free basic background checks. Senior care solutions, including care companions, an online needs assessment, senior housing search and evaluation tools, are also available. In addition, Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports also offers ongoing support for full-time child care in a Bright Horizons center, where you can jump ahead on the waitlist; tuition discounts for full-time child care with one of our high-quality partner centers; and discounted online tutoring and test prep. Find support now:
- To ensure your and your families’ safety, we are providing overnight accommodations to those caring for patients on our designated COVID-19 units. Contact the Command Center at (310) 267-7115 for accommodations.
- Please stay up to date with the latest self-care and PPE information and protocols and reach out to GME with any concerns or suggestions.
- Clinical psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows should follow the guidance from their respective training programs in the Department of Psychiatry and the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
PhD trainees
- The UCLA Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB) has opened its registration portal for the second half of the Spring 2020 Quarter; all classes, which are streamed online, are now open for enrollment. QCB workshops are free for UCLA faculty, staff, affiliates, and students – and UCLA graduate students are eligible to receive course credit for the Applied Bioinformatics Course. Learn more →
- To stay up to date with information pertinent to you – including working remotely, virtual town halls, new clinical research policies, our ramp down of research activities, minimized time in communal lab facilities, and more – visit medschool.ucla.edu/coronavirus-information/phd-trainees.
- If you have specific concerns or questions related to your training situation or program requirements, please reach out to your Program/Home Area Director or Greg Payne, GPB Director.?
Postdoctoral scholars
- The UCLA Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB) has opened its registration portal for the second half of the Spring 2020 Quarter; all classes, which are streamed online, are now open for enrollment. QCB workshops are free for UCLA faculty, staff, affiliates, and students – and UCLA graduate students are eligible to receive course credit for the Applied Bioinformatics Course. Learn more →
- If you have specific concerns or questions related to your training situation or work requirements, please reach out to your mentor.?If your mentor is out of reach or you need to escalate a concern above your mentor, please contact Greg Payne or Lynn Talton.
- If you have further concerns or if issues arise, contact Graduate Division at postdoc@grad.ucla.eduor (310) 825-3819 and you will be connected with the appropriate resource.
To stay up to date with information pertinent to you – including new clinical research policies, mandates related to essential operations, our ramp down research activities, minimized time in communal lab facilities and more – visit the research lab and educational area sections of the website.
RESEARCH
- To accelerate COVID-19 research, a number of public, nonprofit and private entities are establishing new funding opportunities for a variety of related research areas – from prevention, diagnostics and treatment to infection control and public health policies. To consolidate these resources, we have begun to compile an inventory of current COVID-19-related research funding opportunities and are hosting them on our DGSOM COVID-19 website: medschool.ucla.edu/coronavirus-information/researchers#funding. New information on funding streams related to coronavirus research will be added to this website as it becomes available. To report any new opportunities, or if you have any questions, please contact Dion Baybridge.
- The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has established a dedicated “help desk” email (ClinicalResearchC19@mednet.ucla.edu) to capture and facilitate inquiries related to conducting clinical research during the COVID-19 outbreak and specific COVID-19 clinical research. The team supporting this mailbox includes representatives from the CTSI Office of Clinical Research, IRB and the Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA).
- For those who have clinical research interests related to COVID-19, a DGSOM-CTSI Clinical Research Task Force has been created to prioritize, coordinate and facilitate COVID-19 clinical research. To aid this process, the CTSI has created a study registration form: Covid-19 New Study Registration
- For staff with some capacity and time to contribute to COVID-19 clinical research, CTSI has also created a new registration form to be included in a pool for participation in COVID-19 research: Covid-19 Study Staff Support Registration
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donations: While PPE supplies at UCLA remain adequate to cover our current and future needs, we would like to collect additional PPE to be ready for a possible surge in cases. We are collecting re-usable, plastic, cleanable goggles, safety glasses, and face masks for our health care enterprise (example). We are also collecting procedural/surgical masks, N95s, gowns, gloves, face shields, Sani wipes and hand sanitizer. If your laboratory has any that can be spared, please bring them to the BSRB/OHRC Loading Dock Receiving Room or the MRL Loading Dock Receiving Room, Monday - Friday, 7 am - 3 pm. Please do not forward this email to external colleagues as we are not seeking outside donations at this time. Please contact COVID19ppesupport@mednet.ucla.edu with any specific questions.
- If you have individual concerns or questions, please route them to your PIs, program/home area directors, division chiefs, department chairs, and then CAOs, and they can then provide responses and/or escalate questions to the Dean’s Office.
FACULTY
- To ensure your and your families’ safety, we are providing overnight accommodations to those caring for patients on our designated COVID-19 units. Contact the Command Center at (310) 267-7115 for accommodations.
- If you have individual concerns or questions, please route them to your division chiefs/department chairs/CAOs. They can provide responses and/or escalate questions to the Dean’s Office.
- Questions about academic personnel matters that cannot be answered in departments may be sent to DGSOM Academic Affairs.
- UCLA Health providers can find information and resources on the UCLA Health COVID-19 website.
STAFF
- There have been no new campus directives pertaining to telecommuting, paid administrative leave or campus access since my last “Update” email on March 23. To review the latest information pertaining to staff, visit medschool.ucla.edu/coronavirus-information/staff.
- All administrative roles should be working from home unless approved through a specified exception request process (CAOs have received instructions on this process from Anja Paardekooper and Shawn Kang). All employees who are able to work remotely and contribute to ongoing operations, as approved by their CAO, should continue to do so in an effort to reduce population density, as directed by the safer at home order.
- For guidance regarding employees involved in clinical operations, please follow protocols from the health system.
- See our remote working resources page for help preparing for remote work.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Child and senior care resources
UCLA Health has secured a new contract with Bright Horizons for free access to Sitter City (a component of Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports) for health care workers required to perform essential functions onsite. Whether school’s closed, a regular caregiver is unavailable, or you need a care provider for your mom, dad, or elder relative, Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports is available to help you find sitters, nannies, housekeepers and pet sitters through a premium account on Sittercity — including a waived membership fee ($150 value) and free basic background checks. Senior care solutions, including care companions, an online needs assessment, senior housing search and evaluation tools, are also available. In addition, Bright Horizons Additional Family Supports also offers ongoing support for full-time child care in a Bright Horizons center, where you can jump ahead on the wait list; tuition discounts for full-time child care with one of our high-quality partner centers; and discounted online tutoring and test prep. Find support now:
DGIT Support
DGIT now offers a virtual helpdesk Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Once you call in, you will be directed to a waiting room until a technician is available to assist you. Learn more →
Wellness
Virtual wellness services are available for staff, faculty, trainees and students. Learn more →
Equity and Diversity Inclusion
Now, as always, we honor our commitment as members of the DGSOM and UCLA community to foster an inclusive environment that celebrates and respects the unique backgrounds, contributions and opinions of each individual. Resources and more information →
Cultural North Star: The values that guide us
The Cultural North Star unites us in our shared mission; sets clear and high expectations for our actions and interactions; and helps facilitate problem-solving, decision-making and collaboration.
Facilities
Perimeter doors of DGSOM buildings require badge entry until further notice. Learn more →
Please check DGSOM’s COVID-19 website and the UCLA Health Coronavirus Information website frequently to make sure you have the latest information
