Five Questions

Good afternoon!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our “new normal,” and indeed this is starting to feel more like a normal summer, so that’s comforting on some level.  Still, we are very busy caring for COVID-19 patients and ramping up our normal operations, with all the added stress those activities bring.  As vacation season gets going and the Fourth of July holiday approaches, I hope you are able to take some time to (safely) get away, rest and recharge.  You have more than earned it.

Today is the last Friday of the month and so I will answer some of your questions.  As a reminder, I read all of your questions and comments and appreciate hearing your feedback.  I’m only able to answer some of your questions here, but I pass the rest along for review and possible action by senior administrators.

Now, on to your questions.

Q:  I wish the administration would reconsider the mask policy. Specifically, I wish masks were required and enforced – or optional. The amount of negative emotion and ill will masks are generating outside of UMMC is absolutely astonishing to me. On the Nextdoor App, for example, I read exchanges in which those who think mask-wearing should be required are likened to the Nazi Gestapo and those who do not wear masks are accused of being totally selfish human beings with no concern for their fellow man. I think the current policy discounts how hard it is for most human beings to make those kinds of requests of others ("Could you please wear a mask?") as well as how much strong emotion people have over this issue and how political it is. UMMC is typically a haven from rancorous politics, and I really worry that the politics of masks could shift that culture at a time when everyone is already under stress.

A:  It’s regrettable that so many citizens have accepted the idea that the wearing of a facemask, or not, is a political issue.  It’s not.  It’s a public health question that has long been settled by scientific evidence, which has only grown stronger during this pandemic.  Wearing a mask significantly lessens the spread of the virus.  Period.  I can’t control what people do outside of UMMC, but on campus and in other UMMC locations, if you are unable to keep six feet of separation from others, then the wearing of a mask is required – of patients, visitors and UMMC personnel alike.  This protects you and it protects others.  I want our managers to use their authority to politely request that their employees wear masks, and our instructors to politely request that their students wear masks, and I want everyone to feel the peer pressure within the UMMC community to comply with our policy.    

Q:  I just wanted to let someone know that the freshly painted crosswalks in front of the main entrance are extremely slippery when wet. I fell walking to my car yesterday. I was not injured but I worry about an elderly person falling and getting hurt. Thanks!

A:  When I read your comment, because it references a safety issue, I immediately passed it along to our Facilities Services team. They repainted the striping, but included a slip-resistant additive to help prevent a repeat of what you experienced.  Thanks for passing this along, and I want to give a big shout-out to our Facilities team for their hustle in getting this safety issue addressed.

Q:  What are the terms for taking the 40-hour COVID-19 leave? Is it for everybody?

A:  You will need to check with your manager on the details, but in summary, the COVID-19 Administrative Leave was made available to all full- and part-time employees other than temporary or PRN and whose hire date was on or before April 30, 2020.  Eligible full-time staff were awarded 40 hours of this leave and eligible part-time staff were awarded the proportion of leave equivalent to their FTE.  The leave must be taken during this calendar year.  It does not carry over into calendar year 2021 and if an employee separates prior to year's end the leave does not qualify for payout.  Requests to take the COVID-19 Administrative Leave must be reviewed and approved by your manager through your unit's standard time-off request procedures.  Reasons that qualify an employee for an absence may include:

• Being unable to report to work due to placement on isolation of employee, family member or other loved one;
• Being unable to report to work due to difficulty obtaining supervision of children because of school or daycare closings;
• Needing time off to maintain personal physical, mental and emotional well-being;
• Other circumstances to be determined by UMMC; and
• Working in a clinical setting impacted by “low census” and without work available because of operational changes (e.g., reduction of clinic hours or services offered) due to COVID-19.

Again, talk to your manager, who has access to more detailed information from Human Resources about eligibility for and application of this paid time-off leave option. 

Q:  I totally understand the need to keep regular drinking fountains closed, but it would be a great help to have the bottle fill stations back open (such as the one near R153).

A:  I’ve received a number of comments about the unavailability of drinking fountains during the pandemic.  As I’m sure you can appreciate, the risk of spreading germs in these locations is the reason they had to be taken offline.  Like you, I wondered about the fountains with the bottle filling stations (the ones outside R153 amphitheater and on the second floor of the medical school are the two I am aware of), and I referred your question to our infection prevention specialists.  As of this morning, the plan is to reopen the bottle-filling stations in the near future but our staff will need to sample the water for bacteria and other contaminants. I notice someone has pulled back the covering on the two stations I mentioned; I would caution against using them until the testing is completed.  We will post the appropriate signage and follow up with other communication once the bottle-filling stations are back in service.

Q:  Any update on when the construction in front of University Heart/School of Nursing will be finished? It sure would be nice to save a few steps in the heat of summer.

A:  Construction in this area, which includes a magnificent new interventional radiology center on the basement level below University Heart, should wrap up by the end of July to early August.  This is a $15 million investment and will give us one of a half-dozen state-of-the-art labs of this type in the country. 

Despite the pandemic, it’s nice to know we are still making progress on our major improvement projects.  That’s one more example of what it means to be #UMMCStrong.