The following message was sent on behalf of Dr. Terry Wolpaw, Dr. Leslie Parent, Dr. Chuck Lang and Dr. Neal Thomas.
New screening procedures started July 13
Thank you all for following the new screening process. Please continue to follow this process, as this will help contact tracing efforts.
Anyone who uses the COM main entrance or Biomedical Research Building entrance as well as all COM faculty, staff and students are required to follow these steps:
- Before entering the building, complete a short, web-based form at psu.edu/checkin each day.
- Use the COM main entrance and Biomedical Research Building entrances only for temperature and symptom screening.
- Scan your ID badge before entering the main doors.
- Show your green check mark to the screener to demonstrate you have completed the online check-in.
- See instructions on how to download the med.psu.edu/checkin icon to your mobile device for easy access at psu.edu/coronavirus/campus.
Screening hours at these entrances will continue Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Research Update
Research ramp-up: As a reminder, we are continuing at 50% capacity for laboratory research and all personnel across all departments. If you can do your work remotely, then you should continue to do so. The leadership team is continuously monitoring local conditions and PPE resource availability, and will use this information and guidelines from the Commonwealth in determining when we will transition to phase 4.
Observational human subjects research: Earlier this week, we announced that in-person observational human subjects research will be considered for approval using the process developed by the University which can be found here. For clinical studies that were approved previously, including those studies with participants who are on campus for clinical reasons, investigators do not need to reapply using this new process.
What happens when someone does not follow safety plans? Our college has developed and implemented plans that allow gradually increasing our research activities. Deans, chairs and Institute directors are responsible for ensuring their faculty, staff and students comply with each of their unit’s plans. If an individual is aware of any non-compliance, they should report it to the appropriate dean, chair or Institute director. Persistent non-compliance, when confirmed by the appropriate dean, chair or Institute director, may result in removal of the individual’s approval for conducting research on campus or at other facilities. Safety concerns can also be reported to Office of Biosafety at Officer@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Education Update
Medical education: This week we welcomed our incoming class of medical students for orientation – virtually through Zoom – which is a first for our medical school. These entering students will begin the Transition to Medical School course on Monday, meet their society advisor coaches and start working with their peers and faculty facilitators in their first Problem-based Learning groups. We also welcomed our third-year students back to campus to start the direct patient care component of their clerkships. We now have all third and fourth year students back in the clinical care setting, engaged in the direct care of patients and participating fully in clinical teams and outpatient practices.
Physician assistant program: Beginning July 20, the first-year PA students will utilize a hybrid model that incorporates in-person coursework along with continued online learning for the remainder of the summer semester. Second-year PA students are continuing their clinical year experiences and preparing for their next rotation to begin July 27.
Undergraduates on campus: We continue to increase our on-campus research presence and more students are start returning to campus. However, given the limited capacity within our facilities, the need to maintain physical distancing, and the updates we’ve included in our lab standard operating procedures (SOP), please understand that all undergraduate and high school students are still not able to have an on-campus research experience. We must prioritize our resources and capacity for our graduate and medical students’ research endeavors. This situation is not expected to change until after Labor Day, at the earliest, at which time we will reassess these types of research opportunities on a case-by-case basis. Remote internships are encouraged throughout the summer months.
Graduate education: We now know that about half of our course work for fall 2020 will be conducted remotely while the other half of our courses will be held in-person or a mixture of in person and remote. For those in-person courses, students can be assured that all pertinent mitigation measures will be strictly adhered to for the safety of both students and instructors. Similarly, a hybrid orientation will be held the week of August 17 and will include some in-person social activities. By now students should have been contacted by their program-specific chair with information pertinent to their particular program. Continue to look for emails from your @psu.edu email account and please reply to all email requests in the timely manner.
Additional News & Information
University Fitness Center Open
Reminder that the University Fitness Center is open with limited number of members and with shortened days and hours to ensure everyone’s safety.
Hershey campus employees and students are eligible to return during Phase 1. The center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit times will be restricted to a maximum of 75 minutes. For more details, visit the UFC website.
Harrell Health Sciences Library open with limited capacity, new guidelines
The Harrell Health Sciences Library at the College of Medicine reopened its doors Monday, July 13, to faculty, staff and students. It will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on weekends.
In this first phase, the library will restrict its capacity to 50% and implement new safety precautions. The following new guidelines will be in effect:
- Access is limited to Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine faculty, staff and students only, and name badge access will be required.
- Masks must be worn at all times.
- Maintain proper social distancing.
- No food or drink is allowed.
- Limit your time in the library to no more than three hours.
- Books can be checked out, but visitors should not remove books from the stacks. They should ask library staff for assistance.
- Do not move furniture.
- Clean and disinfect the area you were sitting in before you leave. Sanitation stations are provided.
- The library should not be used for through-traffic. Please seek an alternate route to your destination.
Meeting Reservations
While most meetings should continue to be held remotely, meeting locations have been updated in BookIT to reflect the reduced capacity allowed in each room to maintain social distancing. Please remember it is the responsibility of the meeting leader to ensure the room capacity does not exceed the required number.
Are you reading the Daily Brief?
For continued updates on the College of Medicine, please read the Daily Brief that is sent each weekday via email (comes through as News in your email) and visit med.psu.edu/coronavirus as information is added daily to keep you informed.
