COVID-19 Finance, HR, & Administrative Staff Resources

On May 26, UCLA Vice Chancellor for Research Roger Wakimoto released campus-wide guidelines for a phased approach to ramping up research operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To review the full document, which includes comprehensive information and resources on the latest campus-wide policies for ramping up research at UCLA, click here.

In addition, DGSOM’s proposed ramp-up roadmap for Educational Affairs, including plans for fall instruction, is under review by the UCLA Future Planning Task Force.

Staff/workforce guidelines are also in development (as a reminder: all DGSOM personnel who are not required to perform essential functions onsite should continue to work remotely until September 11).

Clinical ramp-up plans pertaining to residents and fellows is underway. Please note: operational activities in the clinical arena are determined by leadership at the UCLA health system and at affiliate institutions. Resident and fellow involvement in the clinical learning environment is coordinated by the DGSOM Office of Graduate Medical Education.

For the latest operations updates and onsite safety requirements, visit medschool.ucla.edu/coronavirus-information/operations-update.

To ensure the safety and health of our community, UCLA, UCLA health system and the DGSOM implemented significant ramp-downs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a period of reductions in clinical case volumes, as well as reductions in revenues associated with housing contracts, parking and other revenue streams. Beginning in mid-March, we decreased a number of research and academic activities in a concerted effort to mitigate the spread of infection and protect our hospitals from exceeding capacity. On the medical center side, we dropped our census in the hospitals, curtailed all non-essential surgeries and procedures, and expanded our bed capacity. On the medical school side, we decreased lab research activities, implemented a telecommuting protocol to deliver virtual educational content and suspended a range of direct patient-care components for medical students. This decrease to our operations came with a price.

Ramping down activities in both the school and the health system has led to a revenue shortfall in the school of $49 million to date, with an additional $59 million projected over the rest of 2020. The good news is that we are on a path of recovery now from a low in April when clinical charges were 60 percent of pre-COVID projections to recent weeks in which clinical charges were 96 percent of pre-COVID charges. This means that while we still have some difficult times ahead to get through to counteract our losses, we can see light at the end of the tunnel.

After careful forecasting, analysis and consideration we are taking important steps in a phased manner to mitigate our revenue gap. These steps include:

• Evaluating and prioritizing efforts at the departmental level
• Implementing UC’s hiring pause (with exemptions for cases that are absolutely necessary or when the source of funding is external and guaranteed)
• Implementing UC’s pay freeze for policy-covered employees
• Reviewing any clinical staff adjustments or replacements by health system leadership to ensure continued recovery of clinical services
• Utilizing UC’s Paid Administrative Leave
• Limiting purchases and expenses to items that support critical operational activities
• Limiting capital expenses
• Accounting for current and potential contributions from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and FEMA. To date, DGSOM has received approximately $16.4 million through the CARES Act and has distributed these funds to departments.

We project that implementing these measures we help mitigate some of the $108 million in projected losses and help preserve our capacity to achieve our mission, today and in the future. While these steps are necessary, we understand that they are not easy, and come at an already stressful and uncertain time. Please know that the entire DGSOM leadership team is committed to minimizing and preventing negative workforce changes to the greatest extent possible as we understand the potential impacts of these decisions on our employees. We continue to assess data, and closely monitor our operations and finances as we make critical decisions to ensure our medical school not only survives but thrives after this pandemic.

Yes, we are accounting for current and potential contributions from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and FEMA. To date, DGSOM has received approximately $16.4 million through the CARES Act and has distributed these funds to departments.

As of July 1, 2020, UC has not announced any plans to reduce UC's workforce. UCLA will not be implementing any COVID-19-related workforce changes in the immediate future.

On April 2, 2020, the UC President and Chancellors announced that there will be no COVID-19-related layoffs for career employees through June 30, 2020, and that the University is committed to doing its best to keep people earning a paycheck whenever possible. We have not yet received guidance from UC beyond the June 30 date, but as soon as we do, we will communicate the latest information to you. As we await longer-term guidelines from UC, we are working daily with our campus and UC colleagues to plan, project and adapt to the changing city and state ordinances. On behalf of the DGSOM leadership team, we would like to express our gratitude for your patience and flexibility. We understand that this period of uncertainty is stressful. As soon as more concrete information is available, we will share it with you.

The University of California Office of the President, UCLA main campus, UCLA Health, and the Dean's offices of all the UCLA professional schools are working closely together to make systemwide decisions that are firmly grounded in data and designed to preserve health.

Learn more about policy governance during the COVID-19 pandemic.