As the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic continues to prompt rapid and continuous change across Michigan, the U.S., and the world, medical school leaders are continuing to closely monitor the outbreak in collaboration with local health department officials.
The work underway has one main goal: to ensure the safety of our patients at WMed Health, as well as WMed students, residents, fellows, faculty and staff while continuing to meet the healthcare needs of our community and the educational needs of the learners we serve. With all of that in mind, WMed leadership has implemented proactive measures, new policies, and other actions so that we can continue our operations during the pandemic. Additionally, several events planned for April and May have been canceled.
Some of the proactive measures and changes include:
- Formation of the WMed Rapid Response Team
- New precautions at WMed Health to ensure patient safety
- Implementation of telehealth visits for WMed Health patients
- Restrictions on WMed-related travel
- A new work-from-home policy for WMed employees
- Virtual learning for all educational programs
- Cancellation through May 17 of all events and meetings of 50 persons or more
- Limiting visitors to all WMed campuses and facilities
- Extra effort and resources to continuously sanitize and keep WMed facilities clean
- Establishment of the Region 5 Incident Command Center at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus
For a full rundown of event cancellations and more details about the steps we have taken in light of COVID-19, please visit https://wmed.edu/coronavirusresponse and https://wmed.edu/wmedhealth.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Founding Dean Hal B. Jenson, MD, is providing periodic updates and messages of support during these challenging times. Dr. Jenson's most recent message can be viewed on WMed's YouTube channel.
These are extraordinary circumstances and challenging times that none of us have seen before. The incredible resilience to meet pressing needs despite a great deal of ambiguity, continued strong dedication to our patients and learners, willingness of our medical students to contribute wherever possible, and the collaborations such as the medical school and Region 5 all show the spirt of WMed.
Through it all, the safety and well-being of our communities in Southwest Michigan and the WMed community remains our top priority as the coronavirus pandemic continues.