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Chancellor's Messages to Campus

Coronavirus Campus Updates

March 24, 2022 (11:48AM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

As recently announced by the City of New Orleans, there does not appear to have been an increase in COVID activity since the Mardi Gras Holiday. On campus, we continuously monitor our self-reporting portal, number of tests and number of encounters in the campus clinic. As such, we can confirm that we have not experienced an increase in activity as well. Accordingly, we are joining many of our colleagues as well as the Orleans Parish School System and will be modifying our mask requirements on campus as follows:

Masking with a surgical-grade mask will still be required in all areas of clinical activity (clinical activity is defined as areas where actual patient contact is taking place). There are no changes to our masking requirements in clinical areas. You may use a higher-grade mask such as a KN-95 if desired.
In non-clinical areas, masking is no longer required and is OPTIONAL. We recognize that many employees and students will prefer to continue wearing a mask in non-clinical areas, and we encourage those individuals to do so. Furthermore, we recognize that some individuals may have reasons to remain masked and ask that those around them remain masked when in closed spaces like meeting rooms and small classrooms where physical distancing is not possible. In those situations, we hope that campus personnel will respect the needs of others to remain as safe from infection as possible.
These changes go into effect, Monday, March 28^,2022.

Please note, much of our ongoing success in getting to this point in time is due to your collective efforts of adhering to COVID mitigation practices throughout this pandemic. It is because of your diligence that the environment on this campus is such that we are able to take these measures. We thank you all for your cooperation.

As always, we are constantly monitoring the conditions in Orleans Parish and our neighboring parishes, as well as on campus. We will notify the campus of any changes in activity if they do occur. It is unknown if we will encounter another variant that will increase case numbers and hospitalizations or when that may be. If this happens, we may be required to reinstitute mask requirements and other measures for campus safety. So, let’s all remain vigilant: get vaccinated and/or boosted, practice social distancing when you can, mask in clinical settings, report cases and exposures to campus health (504 412-1995 and via https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/selfreporting.aspx) and continue to use resources such as campus health announcements, nola.gov and CDC.org to remain informed.

Sincerely,

Steve Nelson, MD

Interim Chancellor

Coronavirus Campus Updates

January 11, 2022 (9:39AM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

We want to call your attention to some new information regarding the pandemic and our campus policies.

Campus Guidelines

We have updated our Campus Guidelines, and they are now posted in the Information for LSU Health New Orleans section on the Coronavirus website. Here is a direct link: https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-guidelines.aspx.

Booster Vaccinations

The eligibility for booster vaccines has changed. The CDC and FDA have recently approved boosters 5 months after completion of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine series and 2 months after a J & J vaccination.

We strongly urge you to get your booster vaccination as soon as you are eligible. Persons receiving booster vaccinations are most likely to experience only mild symptoms should they contract COVID-19.

If you have received your booster vaccination, PLEASE UPDATE ON THE ONLINE VACCINATION REPORTING PORTAL. The COVID-19 Vaccination Documentation/Exemption Form is easily located on the Coronavirus website in the LSU Health New Orleans Campus Reporting section. Here is a direct link to the form: https://lsuh.sc/COVID-19-Vaccination-Documentation-and-Exemption.

If you have not entered your vaccination information into the portal, you still have time to do so!

Surveillance Testing Program

Per LSUHSC policy, individuals who have not received the vaccine are to undergo mandatory testing. As per previous correspondences, this testing was to start in January 2022. Those individuals who have either reported medical, religious, or other exemptions OR those individuals who have not registered in the portal are to be tested on a weekly basis average.

Given the recent surge in testing over the last several weeks, we will postpone the introduction of surveillance testing. We are constantly monitoring conditions and will notify individuals selected for testing as conditions warrant.

Thank you for the greatly increased mask utilization. It is noticeable around campus and an easy way to do your part in creating a safe campus!

Thank you for helping to protect your health and that of your colleagues, patients and community!

Steve Nelson, MD J. Christian Winters, MD
Interim Chancellor Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs

KN-95 Mask Requirement

January 3, 2022 (4:13PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

We continue to be in the midst of another surge of Covid-19 nationwide. The Omicron variant remains the dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus, and its transmissibility is unprecedented. We are experiencing record numbers of new cases, test positivity and now increasing numbers of hospitalizations. These trends are likely to continue in the coming weeks, and it’s now more important than ever to adopt strict mitigation efforts to keep our campus as safe as possible:

NOW MORE THAN EVER, MASKING PROPERLY IS ESSENTIAL. Due to the unprecedented transmissibility of this new variant, we must pay particular attention to wearing properly fitted KN-95 or N-95 masks at all times while indoors.

In efforts to maximize safety, we are requiring the use of KN-95 masks (or N-95 masks) while on our campus. These masks should be form-fitting over the bridge of the nose, always covering the nose and mouth.

Masks should only be removed carefully when eating, and prompt re-masking is essential afterward to help prevent the spread of the virus. We have taken steps over the holidays to ensure KN-95 masks are available at various locations on our campuses.
There will be KN-95 mask distribution sites throughout the campus. Two will be located adjacent to the 3^rd-floor walkway from South Roman Street parking garage entrance. One will be located in the CSRB lobby and another in the second-floor lobby of the Allied Health/Nursing School building. An additional site will be the first floor of the 1542 Tulane Ave building. Additional distribution sites will be located at the Dental School as well as the Medical and Allied Health Schools. Please see messages from these respective schools for further details.
Each campus member will be given 5 masks with instructions on fitting and proper usage of the masks. (Please see instructions attached). Please note, the instruction sheet handed to you will say 7 days. You will receive 5 masks to be used over a 10-day period. The revised instruction sheet is included in this email.
It is also recommended that KN-95 masks also be worn when off campus as well.

In order to continue activities on campus, it is essential that we all wear masks properly indoors at all times and outdoors when adequate distancing is not possible. We must also practice social distancing as much as possible. Upon our return to campus, we will be actively monitoring our masking and distancing practices. Failure to comply with proper mask usage may result in being removed from the campus.

Please note we are constantly monitoring the ongoing conditions regarding COVID-19. This current variant is escalating quickly. Please check your emails over the next few days, as conditions may likely change. We will be constantly reviewing all aspects of our campus activities and will keep you all updated should any changes occur.

Thank you all for your commitment to keeping our campuses and communities safe. 

We wish all of you a wonderful New Year.

Steve Nelson, MD J. Christian Winters, MD
Interim Chancellor Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs

LSU Health New Orleans COVID-19 Update

December 23, 2021 (12:52PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

As you are likely aware, the Omicron variant is now the dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus in the United States. Over the last 10-14 days, we have encountered substantial rises in the number of tests administered, percentage of test positivity, exposures to affected individuals and necessity of quarantining. These trends are continuing to increase exponentially, and in the abundance of caution, we are instituting the following measures to keep our campus as safe as possible:

All academic activities will remain at the same level as currently occurring in each school. There will be no increase in on-campus academic activities until we reassess the case numbers and better understand the severity of infections with this variant. Each of our Schools will be sending out a more detailed message as to how this affects the academic activities of your school very shortly. Virtual Learning opportunities should be offered for as many activities as feasible.
All extra-curricular gatherings on campus and “LSUHSC” sponsored gatherings off-campus should be postponed or converted to virtual experiences until further notice. Campus tours or functions should also be postponed until further notice.
Our Departments will maintain a 50% presence of staff on campus on a rotating basis.
There are no recommended changes in carrying out the clinical obligations of our students and faculty at this time.

Other very important items of note:

The COVID Vaccination and Testing Clinics on campus are currently closed and will reopen on January 4th, 2022. If further information regarding testing or vaccination is needed, you may access nolaready.gov and the La Department of Health at: ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/. The campus Health Clinic is also open 12/28 – 12/30, and further assistance can be provided by contacting 504-412-1995. If you are not feeling well, CALL FIRST before coming to campus.
NOW MORE THAN EVER, MASKING PROPERLY IS ESSENTIAL. Due to the unprecedented transmissibility of this new variant, we must pay particular attention to wearing properly fitted masks to help prevent the spread of the virus. Surgical-grade masks are highly preferred. We will be taking steps over the holidays to ensure surgical-grade masks are available at various locations on our campuses.
Social Distancing does not mean just staying 6 feet away. In addition to maintaining distancing, Social Distancing also means if you are experiencing any upper respiratory symptoms, including runny nose, cough and sneezing -you should STAY HOME and seek further guidance by calling our campus clinic or your supervisor. Now more than ever, these measures are of utmost importance.

Please note we are constantly monitoring the ongoing conditions regarding COVID-19. This current variant is escalating quickly. Please check your emails over the next few weeks, as conditions may likely change. We will be constantly reviewing all aspects of our campus activities and will keep you all updated should any changes occur.

Thank you all for your commitment to keeping our campuses and communities safe.

We wish all of you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year.

Sincerely,

Steve Nelson, MD

Interim Chancellor

Omicron Variant

December 6, 2021 (8:32AM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

The safety and well-being of our employees and learners is a priority, and the confirmation over the weekend that the Omicron variant is in our community lends greater urgency to the need to take steps to limit its transmission. We will be paying close attention to what we learn about this new variant of concern.

At this time, we want to remind everyone that there are simple things they can do to protect themselves to help prevent this variant from spreading.

We expect everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and we now advise everyone more than 6 months out from their initial vaccination to get a booster. This week’s hours for our COVID Vaccination Clinic are posted here. Appointments can be made from the page at the link, but walk-ins are welcome.
Continue to use masks and social distancing on the LSU Health New Orleans campuses.
Please don’t come to campus if you are sick. Even if you have very mild symptoms, you should stay home. We know that all strains of COVID can result in mild symptoms or even asymptomatic infection. While you may think that you are able to work or attend class because your symptoms are minimal, the person you infect could end up in the ICU on a ventilator.

It is everyone’s responsibility to do the simple things that can prevent the spread of this disease to their family, friends, and colleagues. Many of us are celebrating holidays now and in the coming weeks. We would like to resume as many in-person classes and campus activities as we think will be safe in the coming months, and that would also be something to celebrate. Let’s all do our part to keep our campuses and each other safe.

Sincerely,

Steve Nelson, MD

Interim Chancellor

Mask Mandate Extended

September 28, 2021 (4:05PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

Governor Edwards today extended the current COVID-19 mitigation measures, including the indoor mask mandate, through October 27, 2021. The mandate includes K-12 schools and colleges campuses.

Accordingly, the mask mandate will remain in place on LSU Health New Orleans campuses.

Next to vaccinations, masks provide one of the most effective means to limit transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Although the numbers in Louisiana’s fourth wave are going in the right direction, State Health Officer and LSU Health New Orleans faculty member Dr. Joseph Kanter said today, “there’s still just a ton of COVID in Louisiana.”

Please continue to practice the measures that we know work – mask up, maintain adequate physical distance and wash your hands frequently. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated, our Vaccination Clinic has expanded its hours, so it’s easier than ever. You can schedule appointments for first, second or third doses for eligible individuals of the Pfizer vaccine from this page.

Thank you for all you do to help keep our community and campuses safe!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Updated Campus Guidelines

September 27, 2021 (10:45AM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty, Staff and Students,

We wanted to make you aware that we have updated our Campus Guidelines. They are posted on the Coronavirus website. https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/. The direct link is https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-guidelines.aspx.

Highlights of the updated guidelines include:

Vaccination is required except for those with a medical or religious exemption. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated will be required to undergo periodic surveillance testing in the Campus Health Clinic. LSUHSC-NO also recommends that pregnant women discuss the pros and cons of vaccination with their health care provider.
Domestic travel to meetings using LSUHSC funds is now allowed for fully vaccinated individuals. (International travel will still not be approved.)
Students will be able to resume some volunteer clinical activities provided that the students are fully vaccinated, the volunteer work is supervised, appropriate PPE is used, and there is an approved COVID mitigation plan in place.
Quarantine is no longer necessary for a fully vaccinated person after moderate-to-high risk exposure. However, those individuals will be required to undergo testing immediately after exposure and on day 5-7 after exposure. They should also strictly adhere to mask and social distancing policies. Quarantine is required for a fully vaccinated person who is living with someone who has a COVID-19 infection.
Quarantine is still required for individuals who have had moderate-to-high risk exposure if they are not fully vaccinated.

Please take a few moments to familiarize yourselves with the updates when you can, and refer to them as the need arises.

Thank you.

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

LSUHSC-NO COVID Vaccination Mandate

August 24, 2021 (4:10PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

As you know, the FDA granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 years of age and older, allowing LSUHSC-NO to require vaccines for faculty, staff, and students. Accordingly, beginning Tuesday, September 7, 2021, we are requiring all of our faculty, staff, and students to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

To self-report your COVID-19 vaccination status, please use this link.

Louisiana law does allow some exceptions for medical and religious reasons. Therefore, if you cannot provide proof of vaccination because of a medical condition or a religious exemption, you will be required to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. We expect to begin weekly testing of all unvaccinated faculty, staff, and students beginning in September. We test on campus using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. The test is administered using a long, flexible stick that is inserted into your nose and is the most reliable of the available COVID-19 tests. LSUHSC-NO requires a PCR test for those not vaccinated.

To schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine here on campus, please visit https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-vaccine-info.aspx

Sincerely,

Larry H. Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Shot for 100

August 23, 2021 (5:31PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

The Shot for 100 event for students will be held this Wednesday, August 25, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Lion’s Building at 2020 Gravier Street, first floor. LSU Health New Orleans students who get a first or second shot at our Vaccination Clinic will receive a $100 gift card from the Shot for 100 Program, a project of the Governor’s Office, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Our Clinic vaccinates with the Pfizer vaccine, which the FDA fully approved today.

While appointments can be made at https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-vaccine-info.aspx, walk-ins are welcome. Students need to bring an LSUHSC ID, as well as a valid form of identification with name and date of birth. For second doses, please also bring your vaccination card.

If you have any questions, you can email LSUHSCVaccines@lsuhsc.edu.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Dining Halls and Wellness Center

August 20, 2021 (12:55PM)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

As you know, the City of New Orleans enacted new COVID-19 mitigation measures effective August 16, 2021.

As part of those mitigation measures, anyone 12 years of age and older must provide proof of at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or a negative PCR test within 72 hours to access restaurants and gyms, among other indoor settings with a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission.

These mitigation measures are also in effect on our campus. Accordingly, to use the Wellness Center or to eat in one of our dining halls, please present your proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours to utilize those facilities.

For the dining halls, if you do not have proof of either vaccination or a negative PCR test to show at checkout, you may take your food and eat outside of the dining halls in a place that will allow you at least six feet of social distancing.

You will not be able to utilize the Wellness Center without proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours. Without either, you will be turned away by staff.

Sincerely,

Larry H. Hollier, M.D.

Chancellor

Updates from the LSUHSC-NO Vaccine Clinic

August 17, 2021 (10:33am)

This weekend, the Louisiana Department of Health (“LDH”) released Guidelines to begin vaccinating patients who are immunocompromised with an additional dose. A copy of those guidelines is included, and posted on the LSUHSC-NO Coronavirus Resource page. https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus

At present, the vaccine clinic has a very limited number of doses. We have requested more vaccine – and we hope to receive a shipment in approximately 10-14 days. Until that time, we can only do a very limited number of additional doses ON A SCHEDULED BASIS ONLY.

Starting Thursday, we will initiate additional dose injections for patients who meet the criteria specified in the Guidelines. For qualified individuals, you may download and print the attestation form which is attached to this email and also available on the Coronavirus resource page. https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/ We will also have forms available on site – but it is highly recommended that you complete your form prior to arriving.

We will still accommodate walk-ins for patients who are receiving their first doses only at this time.

We are already actively planning large scale vaccinations in order to serve everyone as soon as we receive additional vaccine. We will be sending out updates frequently.

Please remember that LDH Guidance indicates that the additional dose is for qualified individuals to receive an injection of the same vaccine type that you originally received. We have only administered the Pfizer vaccine. So, if you may have received Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) or other – you should not receive your additional dose here at LSUHSC-NO and you should contact your original vaccine location.

It is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED that you bring your vaccination card with you. We must verify that you had the Pfizer injection. Failure to bring your card may result in delay or inability to receive the additional dose. This is very important. If you were vaccinated elsewhere and do not have your card, you need to inquire at your vaccination site – as we may not be able to retrieve your information. In order to receive the dose in a timely matter, it is essential that you present with your vaccination card.

In summary, starting Thursday, August 19, 2021, we will begin limited doses of additional dose injections. As previously mentioned, we cannot take walk-ins for additional dose injections at this time. All additional dose injections for qualified immunocompromised campus members must be scheduled on line. You should schedule as a “new or first time” injection and add “additional dose injection” in the comments. This will allow you to reserve a scheduled appointment time on line. Again, due to limited vaccine supply at this time – we cannot accommodate “walk-in” additional dose injections, family members or anyone who is not a member of our campus community. And remember, please have your vaccination card with you (LA Wallet alone does not suffice).

Thank you for your patience as we initiate this new phase in our response to the pandemic.

Note: These details will be posted on the LSUHSC-NO Coronavirus Resource Page as well as the LSUHN Homepage for more information.

Mandatory Reporting

August 13, 2021 (3:48pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

Beginning September 1, 2021, all LSUHSC-NO faculty, staff and students will need to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. If you choose not to be vaccinated at this time, we will be contacting you for weekly COVID-19 testing.

As you know, we sent out an email on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, reminding you of our Employee/Student COVID-19 Self Reporting resource. Any faculty, staff or student who is tested outside of our Campus Health Clinic should also self-report the results of their COVID-19 test to our Campus Health Clinic via this link: https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/selfreporting.aspx.

The Campus Health Clinic can answer any questions that you may have. You can reach them at 504-412-1995.

Sincerely,
Larry H. Hollier, M.D.
Chancellor

Self-Reporting

August 4, 2021 (10:54am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

We want to reacquaint you with a resource for our faculty, staff and students that will help us gather information about potential exposures to COVID-19. For the health and well-being of those on our New Orleans campuses, we ask all members of the Health Sciences Center community who are under suspicion of or diagnosed with COVID-19, to self-report.

The form is available on our Coronavirus website. Here is a direct link to the landing page depicted below.

The Campus Clinic requests that you complete and submit the form before calling to arrange COVID-19 testing to allow them to provide you the best guidance. The Campus Clinic can also answer any questions you may have. You can reach them at 504-412-1995.

Thank you all for the contributions you continue to make and for your diligence in taking safety and preventive precautions. Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Staggered Work Schedule

August 3, 2021 (8:00am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

Since we are now in the most dangerous surge of the pandemic, we are taking steps to protect the health of everyone on campus and follow the Governor’s and Division of Administration’s directive to encourage working remotely where possible to reduce transmission of the virus. Deans and administrative heads are preparing plans to stagger our workforce so that no more than 50% of us will be on campus at any given time. Supervisors will identify employees whose duties cannot be performed remotely and devise adequate staffing coverage and a platooning schedule.

As we are an essential institution, the Health Sciences Center will remain fully functional. You will be hearing details in the coming days, including protocols to monitor attendance, performance and productivity.

We plan to implement the new schedule Monday, August 9.

Thank you for all you contribute to our ability to carry out our vital mission.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Self-Care

July 30, 2021 (12:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

The strength we have shown over this last year has been tremendous. We’ve worked well together despite the challenges we have faced. And we continue to meet our mission despite these stressful times. Now is a good time to remember the importance of prioritizing both our physical and mental health. Our Campus Assistance Program is a resource to our LSUHSC community that offers individuals assistance with solving life, school and work problems. Any problems, regardless of severity, that are interfering with one’s peace of mind or personal effectiveness are appropriate to bring to our CAP counselors. CAP will work with you to either resolve the problem or find the resources in the community to help you. Our Campus Assistance Program is confidential and offers short-term counseling, problem assessment, a 24-hour crisis line and referral services.

For additional information on our Campus Assistance Program, please visit their website https://www.lsuhsc.edu/orgs/campushealth/cap.aspx

The CAP staff are available to answer any of your questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact them at (504) 568-8888 or CAP@lsuhsc.edu as needed.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Safety Measures Continue

July 6, 2021 (3:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

While we would all love for this pandemic to be behind us, unfortunately, it is not finished with us yet. There have been more than 2,000 new COVID cases since Friday in Louisiana, four of them among members of our campus community who had been vaccinated. Hospitalizations also took a big jump up.

Masks are still mandated on our campus, and since our Precision Medicine Lab found that the Delta Plus variant is circulating in our community, it is very important that we continue to mask and practice physical distancing.

The vaccines confer protection against the known variants, but no vaccine is 100% effective. Until enough people are vaccinated, this virus will continue to mutate as it freely replicates in unvaccinated people, and new variants that are better at defeating treatments and reducing the effectiveness of vaccines may result. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, please consider doing so. It is quick and easy in our campus COVID Vaccination Clinic. Hours are posted every week on our homepage at www.lsuhsc.edu. Also, please encourage your friends and family to take advantage of this free service.

We are so close. If we can just hold on a little longer and continue to practice the measures that inhibit the ability of the virus to infect people, we will finally be able to put this pandemic in the rearview mirror.

Thank you for doing your part.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Masks Still Required on Campus

May 27, 2021 (12:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Although many of the COVID response restrictions have been lifted in New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, the masking recommendations for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not apply to health care settings. Face coverings are still required on LSU Health New Orleans campuses when you are in the presence of others inside or outside, regardless of your vaccination status. Please continue to maintain physical distancing, wash your hands and use the hand sanitizing stations around campus. Also, please remember that you can be vaccinated here on campus. You can participate in a Walk-In Day at our COVID Vaccination Clinic at 2020 Gravier Street or make an appointment here.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus healthy.

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Masks Still Mandated on LSU Health Campuses

May 18, 2021 (9:51am)

As you know, the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans mask mandates have been lifted for fully vaccinated individuals, with certain exceptions. Masks are still required at health care facilities, which include the Health Sciences Center. Accordingly, face coverings must be worn in the presence of others on the LSUHSC-NO campuses, whether inside or outside (residence halls, classrooms, common workspaces, quads, etc.). Please remember to maintain physical distancing and continue to wash your hands and use the hand sanitizing stations across campus. Also, please remember that if you have not yet been vaccinated, you can receive the vaccine here on campus. You can make an appointment here.

Masks Still Mandated on LSU Health Campuses

April 28, 2021 (9:46am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As you may be aware, the Governor has amended the statewide mask mandate, effective today. He said instead of a blanket mask mandate, local leaders and business owners may set their own policies. However, masks will continue to be mandated in some locations. The Governor said that these include K-12 schools, colleges and universities, health care facilities and many state offices.

Accordingly, masks are still mandated on LSU Health New Orleans campuses. We require that masks be worn properly (covering the nose and mouth) in all public settings on campus (unless one is eating).

The end of this pandemic is in sight. We are almost there, but we are not there yet. Hopefully, between vaccinations, masking, physical distancing and other mitigation measures, we will cross the finish line soon.

Thank you for doing your part.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Walk-In Wednesday COVID Vaccination Clinic

April 14, 2021 (4:13pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Since the pause in using the J & J COVID vaccine was announced yesterday, information and misinformation have been circulating on social media. This is causing concern for some and fueling Anti-Vax sentiments, among others. We’d like to take this opportunity to provide real information.

If you got your vaccine at LSU Health New Orleans, you got the Pfizer vaccine. Unlike the J & J vaccine, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA technology. Of the 180 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines given as of yesterday, no cases of this rare adverse event have been reported.
The only vaccine paused is the J & J COVID vaccine.
While these cases are certainly serious, they are quite rare. Of the 6.85 million doses of the J & J vaccine given as of April 12, 2021, there were six cases of a rare type of blood clot reported after receiving the J & J COVID vaccine. That’s less than one in a million. One resulted in death.
According to Johns Hopkins, as of today, 563,446 Americans have died of COVID-19.
As soon as they became aware of the cases, both the FDA and the CDC recommended that use of the J & J vaccine be paused while the data are carefully evaluated.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is the committee that makes recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. It is holding a virtual emergency meeting this afternoon to further review these cases and assess potential implications on vaccine policy for the J & J COVID vaccine.
Yesterday, the CDC and the FDA issued guidance regarding the J & J COVID vaccine for health care professionals available here.
They also provided advice for members of the public who received the J & J vaccine. If they develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, they should contact their health care provider, or seek medical care.

The fact that the CDC and FDA paused the use of this vaccine for these very rare cases until they could be thoroughly investigated shows that they will take rapid and decisive action regarding safety. It also demonstrates transparency and dedication to protecting health while fighting the pandemic.

Vaccination remains one of the most powerful weapons we have. We will continue to follow the science to protect health and save lives.

Thank you for doing your part.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Walk-In Wednesday COVID Vaccination Clinic

April 14, 2021 (9:34am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As of Monday evening, our COVID Vaccination Clinic has given 17,290 Pfizer COVID vaccinations, and we’d like to give many more. So today is Walk-In Wednesday. Until 3 pm, no appointments are needed. Individuals age 16 and up can walk right in to the first floor of 2020 Gravier Street and get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

It is a perfect opportunity for our faculty, staff and students who have not yet had a chance to be vaccinated to receive this highly effective protection against a potentially deadly disease. The variants that are now circulating are not only more easily transmissible, but also more virulent. It’s important for as many people as possible to be vaccinated to reduce the creation of even more variants and get ahead of this disease. So please share the information about our Clinic and the easy availability of the Pfizer vaccine here as widely as possible.

For those who would prefer to make an appointment, our COVID Vaccination Clinic operates Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made online at https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-vaccine-info.aspx.

We thank those who have already been vaccinated and encourage those who have not yet to take advantage of this opportunity to keep our campus safe and put the pandemic behind us.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier MD

Chancellor

Spring Commencement

April 5, 2021 (12:38pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Due to the ongoing pandemic and City of New Orleans gathering size limits, we will be unable to hold an in-person commencement ceremony this spring. We all so look forward to celebrating this milestone with you and your families, and we regret that this won’t be possible next month. We will mail your diplomas to you.

Please know that we are proud of each and every one of you for all you have accomplished and all that you will in the coming years. As you know, our schools are not easy to get into, and I don’t have to tell you how rigorous our curricula are. Graduating from an LSU Health New Orleans school is a tremendous accomplishment. The education you received here will stand you in good stead in your practices and professional endeavors.

As you go forth and take your rightful places as physicians, nurses, research scientists, educators, dental, allied health, and public health professionals, know that you can change the world, one life or one discovery at a time.

Congratulations, Class of 2021!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Return to Work

March 29, 2021 (12:38pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

With the City’s move to Modified Phase Three that increases capacity at businesses to 75%, we have modified our return-to-work policy. Effective April 1, 2021, we will require that everyone be here at least 75% of the time. Please discuss any special circumstances with your supervisor or Department Head.

We will follow CDC guidelines, Louisiana mandates and New Orleans restrictions. We will continue to require that masks be worn on campus and six feet of physical distance be maintained even after you are fully vaccinated.

Thank you for everything you have done over the past year despite extremely challenging circumstances so we could continue to carry out our vital mission. The City and State owe you all a huge debt of gratitude.

We are getting ever closer to putting the pandemic behind us. We just have to hold on a little longer.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination On-Campus Expands

March 26, 2021 (1:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As you are probably aware, this week, the Governor announced an expansion of those eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Louisiana. As of Monday, those 16 and older can be vaccinated, by appointment only, at our campus COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic. We have placed the appointment link on our homepage and on two pages on the Coronavirus website. First-dose appointments are currently available through April 7, 2021.

Please share the link as widely as you can. Along with continuing mitigation measures like mask-wearing and physical distancing, vaccination is our way out of this pandemic.

Thank you for all you’re doing to promote public health and keep our campus safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Pre-Commencement

March 16, 2021 (10:35am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Like you, we, too, feel that graduation is the most important thing we celebrate. After all, education is the reason we exist. Recognition of the commitment, dedication and hard work that go into both teaching and learning is something we look forward to sharing as each class reaches this milestone. As you are too well aware, to protect health, we have not been able to hold large events during the pandemic. That has precluded in-person ceremonies. While the pandemic is not yet over, vaccines have greatly accelerated the pace of our progress -- just not enough to plan for in-person campus-wide commencement exercises. Since they are so much smaller, we are considering the possibility of holding in-person pre-commencement ceremonies if the gathering size restrictions permit them. The only way we can safely have them though, is if we have herd immunity through vaccination for the participants. Anyone who is not vaccinated will not be allowed to participate in person, only virtually.

If you, too, would like to enjoy these celebrations with your classes, please consider getting vaccinated if you haven’t already. You can make an appointment here.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus safe and put this pandemic behind us.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination Clinic Taking Appointments

March 12, 2021 (1:17pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We have received another shipment of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. If you or your eligible family members have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated, you can schedule appointments now. Faculty, staff and students can use this link. Family members can use this link.

The COVID Vaccination Clinic will be open next week, and appointments are available. Remember, you must accompany your family member to the appointment. You must bring your LSUHSC ID, and your family member must bring information documenting eligibility.

Not all of our faculty, staff and students have taken advantage of this opportunity to protect themselves and each other. Myths about the vaccines have been widely circulated, which could be influencing decisions. Here are the facts.

Myth—People who have had COVID don’t need to be vaccinated.

Fact—We don’t yet know how long people are protected after recovering from COVID-19. Some scientists believe the vaccine offers better protection for coronavirus than natural infection.

Myth -- The COVID-19 vaccine can affect women’s fertility.

Fact -- The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility. False claims surfaced on social media that the spike protein on the coronavirus that the vaccines teach the body to fight is the same spike protein involved in placental growth and attachment. They are not the same protein. They are very different, and one has nothing to do with the other. It is also true that COVID infection can have a serious impact on pregnancy and the mother’s health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) issued a statement available here.

Myth – The vaccines were rushed and aren’t safe.

Fact – The technology used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines has been around for years. It allows for a faster approach, and scientists were already familiar with similar viruses and had the genetic sequence from China, so they were not starting from scratch. Tens of thousands of people wanted to participate in vaccine testing, and enrollment was unprecedented. Skyrocketing cases allowed developers to quickly determine effectiveness. Since they were approved, the vaccines have safely been given to millions of people.

Please remember to complete and submit the COVID Vaccination Self-Reporting Form regardless of where you were vaccinated. It is available at this link.

Thank you for helping to keep our campuses safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccine End-of-Day Waitlist

March 10, 2021 (4:41pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We wanted to tell you about a new campus resource for your family members who are not yet eligible for a COVID vaccine. Due to unpredictable circumstances such as missed appointments, we may have unused doses at the end of some days. We will not waste a dose, so we have created a COVID Vaccine End-of-Day Waitlist for those days.

LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students can visit this link to add a relative to the COVID Vaccine End-of-Day Waitlist. There is also a button on the Coronavirus website landing page in the Resources for LSU Health New Orleans Campus section that will take you to the page.

There are only 25 spots available on the waitlist. You will need to check back daily for availability.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Additional COVID Vaccination

March 9, 2021 (8:00am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The COVID Vaccination Clinic will be closed today and Thursday this week, but appointments are available on other days. Remember, you must accompany your family member to the appointment. You must bring your LSUHSC ID, and your family member must bring information documenting eligibility.

Myth—People who have had COVID don’t need to be vaccinated.

Fact—We don’t yet know how long people are protected after recovering from COVID-19. Some scientists believe the vaccine offers better protection for coronavirus than natural infection.

Myth -- The COVID-19 vaccine can affect women’s fertility.

Myth – The vaccines were rushed and aren’t safe.

Please remember to complete and submit the COVID Vaccination Self-Reporting Form regardless of where you were vaccinated. It is available at this link.

Thank you for helping to keep our campuses safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Additional COVID Vaccination

March 5, 2021 (9:25am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

Please do not call to try to schedule a COVID vaccination appointment. Appointments are being scheduled online only. More appointment times will be available either this afternoon or next week. If you try to make an appointment and none are available, please keep checking back as more times are being added.

Some of you have had questions about vaccinating family members. Those who are eligible (and they must bring information showing eligibility) can be vaccinated at an appointment you have scheduled for them. You must accompany your family member with your LSUHSC ID.

We apologize for any confusion.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccine Update

March 5, 2021 (8:30am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We have a very limited number of first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Please register and schedule your appointment now here before they are all gone. With at least one of the new variants circulating in our community, it is even more imperative that as many people as possible be vaccinated as soon as possible to curtail transmission. This variant is more contagious and may be more virulent as well.

We requested and received enough vaccine to fully protect our campus. Thank you to all of you who have taken advantage of this highly coveted opportunity. Given the increasing demand for vaccinations, we have been surprised that some of you have chosen to remain vulnerable to this potentially deadly virus, which not only risks your own health but that of everyone around you. Nonetheless, we are not requiring you to be vaccinated, but we will be mandating biweekly PCR testing for those who opt out.

Thank you also to those who have submitted the COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form, available here. We ask that those of you who haven’t taken the short survey yet, regardless of where you were vaccinated, please take it now.

Also, even if you have been vaccinated, until we have achieved herd immunity, we must continue to practice mitigation measures, including wearing your masks and physical distancing.

Thank you for doing your part to help put this pandemic in our rearview mirror.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

On-Campus COVID Vaccination

February 11, 2021 (3:30pm)

Dear LSU Health faculty, staff and students,

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated their guidance on quarantine after exposure to COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people who meet the criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following exposure to someone with COVID-19. That is one more reason to get vaccinated. Though our first doses are limited, they are still available. So if you haven’t already registered and scheduled your appointment, you can do so here while you have the opportunity. Please do not share the link.

Protecting our campus will help us reach some sort of normalcy much sooner, and vaccination is a major step in that direction. Thank you for doing your part.

Please remember to submit the COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form, available here, even if you were vaccinated elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Last Chance

February 8, 2021 (1:03pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We still have a very limited number of first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but they won’t last much longer. Please register and schedule your appointment now here before they are all gone. With at least one of the new variants circulating in our community, it is even more imperative that as many people as possible be vaccinated as soon as possible to curtail transmission. This variant is more contagious and may be more virulent as well.

Also, even if you have been vaccinated, until we have achieved herd immunity, we must continue to practice mitigation measures, including wearing your masks and physical distancing.

Thank you for doing your part to help put this pandemic in our rearview mirror.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination Form & Appointments

February 5, 2021 (10:49am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We are grateful to all who have submitted the COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form. It is an essential indicator of how well our campus is protected. If you have not taken the quick, simple survey, please do it now. This includes everyone, even those vaccinated elsewhere. The form is available at this link.

Some first-dose vaccination appointments are still available, but we would like to fill them as soon as possible. You can register and schedule your appointment here. Your relatives who are aged 65 and older can be vaccinated on-campus beginning Monday. You can register and make appointments for them at the same link. LSUHSC New Orleans employees must accompany their relative to the appointment at the Vaccination Clinic.

We are not mandating vaccinations at this time but are strongly encouraging them. You need to be aware that if you opt out, you will be required to undergo PCR testing via nasopharyngeal swabs every two weeks. With at least one more contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in our community, for everyone’s safety, it is vital that we know the status of our campus.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus healthy.

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination Eligibility Expanding

February 4, 2021 (4:03pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

Some first-dose appointments for COVID vaccination are still available for our closed POD, but they are going fast. We also still have doses for your family members who are 70 years old or older. With the State’s expansion of eligibility announced today, as of Monday, February 8, 2021, we will also vaccinate family members aged 65 and up. We cannot vaccinate those under age 65. You can register and make your appointment at this link. Please do not share it. Outside people have been making appointments taking them away from LSU Health faculty, staff and students, and slowing our operation.

In full disclosure, before it’s too late to change your mind, those who opt out of vaccination will have to undergo PCR testing via nasopharyngeal swabs every two weeks.

For second dose appointments, please remember to bring your vaccination cards and consent forms. Check yes that you have received a COVID vaccine (the first COVID dose) and no that you haven’t received a vaccine in the past 14 days. Your second appointment is at least 21 days from your first.

We are fortunate to be able to vaccinate our faculty, staff and students. It’s a benefit many people wish they had.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Consent Forms Required for Each Injection

February 2, 2021 (12:18pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

Each COVID vaccine injection requires a signed consent form. While many of you brought the consent form for your first dose, you might not realize you need to bring it for your second dose as well. Could you please complete, sign and print the COVID-19 COVID Vaccine Consent Form at this link and bring it with you to each of your vaccination appointments? It will make our vaccination process much quicker and more efficient.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Last COVID Vaccination 1st Dose Appointments

February 2, 2021 (8:59am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We ask that those who have not yet submitted the COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form do it today. Even if you were vaccinated elsewhere, please take the survey. This simple, quick survey will help us better determine the coverage of vaccine protection on our campus. It is available at this link. We thank all who have already completed the survey.

A few first vaccination appointments are still available, but we would like to fill as many of the last ones as possible today. After you get the first dose, you will make your appointment for your second dose before you leave. As a Closed Healthcare POD, we are very fortunate to be able to offer you this opportunity to be protected against this deadly disease. Many people would eagerly trade places with you. We urge you to take advantage of it while it lasts.

If you choose to pass on vaccination, which is your choice, remember that when work from home ends and we’re all back on campus, you will have to undergo testing every two weeks. We will be implementing mandatory biweekly PCR testing using nasopharyngeal swabs because of this method’s accuracy and reliability.

If you have not scheduled your vaccination, please schedule it now while you still can. You can register and schedule an appointment here.

Thank you,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form Reminder

January 29, 2021 (8:51am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We ask that those who have not yet submitted the COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting Form do it today. It is available at this link. The simple survey can be completed very quickly and will help us quantify the vaccine we need to complete our on-campus vaccinations. Thanks to all of you who have already taken the survey.

Yesterday we issued our last call to make an appointment to be vaccinated on-campus. We are nearing the end of our first round. We strongly suggest that you avail yourselves of this opportunity to protect yourselves and those around you while it lasts. As you know, we have only a limited supply of vaccine.

I will also remind you that though we are not mandating vaccination, we must take steps to protect our campus. When work from home ends and we are all back on campus, those who have opted out of vaccination will be required to be tested every two weeks. We will be implementing mandatory biweekly PCR testing using nasopharyngeal swabs because of this method’s accuracy and reliability.

If you have not scheduled your vaccination, please schedule it now while you still can. You can register and schedule an appointment here.

Thank you,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Last Call for On-Campus COVID Vaccinations

January 28, 2021 (4:13pm)

Dear LSU Health faculty, staff and students,

We are almost to the end of our first round of on-campus vaccinations. If you have not yet received yours, please register and schedule an appointment now. We would not want you to miss out on this limited opportunity.

While we are not mandating vaccination, when work from home has ended and everyone is back on campus, those who have not been vaccinated will be required to undergo testing every two weeks. We will be implementing mandatory PCR testing using nasopharyngeal swabs because it is the most accurate, and we must do everything we can to keep our campus safe.

The Louisiana Department of Health announced this afternoon that two more cases of the UK variant have been identified in Louisiana, including another one in Greater New Orleans. While not identified in our area yet, both the Brazilian and South African variants are now known to be in the United States. It is believed that these variants are more contagious, and data now suggest that they may be more virulent as well.

The Pfizer vaccine confers a very high degree of immunity, so it is to your benefit to receive it as quickly as possible. Pfizer has said it remains a good match for the UK variant. Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that even if these other variants have a slight effect on the mRNA vaccines, there is enough cushion in their level of immunity that even with a minimal reduction, they would still remain highly effective.

You can register and schedule your appointment after logging in at this link. Please do it now while you still have the chance.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus safe.

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID-19 Vaccination Self-Reporting

January 26, 2021 (7:54am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

We need your help to reconcile the amount of Pfizer COVID vaccine we have with exactly what we will need to finish vaccinating our faculty, staff and students. We know that some of you were vaccinated at one of our partner clinical facilities so don’t need to be included in our count for on-campus vaccinations. We would appreciate everyone responding to the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form at this link. It is a simple survey that can be completed very quickly. So please take it now.

For those of you who have not yet been vaccinated, we would suggest that you register and make an appointment now. As you know, there is a national shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the limited supply we currently have.

Though it is one of the most powerful tools we have to safeguard your health and keep our campus safe, we are not mandating vaccination. You do need to know, though, that if you choose not to be vaccinated, when you return to campus, you will be tested biweekly. We will be implementing mandatory PCR testing using nasopharyngeal swabs because this is the most accurate type of test, and we must do everything we can to keep our campus safe.

You have the opportunity to protect yourself and those around you right now, an opportunity that millions of people around the world desperately wish that they had. Please do not waste this limited opportunity. If you have not scheduled your vaccination, please schedule it now. You can register and schedule an appointment here.

Thank you,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination for Family Members Age 70 and Older

January 25, 2021 (10:06am)

Dear LSU Health faculty, staff and students,

You may have seen news stories about the national shortage of COVID-19 vaccines now also causing some vaccination appointments to be cancelled locally. While as a Closed Health Care POD we have enough Pfizer vaccine to vaccinate our faculty, staff and students right now, we have no guarantee that we will get more doses any time soon.

If you have not been vaccinated by one of our clinical partners, please register today to be vaccinated here on our downtown campus while our limited supply lasts. You can do that by clicking here.

The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective at preventing COVID-19.

COVID vaccination is recommended even if you have already had COVID. We do not know how long natural immunity from infection lasts; it is impossible to predict. Although rare, some people have had COVID-19 twice. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity.

You have the opportunity to protect yourself and those around you right now, an opportunity that thousands desperately wish they had. Please don’t waste it; it may not come again. Schedule your vaccination now.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination for Family Members Age 70 and Older

January 22, 2021 (4:42pm)

Dear LSU Health faculty, staff and students,

In case you missed the first message, we wanted you to be aware that your family members age 70 and up have the opportunity to receive a COVID vaccination here on campus. We have received a limited number of doses of the Pfizer vaccine for people age 70 or older, and we are making them available to your family members in that age group. Due to limited vaccine supply, scheduling is on a first come –first serve basis until our dose allocation is completed. Those who receive their first dose will be scheduled to receive their second dose after getting the first vaccine.

Please note that your family members will be required to present ID or Driver’s License that verifies they are 70 years or older at the time of vaccination. In addition, family members will need to provide proof of familial relationship, such as the name of the faculty, staff, or student to whom they are related. Failure to do so can result in not getting the vaccine. The entire registration and scheduling process must be completed.

SCHEDULING THE VACCINE APPOINTMENT:

Please follow the link to schedule the COVID-19 vaccine appointment. COVID-19 Vaccine Consent and Online Scheduling

LOCATION OF VACCINE:

Vaccines will be administered on the 1st floor of the Lions Building – 2020 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA 70112. Walk-in appointments are not allowed. This is the ONLY location where we will be administering the vaccine.

TYPE OF VACCINE:

We will be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech (“Pfizer”) vaccine. This requires that participants receive two (2) doses of the vaccine, 21 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people ages 16 years and older. After the first dose, participants will be scheduled onsite for the second vaccine 3 weeks later.

THE DAY OF THE VACCINATION APPOINTMENT:

1. Please plan to arrive about 5-10 minutes prior to the appointment time and follow all health precautions at the site, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

2. If a participant develops any COVID-19 symptoms prior to the appointment, we ask that they please cancel the appointment by calling 504-568-1800 to cancel.

3. Participants must bring a valid driver’s license. They must have ID that verifies they are 70 years of age or greater on the date of vaccination. Failure to provide age verification will disqualify the participant from receiving the vaccine.

4. Remember to dress appropriately! The vaccine will be given in the upper arm. Please come prepared with loose fitting attire or clothing that will allow easy access to the upper arm to receive the COVID-19 vaccine injection.

5. Please remember to print the completed consent form and bring it. We are required to have this copy, and it will expedite the vaccination by not needing to complete it again upon arrival. As participants complete their consent, they will acknowledge and provide verification that they are 70 years old or greater in order to be vaccinated.

6. Parking is available at the following locations:

· Roman Street Garage (425 South Roman St, New Orleans, LA 70112)

· Campus Multispecialty Patient Parking (478 S. Johnson St, New Orleans, LA 70112)

AFTER THE VACCINATION:

Once participants have received their vaccinations, we will ask that they sit in the observation area for a minimum of 15 minutes to ensure they do not have any adverse reactions to the vaccine that will require medical attention. Those with a history of allergic reaction to prior vaccinations or injections will be observed for 30 minutes. After the first dose of the vaccine, participants will receive a card detailing what vaccine they received. Participants will need to bring this card back when they return for their second dose (21 days later).

Participants will register for their follow-up appointment on-site while they wait in the observation area. Staff will be available onsite to answer any questions. Please make sure to use this time to register and schedule the second appointment.

BENEFITS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE:

There are many benefits of Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including:

COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19;
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection; and
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help STOP the pandemic.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccine for Family Members Age 70 and Older

January 21, 2021 (10:30am)

Dear LSU Health faculty, staff and students,

We have received a limited number of doses of the Pfizer vaccine for people age 70 or older. We are making them available to your family members who are in that age group. Due to limited vaccine supply, scheduling is on a first come –first serve basis until our dose allocation is completed. Those who receive their first dose will be scheduled to receive their second dose after getting the first vaccine.

SCHEDULING THE VACCINE APPOINTMENT:

Please follow the link to schedule the COVID-19 vaccine appointment. COVID-19 Vaccine Consent and Online Scheduling

LOCATION OF VACCINE:

TYPE OF VACCINE:

THE DAY OF THE VACCINATION APPOINTMENT:

1. Please plan to arrive about 5-10 minutes prior to the appointment time and follow all health precautions at the site, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

2. If a participant develops any COVID-19 symptoms prior to the appointment, we ask that they please cancel the appointment by calling 504-568-1800 to cancel.

6. Parking is available at the following locations:

· Roman Street Garage (425 South Roman St, New Orleans, LA 70112)

· Campus Multispecialty Patient Parking (478 S. Johnson St, New Orleans, LA 70112)

AFTER THE VACCINATION:

BENEFITS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE:

There are many benefits of Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including:

COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19;
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection; and
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help STOP the pandemic.

COVID Vaccinations on Campus

January 19, 2021 (2:27pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students,

As a follow-up to my email last week, as an employee or student of LSUHSC-NO, you may receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on our campus. The registration and consent forms are available at https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/ in the Resources for LSU Health New Orleans Campus section.

While appointments are preferred, some walk-ins may be accommodated based on dose availability. Walk-ins are best accommodated before 3:00 p.m. each day, but we encourage you to register first to avoid lines and to ensure social distancing.

Please take advantage of this valuable opportunity to receive your vaccine as doses are limited.

Thank you for doing your part to keep yourselves and our campus healthy.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccination Town Hall Meeting

January 14, 2021 (10:12am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Here are the details about the Virtual On-Campus COVID Vaccination Town Hall Meeting we will hold via Zoom Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be open to all LSUHSC New Orleans faculty, staff and students, and we encourage everyone to attend and learn more about how the vaccine will help us end the COVID pandemic.

Specifics about how the vaccine works and its effectiveness, vaccination safety, how to register and schedule your vaccination appointment, as well as other resources and important information will be covered. There will also be time for you to ask questions.

Our Zoom license permits up to 500 participants who will have the ability to ask questions using the chat function. You may connect to Zoom after logging in on this page.

Once our limit has been reached, you will be able to watch the meeting via Mediasite. If you cannot connect to Zoom, return to this page and log in to Mediasite. You will not be able to ask questions as Mediasite is only for viewing. There are a couple of other options to watch the livestream – on computers in the Library and in the large glassed-walled (Team-Based Learning) classroom across from the cafeteria on the third floor of the Medical Education Building. We ask that no more than 32 people use this option, with only one person at a table and spaced so people are a minimum of six feet apart.

The meeting will also be recorded and can be viewed on-demand afterwards.

As some of you have already been vaccinated, it seems a good time to remind you that you still must continue to practice mitigation measures – wearing your mask everywhere outside of your home, maintaining physical distancing, etc. Though the vaccination should keep you from getting sick, you may still become infected and able to asymptomatically infect others.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus and communities healthy and safe. We hope to see you on the Vaccination Town Hall Meeting tomorrow morning.

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Vaccinations On Campus

January 13, 2021 (12:29pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty, Staff, and Students and LSU Healthcare Network Employees:

As previously reported, the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (“LSUHSC-NO”), in partnership with the LSU Healthcare Network, will begin a campus wide COVID-19 vaccination effort on Thursday, January 14, 2021. The vaccinations will be given free of charge. Vaccinations are limited to our campus community and to LSU Healthcare Network employees. Vaccines will be administered on the 1st floor of the Lions Building – 2020 Gravier Street. Walk-in appointments are not allowed. We will be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech (“Pfizer”) vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTECH COVID-19 Vaccine EUA Fact sheet This requires that you receive two (2) doses of the vaccine, 21 days apart. Therefore, as you schedule your first injection, please keep in mind that you will need to be scheduled to return approximately 21 days later for your second vaccine dose.

You can schedule your appointment via the LSU Healthcare Network online scheduler via the following link below:

COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form and Online Scheduling

To successfully schedule your appointment you will need to fill out the online consent AND bring in the attached consent completed and PRINTED.

The online registration process includes the online consent
After completing online consent, you will be able to schedule your appointment
Must complete the attached consent and bring the paper copy to expedite your vaccination process

On the date of your appointment –

Please plan to arrive about 5-10 minutes prior to your appointment time and follow all health precautions at the site, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms prior to your appointment, please cancel your appointment.
You must also bring a valid driver’s license, your LSUHSC ID badge, and a completed consent form(attached). COVID-19 Vaccine Consent form You must have your driver’s license and LSU ID in order to be vaccinated.
Remember to dress appropriately! The vaccine will be given in your upper arm. Please come prepared with loose fitting attire or clothing that will allow you to easily expose your upper arm to receive your COVID-19 vaccine injection.
Please remember to print your completed consent form and bring with you. We are required to have this copy, and it will expedite your vaccination by not needing to complete it again upon arrival.

Once you have received your vaccination, we will ask that you sit in the observation area for a minimum of 15 minutes to ensure you do not have any adverse reactions to the vaccine that will require medical attention. Those with a history of allergic reaction to prior vaccinations or injections will be observed for 30 minutes. After your first dose of the vaccine, you will receive a card detailing what vaccine you received. You will need to bring this card back when you return for your second dose (21 days later).

You will register for your follow-up appointment on-site while you wait in the observation area. Staff will be available onsite to answer any questions that you may have. Please make sure to use this time to register and schedule your second appointment.

The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people ages 16 years and older. We strongly recommend that you get the vaccine to protect yourself, your families and the patients that we serve. Getting this vaccine may prevent us from requiring mandatory Covid-19 testing each week and will help keep our campus community safe. CDC v-safe information sheet

There are many benefits of Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including:

COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19;
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection; and
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help STOP the pandemic.

If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, please call our Campus Health Clinic at 504-412-1995. Please do not call Campus Health to schedule your appointment. You will need to utilize online registration to schedule your appointment.

To address any further questions, LSUHSC will be hosting a series of "town hall" sessions to discuss the vaccine and our vaccination efforts on the campus. There will be ample opportunity for questions and further information. The first session will be held Friday, January 15th at 10:00AM.

COVID Vaccinations On Campus

January 12, 2021 (2:05pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty, Staff and Students,

The LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (“LSUHSC-NO”), in partnership with the LSU Healthcare Network, will begin a campus wide COVID-19 vaccination effort on Thursday, January 14, 2021. LSUHSC-NO is a closed POD and therefore, vaccinations are limited to our campus community. Vaccines will be administered on the 1st floor of the Lions Building – 2020 Gravier Street. Walk-in appointments are not allowed. We will be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech (“Pfizer”) vaccine. This requires that you receive two (2) doses of the vaccine, 21 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people ages 16 years and older. We strongly recommend that you get the vaccine to protect yourself, your families and the patients that we serve. Getting this vaccine may prevent us from requiring mandatory Covid-19 testing each week and will help keep our campus community safe.

You can schedule your appointment via the LSU Healthcare Network online scheduler. The COVID-19 vaccination registration link will be sent in a separate email on Wednesday, January 13. At this time, the schedule will immediately be open from Thursday, January 14 to Friday, January 22 (including Monday, 1/18 when the school is closed in observance of the MLK holiday). Additional dates will be added as scheduling progresses. The aim of this effort is to vaccinate all students, faculty and employees of the HSC with both doses of vaccine in 6 weeks. As you schedule your first injection, please keep in mind that you will need to be scheduled to return approximately 21 days later for your second vaccine dose.

On the date of your appointment –

Please plan to arrive about 5-10 minutes prior to your appointment time and follow all health precautions at the site, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms prior to your appointment, please cancel your appointment.
You must also bring a valid driver’s license, your LSUHSC ID badge, and a completed consent form (attached). You must have your driver’s license and LSU ID in order to be vaccinated.
Remember to dress appropriately! The vaccine will be given in your upper arm. Please come prepared with loose fitting attire or clothing that will allow you to easily expose your upper arm to receive your COVID-19 vaccine injection.
Please remember to print your completed consent form and bring with you. We are required to have this copy, and it will expedite your vaccination by not needing to complete it again upon arrival.

There are many benefits of Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including:

COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19;
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection; and
COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help STOP the pandemic.

If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, please call our Campus Health Clinic at 504-412-1995.

City of New Orleans Status

January 7, 2021 (1:22pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As I’m sure many of you may have heard, the City of New Orleans has announced the re-imposition of certain COVID-related restrictions. New Orleans will move into a “Modified Phase 1” at 6:00 a.m. Friday that will remain in effect for at least the next three weeks. The restrictions include limiting business capacity and the size of gatherings. The State of Louisiana remains in a Modified Phase 2.

As a unique essential business, our needs are somewhat different from others. To carry out our mission, we sometimes require more on-campus presence. As you know, though, the Health Sciences Center continues to use remote learning and remote work for those who can perform their duties off-campus. Our goal is to keep everyone as safe as possible.

We, too, are very concerned about the number of COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths. They are devastating. As a health sciences university that takes care of patients, we know that each number is a person.

With such high community transmission, it is up to each of us to double down on the mitigation methods we know work—wear your masks everywhere outside of your homes; maintain physical distance, wash your hands frequently, avoid gatherings with people outside of your immediate family or pod. Do not take any unnecessary risks – all it takes is one.

I know I can count on you to do your part to put this insidious virus in the rear-view mirror. There is nothing we can’t do when we work together for a common purpose.

Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Special Leave

January 7, 2021 (11:50am)

On January 6, 2020, the Louisiana State Civil Service voted to extend the current COVID-related Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)/Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy through March 31, 2021. Accordingly, LSUHSC is adopting continuation of current special leave accommodations both for classified & unclassified employees.

As a reminder, special leave includes:

Two (2) weeks of paid leave at 100% rate of pay for absence documented as:

A result of federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19.
A result of advice provided by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19.
A result of experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while seeking medical diagnosis.

Two weeks of paid leave at two-thirds rate of pay for absence documented as

a result of caring for a parent, spouse, or child (biological child, step-child, adopted or foster child, in loco parentis, or legally appointed ward) effected by reasons 1-3 above.

Up to ten (10) additional weeks of leave at two-thirds rate of payfor an employee who is the sole option to provide care for a child whose school or place of care is closed for COVID-19 reasons.

FFCRA applications must be completed for requests involving care of family members, and can be found on the LSUHSC website at: FFCRA Leave Request Form - Revised November 2020.pdf (lsuhsc.edu).

Finally, as a clarification, adoption of this provision extends the current policy, and does not create additional leave in the event that special leave has been exhausted previously.

Modified Phase 2 Extended

December 22, 2020 (6:38pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor Edwards announced this afternoon that he signed a new proclamation, effective tomorrow, for the current modified Phase 2 restrictions to remain in place for the next 21 days. State agencies will continue to have as many people working remotely as possible, and he encourages private businesses to do the same. Accordingly, we will remain at our current status.

While our numbers have not risen at the same high rate as much of the country, they are still high. Louisiana remains in a perilous place. Yesterday, Louisiana reported its single highest 24-hour death total since July 29. There are currently more people in the hospital in Louisiana than during the summer.

The Governor and Dr. Joseph Kanter, LSU Health New Orleans Emergency Medicine faculty, and Interim Assistant Secretary of the Office of Public Health at the Louisiana Department of Health, said while the vaccines provide light at the end of the tunnel, we are not there yet. They said this is the riskiest part of the pandemic. Every parish in the State has a high level of community transmission. They reminded us that the virus is spread by human behavior. If people are far enough apart, the virus can’t be transmitted, and it’s less likely to spread between people who are wearing masks.

It’s up to each of us to not let the virus spread, and we can, by continuing to practice mitigation measures – wearing a mask everywhere outside of your home, maintaining physical distance, frequently washing your hands, staying home when you’re sick, avoiding gatherings with those outside of your immediate families. There are alternative ways to celebrate -- safely. And they can be just as meaningful. The best gift you can give your loved ones is to make sure that everyone is around to celebrate next year.

I’d like to thank each of you for doing your part and wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe holiday season. Here’s looking forward to an infinitely better 2021!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

LSUHSC COVID-19 Town Hall Online

December 18, 2020 (9:32am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Kudos to Drs. Richard DiCarlo, Julio Figueroa, Lucio Miele, Jayne Weiss, Ben Springgate and Rebekah Gee, along with the Enterprise AV Group, for organizing and presenting yesterday’s informative COVID Town Hall Meeting. Thanks also go to the hundreds of you who participated. Participants got many of their questions answered along with a wealth of information including updated campus guidelines and plans for vaccinations.

Those of you who were unable to participate may watch it online. You can either access it from the LSUHSC Virtual COVID-19 Town Hall Meeting button in the top left box on the Coronavirus website, here, or by going directly to the page, here. You will be prompted to log in.

We are planning another Town Hall meeting as we get closer to implementing our vaccination program.

In the meantime, please continue to follow safety mitigation measures – wearing a mask whenever you’re outside of your homes, maintaining physical distance, frequent handwashing, staying home when you’re sick, avoiding gatherings with people outside of your immediate families. Though we are so grateful that COVID vaccines are becoming available, we cannot let our guard down yet. Nothing would be worse than continued preventable loss of life with vaccines so close.

Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Save the Date

December 11, 2020 (2:03pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

On Thursday, December 17 at 4:30 p.m., we will hold a Zoom Town Hall meeting to provide updates about our ongoing campus response to COVID. The meeting will be open to all LSUHSC employees and students, and we encourage everyone to attend.

We will review the importance of preventive measures, as those are critical to everyone’s safety. We will also discuss revised policies related to quarantine, and we will review the procedures for use of the Campus Clinic and the Campus Testing Center. We have received many questions about testing and the reliability of different COVID tests that are offered in the community, and we will provide answers to those questions. Finally, we will discuss the initial plans we are making in the hope that we can provide COVID vaccination for all students and all employees as early as possible in the New Year.

The meeting will be conducted virtually. Up to 500 of you may directly participate with the ability to ask questions. Any others will be directed to a Mediasite live stream to watch. We will also record the meeting and make it available.

We will send the Town Hall Meeting link next week, but wanted to tell you about it so you can plan to attend.

On another note, we have posted information about testing on campus on the Coronavirus website. You can either get to it from the How Do I Get Tested? button on the landing page or directly here.

In the meantime, please mark your calendars for next week’s Town Hall Meeting.

Have a good weekend, and stay safe!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Revised Phase 2

November 25, 2020 (3:11pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As you may know, Governor Edwards re-imposed some restrictions in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations, effective today. His current proclamation puts us in a modified Phase 2.

We will remain at our Phase 2 operational level, which means that all of you who are able to work remotely should continue to do so. We have limited on-campus presence to 50%, which will continue. Supervisors should try to platoon and rotate workers who share offices and labs. Our mask mandate and physical distancing measures also remain in effect.

The Governor’s order will be in place for at least four weeks, although he said the next two to three months could be rough. If we all do the things we know work, though, we can bend the curve. We have done it before. As members of the state’s most comprehensive academic health sciences center, I know we can count on each of you to do your part.

I wish you and your families a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID Town Hall Meeting

November 24, 2020 (2:20pm)

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we should all keep in mind that large gatherings can inadvertently increase the spread of COVID. We do not wish to return to the overflowing ICUs and severe restrictions on activity that we faced in April, but signs are pointing in that direction. In August we created a Campus Health Clinic to manage COVID cases and exposures on campus, and to answer your questions about testing and quarantine (504 412-1995). Recently we have increased our testing capabilities on campus. We have also been actively decontaminating work spaces on campus when we find out about an employee or student who tested positive. These efforts will help, but our best defense against the spread is you. We all need to take responsibility to reduce the spread of infection by adhering to the basic preventive measures we have stressed since March: physical distancing, properly used masks covering your mouth and nose, and frequent handwashing.

In recent weeks many of you have had questions about our quarantine policies and testing strategies. Why do we have to quarantine for longer after an exposure (at least 14 days) than after a positive test (at least 10 days)? Why do I have to remain in quarantine even after a negative test? If I have a positive test at the campus testing center and a negative test from an outside facility, why should we believe the positive test instead of the negative test? The answers may seem counter intuitive, but it is important that you follow the guidelines you receive from the campus clinic. This will be particularly important in the coming weeks, as we expect an increase in cases after the Thanksgiving holiday.

In order to explain our campus COVID policies, answer your questions about testing and stress the important role each of you plays in controlling the spread of infection on campus and in the community, we will plan a Town Hall meeting in early December. In the meantime, please remember to adhere to the following after we return next week.

Do not come to work if you have any symptoms that could be indicative of COVID. Call the Campus Health Clinic (504 412-1995) to discuss these symptoms and whether or not you should be tested.
Do not come to work if you have had a moderate or high risk exposure to someone with COVID (being within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes). Call the clinic to find out if you should be tested, when you should be tested, and how long you need to quarantine.
Notify your supervisor immediately if you have symptoms or have had a positive test. You should quarantine for at least 10 days, but call the clinic to find out when it is safe for you to return to work.
If you have symptoms or a positive test, we ask that you help us control the spread of infection by telling your supervisor who you were in close contact with at work (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer). We will do our best to maintain your privacy, but that will help us isolate those that are at risk.

Again, please be safe during the holidays and upon your return to campus next week. We will hold a zoom town hall in the coming weeks, but it is everyone’s responsibility to help control the spread of COVID during this critical time.

Safe Holiday Celebrations

November 17, 2020 (5:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The City of New Orleans has raised the COVID19 threat level to red, indicating an active outbreak. That's due to rising cases, a rising infection rate, and a positive test rate that has nearly doubled in the last week.

That news underscores the importance of religiously practicing mitigation measures including wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, frequently washing your hands, and avoiding crowds.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is critical to celebrate safely.

Consider foregoing the traditional family-style Thanksgiving dinner, sitting around the dining room table with those outside of your immediate family pod.

Instead, host a small meal outdoors, weather permitting.

If you are inside, set up small tables for family pods, distanced from each other, perhaps in different rooms, and open windows.

If you will be sharing food, have one person serve the food and use single-use utensils.

Consider hosting a virtual Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.

Watch Thanksgiving Day special events, sports, and movies at home with your immediate family pod.

Take advantage of Black Friday sales online rather than going to the stores or use contactless services – order online with curbside pickup.

This is not the holiday season any of us wants, but it can still be festive. As long as we have our loved ones, even if distantly, the holidays will be joyful no matter how differently we celebrate them. If we all do the things we know work, some of our beloved traditions might be able to return next year.

Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Message from the Chancellor

November 6, 2020 (4:35pm)

I am sure you all know that the Governor has extended his restrictions on activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Louisiana is in a better situation than much of the country, the risk to all of us is far from over. Please continue the safety efforts you have been taking and hopefully we will get through these difficult times without further turmoil.

On a positive note, next Friday we will have the groundbreaking for the new $100 million student housing complex. This will provide modern on-campus housing with over 500 beds, at no cost to LSUHSC. We owe a debt of gratitude to the LSU Health Foundation for shepherding this through the financial and political hurdles for the last 3 years. It will be a great addition to our campus.

I hope you all have a happy and safe weekend.

Phase 3 Extension

November 5, 2020 (3:51pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced that Louisiana will remain in Phase 3 under the current restrictions until December 4, 2020. He will sign a new proclamation tomorrow. He feels that for the time being, we have struck the right balance. So we, too, will continue to operate as we are.

Governor Edwards announced that we have plateaued in the last few weeks, but our plateau is at a relatively high level. He cautioned that while Louisiana is in better shape than many other states, it’s not because we have improved; it is because things in other states have been getting worse. He noted that we have been experiencing increases in hospitalizations and are now back to the most hospitalizations we have had since September 18.

He and Dr. Kanter warned that the progress we have made is tenuous. If restrictions are lifted, we could easily slide backward. We have made progress only because people in many parts of Louisiana have been practicing mitigation measures —wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, frequent handwashing, and staying home when sick. He said these restrictions are the ones recommended by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Leading up to Thanksgiving, he urged families to consider that the data that show much of the recent transmission has come at smaller, more intimate gatherings. It seems that people are more apt to let their guard down when around others they know well.

We can choose our path. The mitigation measures work. I want to thank each of you for continuing to do your part.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Making the Best of It

October 30, 2020 (3:38pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This has been a week, hasn’t it? A rare direct hit by a hurricane in an already historic hurricane season -- on top of a pandemic. Some of you are dealing with damage to your homes and other property, and many more of you with no power. And we’re all still dealing with the pandemic.

When it seems like the hits just keep on coming, consider Malcolm Forbes’ perspective. “When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.”

We have arrived at they have to get better. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his wisdom for times like these. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

And we won’t. Our hope will continue to be bolstered by our strength. As Anurag Prakash Ray advised, “When life changes itself to harder, change yourself to stronger.”

And you have. A year ago, the challenges you have faced in 2020, and bested, would have seemed unimaginable. Yet, you have really stepped up.

As Bob Marley noted, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

Your strength through these ordeals is nothing short of incredible. Thank you for all you do – for each other, for the Health Sciences Center, and for our communities, patients, city and state. The future of health is in your very capable hands.

In the meantime, have a safe, physically distant and masked Halloween tomorrow, and leave some candy for the kids!

And remember to set your clocks back Saturday night as Daylight Saving Time ends. Because what we all really need is an extra hour of 2020!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

COVID-19 Professionalism

October 26, 2020 (3:41pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

It has come to my attention that some of our campus may be struggling with COVID-19 Professionalism and may be urging their colleagues and/or subordinates to abstain from Covid-19 testing for fear that they will have to quarantine and miss time from work.

Even though the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise, some people on campus are not complying with our mask mandate. That could not only endanger the health of your colleagues, but also your own. Be mutually respectful, and wear your masks.

We are in a tough time, and none of us wants our actions to make it any tougher.

I want to take a moment to remind everyone of what COVID-19 Professionalism means at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans.

No Discrimination – It is illegal to discriminate against a colleague because of any health condition including COVID-19, HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis, Alzheimer’s. Be compassionate.

No Gossiping – Gossiping is always unprofessional. Spreading rumors and suspicions never helps any situation. In a global pandemic, it can be dangerous. One of the biggest challenges to effective response to this public health crisis is the misinformation that has been shared through social media, which then becomes grist for the gossip mill. BE MINDFUL.

No Bullying – Bullying is any behavior that intimidates, harms, or coerces. This is a time we should be pulling together as a community, as a campus to help one another, not spread anger of fear. Be Kind.

These are behaviors you should never commit, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic or otherwise.

LSU Health New Orleans represents healing, community, strength, and YOU represent LSU Health New Orleans.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Determination

October 23, 2020 (4:19pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

de·ter·mi·na·tion -- noun

\ di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən

3 a: the act of deciding definitely and firmly

also: the result of such an act of decision

b: firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end

Merriam-Webster

We got mixed news about the pandemic this week. The good news is that right now, Louisiana has the fewest number of new cases of COVID-19 per capita than any southern state. The bad news is that our rate of hospitalizations has been on the rise. The number of hospitalized patients in Louisiana has increased four of the last five days. The Governor also said they are seeing early indications that we may be heading in the wrong direction. Our fierce determination to do what we know works is the only thing that stands between us and maxed out hospitals; between us and even more preventable deaths; and between us and reopening more of the economy.

If we are determined to control this virus instead of it controlling us, we can. But we must be absolutely determined to reach that goal. We must wear our masks even though we’d rather not. We must forego gatherings with people outside of our pods, an especially hard thing to do this time of year. And we must consistently practice the other mitigation methods we know are effective. This is critically important given the CDC’s revised definition of a close contact this week that shortened the duration of exposure. We must determine that putting up with the inconvenience and the discomfort is worth it.

As author Richelle Goodrich perceived, “To persist with a goal, you must treasure the dream more than the costs of sacrifice to attain it.”

Some people might say, well, what good can one person really do?

Writer Sonia Johnson believed, “We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.”

Individually and together, we can change the course of this pandemic, and in doing that, history.

But we must be determined. We must be resolute. We need to remember who we are – as a health leader, as a people, as a nation.

As President Harry Truman reminds us, “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

We know what job is at hand. You have been doing it well. Now we just need to steel our determination to finish it.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Keep on Keeping on

October 16, 2020 (4:05pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

“Keep on keeping on” -- Although the origin of this saying may have been more than a century ago, it seems just as applicable today. We are making progress against SARS-CoV-2. We just need to keep it up.

SARS-CoV-2 is a common enemy, one we need to unite to fight.

In his Every Man to His Post 1940 speech, Winston Churchill said, “This is a time for everyone to stand together and hold firm.”

Though facing a different foe, his call to action is just as relevant to ours. We cannot allow pandemic fatigue or differing philosophies to cost us the progress we have worked so hard to achieve. That progress is counted in lives.

As a health sciences center, we are the example. People look to us. We live our mission by wearing our masks, practicing physical distancing, washing our hands, and every day, without fail, doing or not doing what we know is effective in reducing the transmission of this virus.

I am proud of each of you for doing your part. I am proud that you have greatly contributed to the progress we have made thus far. And I know our communities and state can continue to count on you.

We will ultimately prevail if we stand together and hold firm. If we keep on keeping on.

Like Helen Keller knew, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

And as Winston Churchill concluded, “We shall rather draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival, and of a victory won not only for ourselves but for all; a victory won not only for our own time, but for the long and better days that are to come.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Adaptability

October 9, 2020 (3:49pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This week it seems that we reached the zenith of fatigue -- hurricane fatigue on top of pandemic fatigue. But instead of hitting the wall, you can take hope from your ability to adapt. To both. And adapting is what it’s all about.

As the late LSU professor Leon Megginson paraphrased Darwin, “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.”

Although sudden and dramatic changes to our circumstances are outside of our control, we do control how we respond. We adapt.

Just look at how we have adapted to the pandemic. We have learned how to hold meetings, teach and treat patients via Zoom. We are pros at FaceTime, Google Duo and Cisco Webex. We grocery shop, exercise and socialize differently now.

And so far, we have successfully adapted to meet the demands of our new reality.

We managed to get adequate supplies of PPE despite backorders. And we created innovative designs and adapted our equipment to make our own.

We helped innovate a mobile coronavirus testing model, making coronavirus tests accessible and convenient to our most vulnerable communities. The rest of the state eventually followed our lead.

We stood up antibody and virus testing protocols and programs.

We created a Campus Health Clinic that is making enormous contributions to our response and the well-being of our faculty, staff and students.

Early on, we designed research, clinical trials and protocols for determining the most effective treatments and patient care approaches for COVID-19.

We created resources that are being used around the world to help children and families cope.

Despite being in an early national hotspot for coronavirus cases, we found ways to continue our vital and educational and patient care activities without significant interruption. And in that, we were unique among universities.

We adapted.

Your courage in adapting to the challenges of hurricane threats and strikes is equally impressive.

You have kept your sense of calm and perspective despite relentless threats this hurricane season. As you know, New Orleans has been in the cone of uncertainty six times this season. We have been extremely lucky but had we not, I know you would have adapted and turned your considerable can-do spirit to recovery just as you did after Katrina and every storm since.

It is this attribute that will continue to guide us as we move forward through the pandemic and the hurricane season. You can take comfort in your proven ability to adapt.

And with the confidence that author Gregory S. Williams noted, “On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Phase 3 Extension

October 8, 2020 (4:20pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced that Louisiana will remain in Phase 3 under the current restrictions with one exception through November 6, 2020. The exception is that alcohol may be sold at sporting events in parishes that meet criteria and opt in.

So we, too, will continue to operate as we are.

The Governor said the progress we have made is because of the restrictions, along with the efforts of the people of Louisiana in practicing mitigation measures. He said these restrictions are the ones recommended by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

While he is pleased with our progress, the Governor announced that our positivity rate has been inching up, and hospitalizations have increased three of the last four days.

The arrival of flu season requires us to be even more vigilant in practicing safety measures—wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, frequent handwashing and staying home when sick. I know I can count on each of you to continue to do your part.

Your contributions to the health of our campus, our communities, and those we serve are making a real difference.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Taking Care of Yourselves

October 3, 2020 (8:49am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

At times it’s hard to believe that we have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly seven months. At others, it’s hard to recall what life was like before. These have been long, wearying, stressful months, haven’t they? While we are extremely grateful that your commitment and dedication to carrying on our mission—serving our students, communities, cities and state, conducting research, taking care of our patients --have never wavered, you cannot forget to take care of yourselves.

As Katie Reed observed, “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

No matter how busy you are, it’s vital that you carve out time to care for your own mental, emotional and physical health.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you,” Anne Lamott noted.

When things are especially hectic, remember what Etty Hillesum advised,” Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.”

These days, it’s even important that you prioritize your own well-being. Get enough sleep. Eat healthy, nutritious foods. Move your body, whether it’s taking a walk or doing a full workout. Spend time with your loved ones. Don’t neglect medical or dental care. And by all means, appreciate the differences you make every day.

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others,” Maya Angelou realized.

If you find that at times you need some extra help, LSU Health New Orleans has resources in place. You can call the Department of Psychiatry’s COVID Hotline from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. each day at 504-228-6196. The Campus Assistance Program has a 24-hour hotline at 504-568-8888.

You have nourished others. Now take the time to nourish yourselves.

After all, as Benjamin Franklin recognized, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Tenacity

September 25, 2020 (3:27pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last Friday brings to mind the word tenacity. “Notorious RBG” was nothing if not tenacious. Overcoming and outlasting discrimination, she exceeded expectations but her own. Wildly. They led her, along with her determination and persistence – her tenacity – to an appointment as the second female justice on the highest court in the land. It was neither a swift nor easy journey. But she had the courage, fortitude, and mettle to persevere.

Justice Ginsburg maintained, “Real change, enduring change happens one step at a time.”

Poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, who also achieved great success despite many challenges, noted, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

Tenacity.

It is something we could all use right now as we continue to deal with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. With restrictions easing as more of our economy reopens, we must not lose our focus or determination to persist in doing the things we know limit transmission – wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, avoiding crowds, washing hands thoroughly and frequently, staying home if you’re sick, and taking advantage of testing opportunities.

As famed women’s head basketball coach Pat Summitt advised, "It is what it is. But it will be what you make it."

Let our tenacity make it something over which we prevail.

After all, as distinguished professor Valerie Hudson observed, “Tenacity is the mother of progress.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Stay Strong

September 18, 2020 (1:47pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As we approach six months since Governor John Bel Edwards issued the Stay at Home Order for Louisiana, the stress of dealing with a pandemic and our altered reality has been compounded by the anxiety of repeated potential tropical weather threats. We have already exhausted the list of names for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season and are into the Greek alphabet. And there’s yet another tropical system in the Gulf.

Through all of this, you have remained steadfast and strong.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

You have put that will to work, and I am inspired by all that you have achieved. You have not only managed to keep moving forward, you have excelled, despite many challenges and obstacles.

William McDougall got it right when he noted, “Will is character in action.”

You have displayed formidable character and strength. They are what will get us through these hardships to the other side.

So, stay strong.

As Henry Ford counseled, “When everything seems to be against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2020 (4:36pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As you know, we marked the 19^th anniversary of 9/11 today. This morning, our dental students organized an event honoring 9/11 first responders who heroically gave their lives to save others. The event also recognized and thanked LSU Health New Orleans dental faculty and students who have served or are currently serving our country, and it raised funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.

It was a moving tribute, with inspiring comments from Interim Dean, Dr. Robert Laughlin, Dr. Dale Ehrlich, both of whom are air force and navy veterans, and dental student, Marco Gargano, who is also a 2LT, U.S. Army National Guard. You can see the story about it here.

One of the most powerful results of that horrific time was what happened after. We saw a national pride and unity that this country hadn’t seen since World War II. And we were reminded of what Americans can do when we pull together, with a common goal, against a common enemy.

It is a timely reminder. That kind of unity can defeat another common enemy -- SARS-CoV-2. If we work together with a common purpose, we can control this virus. We do that by religiously wearing our masks, keeping adequate distance between us, thoroughly washing our hands, avoiding crowds and gatherings, and, without fail, taking the measures we know are effective in limiting transmission.

Alexander the Great, cautioned, “Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”

It will take all of our individual efforts, combined. As legendary coach Vince Lombardi said, “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”

There has never been a more dire problem facing modern society or a better time to harness the power of the American spirit. Coming together, staying together and working together, we will triumph over this disease whose cost in lives has already been so dear.

In this way, we honor the sacrifices brave and courageous souls have made for us. Can we do no less?

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Maintaining Current Course

September 10, 2020 (12:50pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

With the expiration of the current order tomorrow, Governor John Bel Edwards announced this morning that Louisiana will move to Phase 3 beginning Friday, September 11. He will provide specifics about what that means tomorrow. He said his decision, which was the hardest one he has had to make regarding COVID-19, was based upon the gating criteria that he has used all along. Unfortunately, the decision point happened at a time when testing has been limited due to Hurricane Laura, more schools and universities are reopening bringing more people into contact with each other, and before case counts resulting from Labor Day gatherings are known.

He said he is praying that we don’t go backwards, but if we do, he will act quickly.

Given that Louisiana remains #1 in the country in per capita cases and the uncertainty of what the data will show in the coming days, we feel it is prudent that we continue our current course of remote learning and working from home until further notice.

The Governor cautioned everyone to be vigilant about wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, frequently washing your hands, and staying home when you’re sick. He emphasized that taking precautions is especially important for those in high-risk groups.

I know I can count on each of you to do your part to protect your colleagues and help keep our campus and our communities safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Labor Day

September 4, 2020 (11:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As you know, Monday is Labor Day. For some of you, it’s a holiday. Others of you will be working, taking care of patients and performing other essential duties. A national holiday since 1894, Labor Day recognizes and celebrates the contributions of American workers. There are none more deserving of celebration than you.

As ancient Greek playwright, Sophocles knew, “Without labor, nothing prospers.”

Your dedication and hard work are integral to everything we accomplish -- from the breakthrough research discovery that improves treatment or prevents disease; to the medical or surgical intervention that saves a patient’s life; to the education of the next generation of health care professionals; to the speech therapy that improves or restores the ability to communicate; to the dental care that lessens pain and revives function; to the compassionate nursing care that brings comfort and hastens recovery; to the early detection of cancers and collection of cases that informs cancer policy and funding decisions; to the outreach that improves the well-being of the communities we serve. And there are so very many more.

Those accomplishments rely on the contributions of each of you. It takes all of us working together, no matter the job or area of responsibility. Some may feel that their jobs are not as important as others’. That is not so. They are all vital. Everyone plays a role in our ability to carry out our mission.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

But there are no “small” contributions here, only great ones.

Each of you should take pride in the work you do. As philosopher, psychologist and professor, Dr. William James advised, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

All heroes don’t wear capes. Some wear scrubs. Some wear lab coats. Some wear white coats or uniforms. Some wear blue jackets or shirts. Some wear aprons. Some wear suits or skirts. Some wear jeans. It takes each of us to complete the mosaic of LSU Health New Orleans.

The university and the people of Louisiana owe each of you a huge debt of gratitude. Your dedication and hard work are responsible for the success of LSU Health New Orleans, and in large part, the health of our city and state.

So for those who are off, please enjoy the day and the three-day weekend, but safely. Don’t attend large gatherings. Maintain physical distance. Wear your mask. Wash your hands frequently. Let’s not do anything that will contribute to a spike in coronavirus cases.

For those who have to work, thank you for this among your many sacrifices.

With deep appreciation and admiration,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Compassion

August 28, 2020 (12:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Compassion noun

com·pas·sion | \ kəm-ˈpa-shən

: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it

Merriam-Webster

Given what our neighbors to our west have just gone through with Hurricane Laura, the word for this week is compassion. We can empathize on a personal level. We have been in their shoes. We know what it is to witness such devastation and to live through a long recovery process.

While we cannot take away their trauma, there is something we can do. Just as others were there for us after Katrina, we can show our compassion by being there for them now.

As psychologist Daniel Goleman noted, “True compassion means not only feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help relieve it.”

There are a number of ways you could help.

The United Way of Southwest Louisiana is accepting donations as well as volunteers. More information Is available here.

Red Cross is seeking donations and volunteers. They say the most direct way to help victims is by: Donating at redcross.org; Calling 800-RED-CROSS; Texting LAURA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Cajun Navy is also seeking donations and supplies. Information is available on their website.

And Barran’s Bears, the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization founded by JPSO Deputy Turner Barran that the Faculty Senate worked with last year on the Coats Drive for Kids, is holding a special fundraiser. One hundred percent of the funds raised will be used to fill trucks being delivered to affected areas by Frisard Trucking. More information is available on the Barran’s Bears Facebook Page.

As evidenced by the careers and professions you’ve chosen, you already share Albert Schweitzer’s sentiment -- “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”

Let’s act on it for our fellow Louisianans. They, too, will overcome the daunting challenges they now face and triumph over disaster. Just as we did 15 years ago. Watching the video we showed during the graduation of our “Katrina Class” is a great reminder that compassion in action can accomplish the impossible. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fT2YO8-ujo

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Phase 2 Extension

August 26, 2020 (1:36pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced that Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 with the current restrictions for at least another two weeks. At that point, he will re-evaluate. So, we, too, will continue our current status.

The Governor said that Louisiana still has more new cases per 100,000 population than the guidelines specify to ease restrictions. Since testing has been interrupted by the hurricane threats, we will not have the data we need at a critical time. He feels since we’ll be essentially flying blind, this Is not the time to lift restrictions.

More than one-fourth of the state’s population are involved in education, and K-12 schools and universities have just reopened. Labor Day is right around the corner, and we have had case spikes after other holidays. Residents who live in parts of the state where the case counts have been higher than here have had to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Laura, which could also increase community transmission.

The Governor said the announcement about the expiration date of this extension will be made as soon as we have the necessary data to inform the decision.

Our current circumstances require us to be even more vigilant in practicing safety measures—wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, frequent handwashing, avoiding large gatherings and limiting errands. And I know I can count on each of you to do your part.

Thank you for your contributions to the health of those we serve.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Resilience

August 21, 2020 (5:05pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

resilience noun

re·sil·ience | \ ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s

an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Merriam-Webster

The 15^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is next week, and here we find ourselves with two tropical systems forecast to enter the Gulf of Mexico. On top of a pandemic.

But I have no doubt that you will rise to this latest challenge. You have shown time and again that you can. You are resilient.

You accomplished the impossible after Katrina, and in the process, saved the future of health care in our state.

Your response to the coronavirus pandemic has been equally impressive. Your sacrifices in risking your own health to care for COVID patients saved lives. Your resolve to keep our educational commitment to our students ensured an uninterrupted supply of never-more-needed health professionals.

You are the proof of Eleanor Roosevelt’s observation, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'”

And you can. Author Jodi Picoult noted, “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo - far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.”

Hurricane threats are the price we pay for living in this culturally rich, wonderfully unique place. So, complete your preparations and stay weather aware. We will come through this. Together.

That goes for the pandemic, too.

In the meantime, let’s take another Roosevelt’s insight to heart – Theodore’s, “Believe you can and you're halfway there.”

Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Antibody Re-Testing

August 20, 2020 (3:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Did you know that you can be tested on campus for COVID antibodies more than once? Each test provides only a snapshot in time – your status on that day. To help keep our campus safer, we encourage retesting under the following circumstances.

If you had any kind of illness, you should be tested after symptoms have completely resolved and 2 weeks have passed since the onset of illness.
If you had known COVID, you should be tested 2-4 weeks after the onset of illness (provided you are no longer in quarantine).
If you have had a positive antibody test, you should be retested every 6 weeks.
For routine surveillance, you should be tested every 6 weeks.

To guarantee your testing time, please make an appointment by logging onto our intranet to the COVID-19 Testing Portal at this link: https://intranet.lsuhsc.edu/covidtesting/.

Your answers to a series of simple questions will help ascertain your exposure and current health status. The Register button will take you to a calendar page where you can request an appointment. People with symptoms or those who have had close contact with someone who is positive for the virus will not be tested for antibodies.

Do not keep your appointment if you are sick. You may cancel your appointment online at the COVID-19 Testing Portal at this link: https://intranet.lsuhsc.edu/covidtesting/.

Masks are required. Please bring a printout of your registration and your LSUHSC ID to the Seton/LSU Healthcare Network Campus Multispecialty Clinic Building at 478 South Johnson Street. Please enter at street level. Your temperature will be checked on the first floor. If your temperature is normal, you will be directed upstairs.

To avoid congregating, your results will be texted to you. You will be notified within 15 minutes to immediately return if your test was positive. You will be directed to the Secondary Testing area for a virus test. Your results will also be posted to your page on the online COVID-19 Testing portal.

The validation study Dr. Lucio Miele conducted found a 97% sensitivity for known PCR-positive cases and 100% specificity in cases known to be PCR-negative in the preceding 10 days. Anything higher than 95% is epidemiologically acceptable, so, we are using this antibody test with great confidence.

We hope you will take advantage of this free service that will give you important information about your own health while making the campus safer for your colleagues.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Patience

August 14, 2020 (4:27pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

patience

pa·tience | \ ˈpā-shən(t)s

: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient

bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
not hasty or impetuous
steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

Merriam-Webster

This week, the Governor had some good news to share. He said that over the past two and a half weeks, our numbers have shown improvement. And he asked for our patience to keep them moving in the right direction.

While we still have a long way to go, we can get this virus back under control if we continue doing what we know is effective. It will take patience – for the long haul. I know that the longer this pandemic disrupts our lives, the harder it is to be patient. But we must.

Mahatma Gandhi advised, “To lose patience is to lose the battle.”

That has never been more relevant than to the situation we find ourselves in today. As you recall, we were among the first areas in the United States to be hard hit by SARS-CoV-2. But we took action, and we were patient enough to let it work. The Stay-at-Home order and the other protective measures we employed helped us reduce the spread of COVID. Enough to progress to a less restrictive environment and open up more of our economy.

But then, some lost patience. Many people stopped wearing masks, gathered in large crowds, went out more, didn’t physically distance. And our numbers went right back up.

As American philosopher Elbert Hubbard observed, “How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success?”

Now that we’re again reducing the number of our cases and hospitalizations, patience should be included among our mitigation measures.

The good thing for us is that practicing patience should come easier to LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students than others. As author Eknath Easwaran wrote, "Being a good teacher takes patience; being a good doctor also takes patience.” And we can add research scientists, dentists, nurses, allied health, public health professionals and support staff to that list.

You are great teachers, scientists, and staff. You are not only gifted health care providers, but heroic ones. And your patience will be rewarded.

After all, as Ralph Waldo Emerson knew, “Patience and fortitude conquer all things.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Stay the Course

August 7, 2020 (4:54pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This week, Governor Edwards urged us to stay the course. To stay the course is to continue doing something through difficulties or unpleasantries, even if it takes a long time to finish; to hold on to the end.

Some say the phrase had its origins in seafaring when ships kept following their charted course despite challenging conditions. Others attribute it to horse racing meaning horses who ran the whole course and finished the race. It has been used it times of war and in politics.

But staying the course is an especially apt expression for us now. The Governor was cautiously optimistic that our coronavirus metrics seem to be heading in the right direction. The mask mandate, closure of bars and limiting group sizes appear to be working. That is why he extended Phase 2, to give us a chance to confirm a positive trend.

While Louisiana remains #1 in per capita cases, that will soon change if we stay the course. If we continue to religiously wear our masks, practice physical distancing, wash our hands, and limit our outings, we will reduce our case counts, hospitalizations, and the number of patients on ventilators. And when we reduce our transmission rate to less than 1 and sustain it, we can progress to Phase 3.

This is something we can achieve despite our recent setbacks. We just need to remain steadfast and follow the late legendary Coach John Wooden’s advice. “Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.”

This we can do. Together.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

New Campus COVID Guidelines

August 7, 2020 (4:05pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

A group of our clinicians led by Infectious Diseases faculty have developed guidance and procedures for the prevention and management of COVID-19 on our campuses. This guidance was developed to help us keep our community and campuses safer. It contains information about symptoms, testing, self-reporting, the new Campus Health Clinic, return to work and contact tracing. There is also a new FAQs section, which provides answers to common questions about COVID-19 on our campuses. These new sections are posted on the Coronavirus website and are available at these links-- Campus Guidelines and FAQs for LSU Health New Orleans.

This guidance will evolve as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations do. We will update our procedures and notify you of changes.

Thank you for doing your part to protect the health of our community.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

New Campus Health Clinic

August 5, 2020 (11:22am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

LSU Healthcare Network has established a Campus Health Clinic as a resource providing timely access for all your primary care needs as well as to answer questions about managing COVID on campus. Located on the 5^th floor of the Campus Multispecialty Clinic at 478 South Johnson Street, it opened today – August 5, and will operate Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

All LSUHSC and LSUHCN employees and students can utilize this clinic for primary care visits. Additionally, employees can report possible exposures or positive tests. The clinic will provide supervisors, employees and students with appropriate guidance about what constitutes a significant exposure, who needs to quarantine from campus, whether or not testing is indicated, where to go for testing, when you are cleared to return to work, who to contact for cleaning and fumigation of the work place after an employee tests positive, and other questions. This will be a resource to help ensure a safer work and school environment for everyone.

The number to make an appointment or to ask COVID-related questions is 504-412-1995. Supervisors, in particular, should use this resource with questions about how to manage their employees after a positive test or an exposure.

The new Campus Health Clinic will provide on-site primary care for everyone on campus and serve as a resource to help ensure a safer work and school environment. We are grateful to the Healthcare Network for providing this invaluable new service.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Remaining in Phase 2

August 4, 2020 (3:53pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced that Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 with the current restrictions for at least another three weeks. He will sign a new proclamation Thursday that will go into effect Friday, August 7, and will remain effective for 21 days. So, we, too, will continue our current status.

There are 50,000 active cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana now. That doesn’t include asymptomatic individuals or those who have not yet been tested. But the mask mandate, closure of bars and physical distancing measures seem to be having an impact.

The Governor says we have made fragile gains and is encouraged that we seem to be heading in the right direction. If everyone will wear masks, physically distance, wash hands, limit outings and stay home when sick, we can get our transmission rate down and sustain it.

I know each of you will continue do your part to bring our transmission rate down and sustain it. Thank you for your contributions to the health of our communities and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Perserverance

July 31, 2020 (3:23pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Perseverance – noun

per·se·ver·ance | \ ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s

Definition of perseverance

: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: the action or condition or an instance of persevering: STEADFASTNESS

Merriam-Webster

Henry Ward Beecher said, “The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t.”

Obstinacy has no place in this pandemic, but there are still people who won’t wear masks and take other precautions that we know limit the spread of COVID-19. Not only are people dying from something preventable, our health care providers, including many of you, are being unduly stressed, as is our economy. We cannot move closer to the next phase of recovery until we do a better job of containing this virus. At his media briefing yesterday, the Governor cautioned us to not expect major changes with his next proclamation.

Nonetheless, we will persevere. We are health professionals. That is what we do. I am proud of each of you for playing your parts and acting responsibly to protect your health and the health of others.

As the late coach Woody Hayes advised, “Paralyze resistance with persistence.” As more and more people follow the example you set by wearing your masks every time you leave home, maintaining physical distance, reducing the number of errands, frequently washing your hands, avoiding crowds and other recommended guidance, there will be fewer and fewer “wont’s.” And fewer and fewer coronavirus cases.

Together, we will prevail. We can do this. I have faith in you and in us. And as Earl Nightingale observed, “Perseverance is another word for faith.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Special Leave

July 27, 2020 (3:43pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty and Staff,

In case you missed the email last week, I wanted to make sure you are aware of the change to our COVID-related leave. If you have a Covid-19-related absence, you may now once again use Special Leave first before exhausting all other leave. This Special Leave, which we authorized July 23, is an additional allotment of 14 days leave for a Covid-19-related illness for any employee, or 15 days leave for a Covid-19-related illness for a health care worker or emergency responder. While we anticipate an extension, this Special Leave is currently set to expire Sept 4, 2020, and it cannot be guaranteed beyond that at this time. Appropriate documentation must be provided to HR for approval of Special Leave. Should you have any questions, please contact Cori Higginson in HR.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Leadership

July 24, 2020 (4:21pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The word that seems to relate best to this week is leadership.

This week, the country is paying tribute to two monumentally impactful leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Ironically, Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. C. T. Vivian, two of the first Freedom Riders and Presidential Medal of Honor recipients, died on the same day. They were towering figures whose moral strength helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Rev. Vivian was remembered at a homegoing service yesterday, and Congressman Lewis will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol next week before being laid to rest. Their remarkable courage, sacrifice and leadership helped wake America up. Now it is up to us to honor their leadership by ensuring that America stays woke.

And Louisiana reached a milestone this week. But it wasn’t one to celebrate; we surpassed 100,000 coronavirus cases. As Louisiana’s health education leader, our leadership continues to be invaluable during this crisis. Our faculty have led life-saving care of COVID patients on the front lines. LSU Health New Orleans has contributed expertise to help guide response to this public health crisis. LSU Health leadership has resulted in getting scarce medications and resources here to benefit patients and combat COVID-19. Our faculty have led in contributions to the body of knowledge about this novel virus and their research activities will lead to even more vital information. LSU Health New Orleans has been a standout leader among other universities by not closing and continuing to educate the next generation of critically needed health professionals. But we can do more.

As health educators and leaders, we can lead by example. We can visibly follow the mandates and guidance we know can contain this virus. We can wear our masks, not just in public spaces, not just when we can physically distance ourselves, but whenever and wherever we can. As health leaders, we set an example when others see us wearing our masks and modeling other behaviors that reduce the transmission of this virus.

We can be seen always maintaining distance from others.

We can not be seen outside of our homes when we are sick.

We can not be seen at social gatherings of unrelated people.

We can not be seen making more trips to stores than necessary or with the whole family when only one person can go.

The people of our City and State look to us for our leadership on health matters. We can do everything possible to influence them to do the right thing, as they see us doing.

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means," Albert Einstein so wisely observed.

Thank you for your heroic leadership and for setting the example that will be a key to ending this crisis.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Remote Work Update

July 24, 2020 (1:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans faculty and staff,

In light of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, we are going to move to a remote work model starting Monday for two weeks for all those who have the ability to work from home. This will have at least two results: (1) reducing the population density on campus for those who cannot work remotely, and (2) reducing the number of people having to utilize leave or special leave due to receiving a positive Covid-19 antibody or viral test as we now offer this testing on campus.

We are aware that some schools in Orleans and the surrounding parishes will have delayed openings or will resume distance learning in the Fall. We are monitoring the situation and will have an update as more schools release their plans. Should you have any questions, please contact Cori Higginson in Human Resource Management.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Phase 2 Extended

July 21, 2020 (4:17pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced that Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 for another two weeks. The order that was to have expired Friday, July 24, has now been extended until Friday, August 7. During this time, he said they will take another deep dive into the data to determine our next steps. The restrictions announced last week – the mask mandate, closing bars to onsite consumption and limiting the size of indoor gatherings to 50 people -- will be continued under this new order.

As a result, LSU Health New Orleans will also remain in Phase 2. More of our faculty, staff and students are returning to campus. With more people on campus, it is even more vital that we take the mandated mitigation measures. Wear your mask in public places and when physical distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible. Continue to practice physical distancing. These requirements will be strictly enforced on campus. Please wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, and follow the other recommendations and guidelines issued for Phase 2.

Our antibody testing program is running smoothly, and we are pleased to provide this extra safety service. We are grateful to all the volunteers who are making this project possible.

We know how to flatten the curve. We have done it once, and we can do it again. We just need to do what we know works. I know I can count on each of you to do your part.

Thank you for all you are continuing to do and your contributions to the people who will benefit from your sacrifices and efforts now and for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Commitment

July 17, 2020 (12:51pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The word for this week is commitment. It has never been more important that we look out not only for ourselves, but for each other. With COVID-19 cases once again rising precipitously, I am asking each of you for your commitment to working together against this common enemy.

Observed Jean-Paul Sartre, “Commitment is an act, not a word.”

Acting on your commitment means taking the recommended and mandated precautions, without fail.

When you are sick, stay home. Do not risk potentially exposing your colleagues, students, patients or anyone else to COVID-19.

Wear your masks. They make a tremendous difference. A recent analysis of 194 countries found in countries with cultural norms or government policies supporting public mask-wearing, per-capita coronavirus mortality increased on average by just 7.2% each week, as compared with 55.0% each week in remaining countries. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said this week, “If we could get everybody to wear a mask right now, I really think in the next four, six, eight weeks, we could bring this epidemic under control.”

If you have not already made an appointment to get your free antibody test on campus, please consider doing so. Testing is a key weapon in our arsenal to control this virus. Knowing your status will help protect everyone.

Please maintain physical distancing. All it takes is 15 minutes for the virus to be transmitted to those who are closer than six feet without masks or PPE. Many new cases are from people who are infected but showing no symptoms.

Despite our success in flattening the curve once, we have lost all that ground. This is a tenacious and persistent enemy, but one we can defeat if we commit. As Margaret Thatcher noted, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”

You are up to the challenge. There is not a more dedicated group of knowledgeable, skilled, caring and compassionate health faculty, staff and students.

Vince Lombardi reminds us, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

You’ve got this. We’ve got this. All it takes is commitment.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Antibody Testing on Campus

July 15, 2020 (2:19pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As the metropolitan New Orleans area has been experiencing increased community transmission of COVID-19, we must take every precaution to keep our faculty, staff, students and visitors to our campus as safe as possible. One of the most important things you can do is to stay home if you are sick. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms -- fever, chills, body ache, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, loss of appetite, sudden loss of smell or loss of taste -- DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS. Notify your supervisor that you will not be in and consult your health care provider. You would not want your colleague to expose and potentially infect you, and we do not want that either.

We are grateful to those who are staying home when they are ill, religiously adhering to the mask mandates, maintaining physical distance of at least 6 feet, frequently washing hands, as well as avoiding large social gatherings and unnecessary trips. If everyone did those things, we could get this virus under control and save a lot of lives and the economy in the process.

Thank you for your continuing contributions to the health of our campus, City and State.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Antibody Testing on Campus

July 13, 2020 (1:23pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We will begin COVID-19 Antibody testing on campus Wednesday, July 15. Tests will be administered by appointment only in the Seton/LSU Healthcare Network Campus Multispecialty Clinic Building at 478 South Johnson Street.

To register and request an appointment, you will need to log onto our intranet to the COVID-19 Testing Portal at this link: https://intranet.lsuhsc.edu/covidtesting/

You will be asked a series of simple questions to help ascertain your exposure and current health status. Symptomatic individuals will not be tested for antibodies. Those with symptoms are advised to quarantine and consult with their physician. All others, after completing the questions, the Register button will take you to a calendar page where you can request an appointment.

On the day of your appointment, please do not come if you are sick. Instead seek medical consultation from your personal physician. You should not report to work and/or class and self-quarantine prior to medical consultation with your physician. Remember you must wear a mask, which is required on campus. Please bring a printout of your registration and your LSUHSC ID to the Seton/LSU Healthcare Network Campus Multispecialty Clinic Building at 478 South Johnson Street. Please enter at street level. Your temperature will be checked on the first floor. If your temperature is normal, you will be directed upstairs.

To avoid congregating, your results will be texted to you. You will be notified within 20 minutes to immediately return if your test was positive. You will be directed to the Secondary Testing area for a virus test. Your results will also be posted to your page on the online COVID-19 Testing portal.

If you have questions about the testing process, please call Dr. Lucio Miele’s office at 504-568-8088.

We are offering this free testing service to help keep our faculty, staff and students safer. This is especially important with the level of community transmission Louisiana is currently experiencing. The Governor announced over the weekend that Louisiana now ranks #3 per capita in COVID-19 cases.

In the meantime, remember that in addition to the mask mandate on campus, a statewide mask mandate became effective this morning. Everyone older than age 8 must wear a mask in public with the following exceptions.

Anyone who has a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering
Anyone who is consuming a drink or food
Anyone who is trying to communicate with a person who is hearing impaired
Anyone who is giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience
Anyone temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes

Anyone who is a resident of a parish without a high COVID incidence that has opted out of the masking mandate (There are only three parishes that meet this criterion, and they are not around here.)

I cannot stress the importance of adhering to this policy -- everywhere on campus, including the library, and everywhere outside of your homes. As a health university, our bar is set high, and we expect all of our faculty, staff and students to exercise good judgement wherever you are. You also need to be vigilant about physical distancing, frequently and thoroughly washing your hands and avoiding large social events, unnecessary errands or places not following the mask mandate.

Your health and well-being and that of our patients, colleagues and communities are vitally important to us.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD
Chancellor

Endurance

July 10, 2020 (7:04pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We continue to make progress with efforts to address racism, disparities and health inequities.

I’m pleased to report that we have begun receiving applications for the new Vice Chancellor for Diversity position. Once this leader is in place, activation of change resulting in a diverse and inclusive culture at the Health Sciences Center will accelerate.

In the meantime, the educational and awareness offerings Dr. Robert Maupin is curating and making available through his Wake Up Wednesday initiative are quite thought-provoking. The one he shared this week is a TEDMED Talk by Dr. Mary Bassett, New York City's Health Commissioner. Called, Why your Doctor Should Care about Social Justice, it is well worth viewing, which you can do here. These resources will serve as a foundation for meaningful conversations and a way forward.

As this pandemic persists, I’m sure you are all weary of the disruptions and the restrictions that define our lives these days. It has been an endurance test in the extreme. I am so proud of the way you have handled it and conducted yourselves. Your sacrifices have made such a difference; you have advanced treatment, served the most vulnerable, discovered and contributed new knowledge and are working hard to find ways to defeat this virus. You have kept our educational enterprise intact so that our state’s supply of vitally needed health professionals remains uninterrupted. You have provided the technology to carry on remotely, cleaned and disinfected our campus to make it safer and kept vital support services going. You all have really stepped up. A quote attributed to American diplomat and historian George F. Kennan comes to mind. “Heroism is endurance for one moment more.” You have endured for countless moments more and are heroes all.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

July 4th

July 2, 2020 (1:35pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This July 4^th will be one unlike any that has come before. The world has changed, and our country is on the brink of correcting hundreds of years of inequity and injustice. This 4^th of July, a pandemic threatens our health and our lives, and the promise of the principles In the Declaration of Independence adopted July 4, 1776, may finally be on the verge of being kept.

Although many of you would typically go to large gatherings, please do not. We do not want to see even more cases and hospitalizations in two weeks, which is what happened after Memorial Day. Case counts and hospitalizations rose, and we lost all the ground we had gained in early June. This trend cannot continue. We must take this potentially fatal disease seriously and that many young people do not appear to be is very troubling. We must redouble our efforts to comply with guidance and orders to reduce the transmission of this virus. Masks covering the nose and mouth must be worn on campus, and now some local jurisdictions have issued orders that they must be worn in businesses and public places when around others. The more we use what we are learning about this virus, the better off we will be. And we are learning more every day. While we have known that our masks would help protect others by containing our droplets, recent research has confirmed that wearing masks also helps protect us by shielding us from the droplets of others. So please, mask up.

This 4^th of July, our country is at a crossroads just as historic as in 1776. We are on the threshold of addressing the injustices and oppression people of color have suffered. The words of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . .” did not apply to people of color on July 4, 1776, and still do not. As Frederick Douglass asked in his keynote address at an Independence Day celebration in 1852, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me.”

But even Douglass was not without hope. “Allow me to say in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’ and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from "the Declaration of Independence," the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”

This Independence Day let us act on Douglass’s words and close the immeasurable distance between us to make this nation the true democracy it was meant to be. We can make the necessary changes so the blessings of the Declaration of Independence and the rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence can extend to people of color and at long last be enjoyed in common.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

July 3

June 29, 2020 (12:38pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

It has come to my attention that not everyone was aware that Friday, July 3, 2020 is a holiday. I hope you enjoy the day off as the start of a long weekend.

However you celebrate, please continue to wear masks in public and when physical distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible. Please do not attend large gatherings, and remember fireworks are not legal in Orleans Parish.

I hope you have a safe and happy 4^th of July!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion

June 23, 2020 (3:19pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As we move forward with actions to live our commitment to change and create a culture of racial equity at LSU Health New Orleans, I wanted to tell you about our progress so far.

We have created a new position at the executive level. The Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion will provide vision, leadership, coordination, and strategic planning for all initiatives at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans to promote inclusion and diversity as essential elements in each area of our mission -- research, education, patient care and community service. He/she will develop and oversee programs, services, and initiatives to nurture a culture in which every faculty, staff and student believes their contributions are equally valued. Responsibilities also include the successful recruitment, professional development and retention of faculty, staff and students from diverse and under-represented communities. This Vice Chancellor will foster collaborative partnerships with multiple internal and external stakeholders to ensure accountability and a visible commitment to diversity and inclusion as a core institutional value.

Most significantly, University Police will report to the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion. As an open campus in a city often cited for a high crime rate, University Police are responsible for the safety and security of our campus for our community and visitors. Our new Vice Chancellor will ensure there is no racial bias or inequity, but instead a culture of inclusion as he/she oversees crime prevention activities and education, enforcement activities, and extensive community outreach not only with our students, faculty, staff members, but also individuals, and groups that frequent or otherwise have an impact on our campus.

We have begun a national search for this key member of our senior leadership who will help guide our university through meaningful and lasting transformation.

In the meantime, the Office of Diversity & Community Engagement in our School of Medicine is starting a “Wakeup Wednesday” Series. Dr. Robert Maupin is leading this initiative to “develop awareness, literacy and acknowledgment of the structural frameworks which intersect in the space of race, health care inequities and disparities.” He has begun collecting and sharing educational resources and tools that will serve as a foundation for reflection and productive conversations along the pathway to healing and meaningful change.

While I am pleased that we are making progress, our work has just begun. We have a long way to go to correct the systemic inequality and racial disparities that have defined our nation, society and university. I look forward to working with you to address our failings and eradicate racism and inequity to create a diverse, inclusive, and just university.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Phase 2 Extension

June 23, 2020 (4:20pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Many of you may have questions about our status since the Governor announced yesterday that Louisiana would remain in Phase 2 for another 28 days. Accordingly, LSU Health New Orleans will also remain in Phase 2 – our purple phase. As you know, we are an essential organization. Educating and training the majority of Louisiana’s health care professionals is critically important to our state’s ability to manage this pandemic and protect future health. So, we have operated differently from other universities throughout this crisis.

We will fulfill our vital educational mission with classes starting as scheduled for the fall semester. Remote learning will continue, but other students will return to campus as their educational experiences require. Safety precautions will be employed. As each of our schools has distinct curricula and schedules, our individual schools will have details about expectations for their schools. Those who work in our various administrative units will remain essentially as they have been since we entered Phase 2, although there may be a need for more staff on campus in some administrative areas. Supervisors will notify staff in those situations. Supervisors and Human Resources can answer any questions.

For those on campus, masks and physical distancing requirements will be strictly enforced. We also strongly encourage our faculty, staff and students to follow other guidance developed by the State and City for Phase 2 to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As the Governor said, while we may be done with this virus, this virus is not done with us. We do not want to lose the ground we have worked so hard to gain over the past few months.

As a further safety measure, we are finalizing plans to offer free antibody testing to those returning to campus and will be providing details very soon.

In the meantime, please know that we so appreciate the way all of you have stepped up to respond to this crisis. Your attitudes and actions set the standard for others to follow. I am deeply proud of each and every one of you and am confident that together, we will weather this storm.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Juneteenth

June 19, 2020 (3:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Today marks the anniversary of when Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed it. It was June 19, 1865, a day when the celebration of freedom known as Juneteenth was born.

Juneteenth 2020 reminds us that 155 years later, people of color are still not fully free. It should be our wake-up call to dedicate ourselves and our efforts to abolish racial injustice, inequality, social and economic inequity, police brutality and other abuses of power, along with health disparities once and for all just as President Lincoln abolished slavery. The most recent acts of murder, as well as the knowledge that COVID-19 is much more fatal for African Americans, demand nothing less.

Today is a day of reflection. We need to contend with our past to understand our present. To learn more about the history of Juneteenth, visit http://nationaljuneteenth.com/History.html.

Juneteenth is also a day of celebration.

Offbeat created a list of Black-owned restaurants to support on Juneteenth.

A host of local activities have been scheduled to observe and commemorate this most important day.

Let us use Juneteenth 2020 as a call to action to promote racial healing, reconciliation, justice and a common bond of freedom that realizes the promise of democracy.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Leave Update

June 19, 2020 (8:35am)

To all Leave-Eligible LSUHSC-NO Faculty and Staff:

Effective June 11, 2020, the Louisiana State Legislature passed SB437 which was signed by the Governor and became Act No. 241. The legislation expands the use of accrued sick leave by unclassified employees as follows:

Sick leave may be used to care for an immediate family member who is ill or injured or to accompany an immediate family member to a medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment.
An immediate family member is defined as a spouse, parent, or child of an employee.

The Louisiana Department of State Civil Service also adopted changes to Chapters 1 and 11 of the Civil Service Handbook, allowing the expanded use of sick leave by classified employees to care for an immediate family member who is ill or injured or who requires medical, dental or optical treatment when it is not possible to arrange such appointments for non-duty hours. LSUHSC-NO has adopted this change effective June 11, 2020, as well.

Permanent Memorandum #20 - Leave Policies for Academic and Unclassified Employees and Classified Personnel are currently under revision to reflect the expanded use of sick leave. In accordance with the LSU Board of Supervisors Protocol for Development, Approval, Revision & Rescindment of Permanent Memoranda, the portions of the policies that conflict with new Act 241 and Chapters 1 and 11 of the Civil Service Rules are invalid, and provisions contained within the new rules will supersede. The remainder of the policy that is unaffected will remain valid and in effect.

Thank you for your continued contributions to the health and well-being of our city and state, and please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Antibody Testing Survey

June 15, 2020 (10:30am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As part of our effort to help protect the health of those coming back to campus, LSU Health New Orleans will offer free antibody testing for returning faculty, staff and students. The antibody test is done via a finger stick, and results are known in minutes. Participation is voluntary.

We would like to gauge the level of interest in this free service to finalize logistics. For those who have not yet responded, could you please take a moment to respond to the survey.

Thank you, and please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Black Lives Matter

June 12, 2020 (3:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Black lives do matter. Yesterday’s White Coats for Black Lives peaceful protest was an opportunity to stand in solidarity and publicly condemn racism, injustice, police brutality and the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black people, named and unnamed over time.

I cannot imagine the grief of Breonna Taylor’s mother at the loss of her child or the family of George Floyd having to explain to his 6-year-old daughter that her daddy is in heaven. His little girl’s refusal to go to his memorial service because he wasn’t going to be there alive was heart wrenching. As health care professionals, we are trained to deal with death, but not senseless, brutal acts of violence perpetrated on defenseless people because of the color of their skin.

While we cannot alter the past, we can use it to motivate change for the future. The status quo is not acceptable. It never has been. The change begins with each of us and working together, we can effect meaningful change here on our campus. Some of the actions we can take include:

We need to educate ourselves about the realities of being black in America. The #ShutDownSTEM website has some good resources. We are also looking at using some of their other ideas for an activity on campus.

We need to engage in effective dialogue with our community's African American students, residents, staff and faculty to allow their voices to help shape our efforts to dismantle the structural racism which impact their experiences at LSU. This needs to serve as an ongoing dialog.

We need to develop an action-oriented diversity policy and make our position on racism and racial injustice strong and known.

We need to recruit and support more people of color at every level throughout our organization, but especially in areas of institutional leadership.

We need to effect the professional development and advancement of African American faculty including their attainment of tenure and positions of leadership.

We need to develop and implement effective, ongoing diversity and inclusion training at every level of the institution.

We need to develop effective institutional policy that fosters a zero tolerance of behavior in our community which expresses discrimination or prejudice.

We will take accountability for the institution’s failings in area of racial equity. But we are moving forward in advancing an intentional change to mold our culture to a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community.

The work has begun. You will be hearing more details very soon.

In the meantime, let us come together to make George Floyd’s daughter’s exclamation, “Daddy changed the world,” a reality that is lasting and durable.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

LSU Health New Orleans Academic Campus Closure

June 7, 2020 (6:50pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Thankfully, we have been spared major impact from Tropical Storm Cristobal so far, but we remain under a threat for flooding through tomorrow. It is possible that a feeder band like those that inundated the Mississippi Gulf Coast today could set up over the city tomorrow. Out of an abundance of caution, the academic campuses of LSU Health New Orleans will be closed tomorrow.

This closure applies only to the downtown and dental academic campuses of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. At this time, the LSU Healthcare Network is planning to open its clinics but will communicate any changes if necessary.

If you have clinical duties at other clinics or hospitals, please follow their instructions.

Thank you, and please stay safe!

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Phase 2

June 5, 2020 (5:25pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

In accordance with Governor John Bel Edwards’ announcement that Louisiana will enter Phase 2, LSU Health New Orleans will follow Phase 2 guidance beginning Monday June 8, 2020, weather permitting.

Under Phase 2, more of you will be returning to campus to work. Supervisors will determine who those employees are.

The Governor said, “In addition, people who are at high risk for becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, including those over 65 and those with underlying health conditions, should still Stay at Home unless they are completing essential tasks, such as doctor visits or going to purchase medications, food or other necessary items. Everyone should consider their own risk and the risk of those in their households as they plan their public outings. There are still thousands of active COVID-19 cases in Louisiana and public health experts have increased warnings about asymptomatic people being able to spread the illness unknowingly.”

Beginning Monday:

Food Service will permit in-house dining at 50% occupancy in addition to takeout.

Dining Service hours:

Downtown Cafeteria 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.mm

11:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m.

Coffee Kiosk 7:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

Dental 7:30 a.m. -10:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

The Wellness Center will also open with limited capacity. See details here.

Wellness Center hours:

Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Closed Saturdays for deep cleaning.

Registrar’s Office and Student Financial Aid offices hours:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Bookstore – Hours unchanged:

Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Library hours of operation are increasing. As of June 15, new hours will be:

Isché:

Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Dental:

Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Friday – Sunday: Closed

The Room Reservation System has been reactivated.

Elevator capacity should not exceed four people, and when possible, not more than two.

The masking requirement remains. Cloth masks or face coverings that cover the nose and mouth are required in all public spaces and where adequate physical distancing is not possible. Adequate physical distancing is a minimum of 6 feet. Medical-grade surgical, N95 and K95 masks are reserved for health care workers in clinical settings. One cloth mask will be provided to anyone who does not have one. They are available in the bookstores. The mask requirement applies to everyone on campus.

Physical distancing requirements also remain in place – a minimum of 6 feet of distance.

Please practice frequent hand hygiene as well.

We are finalizing a program to offer free testing for returning faculty, staff and students. In preparation please take a moment to take this confidential survey that will enable us to gauge interest.

Thank you for all each of you has done to help us manage so well throughout this pandemic and for your contributions to the health and safety of our campus, city and state. They have been truly exceptional. You have set the example for others to follow, and I am so proud of you all.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Statement on Police Brutality and Racism in America and Their Impact on Health

June 2, 2020 (4:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We wanted to share the following AAMC Statement with you, which we strongly endorse. We stand together in our condemnation and rejection of racism and hatred in any form. Please join us in our call to action to effect positive change.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD, Chancellor

Joseph Moerschbaecher, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies

John Harman MBA, CPA, CGMA, CMPE, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Edwin Murray, JD, Vice Chancellor for Community & Multicultural Affairs

J. Christian Winters, MD, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs

Steve Nelson, MD, Dean of Medicine

Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, Dean of Nursing

J. M. Cairo, PhD, Dean of Allied Health Professions

Dean Smith, PhD, Dean of Public Health

Robert Laughlin, DMD, interim Dean of Dentistry

AAMC Statement on Police Brutality and Racism in America and Their Impact on Health

June 1, 2020

David J. Skorton, MD, president and CEO of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and David A. Acosta, MD, AAMC chief diversity and inclusion officer, released the following statement:

“For too long, racism has been an ugly, destructive mark on America’s soul. Throughout our country’s history, racism has affected every aspect of our collective national life—from education to opportunity, personal safety to community stability, to the health of people in our cities large and small, and in rural America.

Over the past three months, the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the racial health inequities harming our black communities, exposing the structures, systems, and policies that create social and economic conditions that lead to health disparities, poor health outcomes, and lower life expectancy.

Now, the brutal and shocking deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have shaken our nation to its core and once again tragically demonstrated the everyday danger of being black in America. Police brutality is a striking demonstration of the legacy racism has had in our society over decades. This violence has eroded trust of the police within black and other communities of color who are consistently victims of marginalization, focused oppression, racial profiling, and egregious acts of discrimination.

Our country must unite to combat and dismantle racism and discrimination in all its forms and denounce race-related violence, including police brutality. Enough is enough.

As healers and educators of the next generation of physicians and scientists, the people of America’s medical schools and teaching hospitals bear the responsibility to ameliorate factors that negatively affect the health of our patients and communities: poverty, education, access to transportation, healthy food, and health care.

Racism is antithetical to the oaths and moral responsibilities we accepted as health professionals who have dedicated our lives to advancing the health of all, especially those who live in vulnerable communities.

As leaders of anchor institutions in our communities, academic medicine’s physicians, educators, hospital leaders, faculty, researchers, learners, and staff must lead by example and take bold action in partnership with the communities we serve:

We must acknowledge and speak out against all forms of racism, discrimination, and bias in our environments in our institutions, communities, and society.
We must stand in solidarity with the black community and speak out against unjust and inhumane incidents of violence.
We must demonstrate empathy and compassion and acknowledge the pain and grief that the families and the communities of these victims are experiencing.
We must take the lead in educating ourselves and others to address these issues head-on.
We must be deliberate and partner with local communities, public health agencies, and municipal governments to dismantle structural racism and end police brutality.
We must employ anti-racist and unconscious bias training and engage in interracial dialogues that will dispel the misrepresentations that dehumanize our black community members and other marginalized groups.
We must move from rhetoric to action to eliminate the inequities in our care, research, and education of tomorrow’s doctors.

The AAMC stands against racism and hate in all its forms, and we call on academic medicine to stand together on this issue. We are committed to harnessing all of our resources to catalyze meaningful and lasting solutions. We can no longer be bystanders. We must not be silent. But while our solidarity is necessary, it is not sufficient. Together, and in partnership with the communities we serve, we must work together to heal our nation.”

The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health care through innovative medical education, cutting-edge patient care, and groundbreaking medical research. Its members comprise all 155 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 80 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC serves the leaders of America’s medical schools and teaching hospitals and their 173,000 faculty members, 89,000 medical students, 129,000 resident physicians, and more than 60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. Additional information about the AAMC and its member medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org.

Together in Troubled Times

June 1, 2020 (12:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

The horrific events that have been unfolding across our country after the tragedy in Minneapolis last week underscore the critical need to renew our commitment to equality, mutual respect and justice. We must work harder to open our hearts and minds to listen, really listen to diverse viewpoints and perspectives to better understand and support experiences different from our own. We must stand with each other and for each other with shared purpose to honor our common humanity.

We celebrate inclusion at LSU Health New Orleans and are continuing our work to improve our diversity and make our campus more welcoming to all. We strive to serve our students, patients and publics from all walks of life and backgrounds – equally.

We are in the business of service. LSU Health New Orleans was founded on a tradition of giving back. We must also give to each other -- dignity, tolerance, appreciation, regard, consideration and esteem.

We are in the business of knowledge, discovering it and imparting it. Let us use the power of fact and truth.

We are in the business of caring. Let us treat each other with the same compassion and dedication to well-being as we treat our patients.

Our business is preserving life. Let us revere each person -- no matter ethnicity, gender identification or preference, religious belief, political view, social and socioeconomic status, birth place or any other distinction -- and work together to make this a more just world for all.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., " In a real sense, all life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD, Chancellor

Joseph Moerschbaecher, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies

John Harman MBA, CPA, CGMA, CMPE, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Edwin Murray, JD, Vice Chancellor for Community & Multicultural Affairs

J. Christian Winters, MD, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs

Steve Nelson, MD, Dean of Medicine

Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, Dean of Nursing

J. M. Cairo, PhD, Dean of Allied Health Professions

Dean Smith, PhD, Dean of Public Health

Robert Laughlin, DMD, interim Dean of Dentistry

Endurance

May 29, 2020 (6:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This is the last full week of the mobile testing project through which LSU Health New Orleans, LCMC Health and the New Orleans Health Department have brought free COVID testing to people in vulnerable communities. It has been a tremendous success, testing hundreds of people each day who might not have had access to this important service otherwise. We are grateful to Dr. Chris Winters for organizing our participation and to our nursing and medicine faculty who have volunteered to collect samples outside wearing full PPE even in the blazing heat in the last few weeks.

Along with LCMC Health, our next project will be making testing easily accessible to first responders at UMC beginning next week. Both COVID-19 and antibody testing will be available to Region 1 First Responders -- police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel from Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes.

Testing is such an important part of reopening requirements, and we are proud to say that LSU Health New Orleans has been at the forefront of those efforts in Louisiana, along with our partners. Our model was up and running effectively even before the need for such a program was announced by the state.

We look forward to the Governor’s announcement Monday about whether we will move to Phase 2 on June 5. If we continue to wear our masks, practice physical distancing and take other steps to prevent the spread of the virus, we’ll hopefully get good news next week.

As George Kennan observed, “Heroism is endurance for one moment more.”

I am so proud of all your contributions and for the way you have handled very trying circumstances. We just need to endure for a while longer.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Travel Registration

May 27, 2020 (4:20pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

There is no longer a need for our Travel Policy, so LSU Health New Orleans faculty, staff and students are no longer required to submit Travel Registration forms. To avoid losing the important ground we have gained, though, if you travel to an area with increasing numbers of cases and deaths and think you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please continue to self-isolate.

Those who wish to travel on University business are required to submit a request, with justification, to your administrative unit head. To go, your travel request must first be approved by your Dean and my office.

Please continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing, frequently wash your hands and take other steps that will help reduce the spread of this virus. Your actions are helping to keep our case count down.

Stay safe!

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Bright Days

May 22, 2020 (3:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This has been a difficult week for us with the sudden loss of Dental School Dean Dr. Henry Gremillion. The latest tributes to him came today. First the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) created a Remembrance Page that features memories from people who worked with Henry over the years. Henry was the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the 20,000+ member organization that represents dental schools throughout the US and Canada. The second tribute came from LSU Interim President Galligan at today’s LSU Board of Supervisors Meeting. For those of you who may not have received the information, there will be a virtual service for Dr. Gremillion tomorrow morning at 11:45 a.m. You may attend remotely at this link -- https://youtu.be/uFJKcaIQ47I.

There were some bright spots this week, too. One of them occurred in our School of Graduate Studies. Two of our MD/PhD students -- Zachary Stielper and Kateyln Robillard -- successfully defended their dissertations, after delivering a seminar via Zoom. They join Dr. Katelyn Gurley, also in our MD/PhD program, who successfully defended her dissertation work earlier in May.

Students in our schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Public Health started classes this week, and clinical rotations for our medical and nursing students are going well.

More of you returned to campus this week. That would not have been possible without our hardworking Housekeeping staff. Their stepped-up cleaning and disinfecting are what helps make our campus safe. So, when you see them on campus, please take a moment to say thanks!

As we reflect upon our time with Henry Gremillion, it seems that the most fitting words for this week came from Ludwig Jacobowski’s 1899 work about bright days of the past. He wrote, “Do not cry because they are past! Smile, because they once were!”

Please have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Updated Leave Guidance

May 20, 2020 (12:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As the State of Louisiana and LSUHSCNO move toward reopening and getting everyone back to work, I wanted to provide you this update to the guidance that has been issued by the State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration in regards to leave earning positions (both classified and unclassified) as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration are discontinuing the availability of Special Leave for employees who are not at work due to COVID-19 related issues effective May 31, 2020, with a very limited exception. Additionally, effective immediately, the use of Sick Leave is no longer permitted for any reason other than the employee’s illness, injury or medical dental or optical appointment.

The following is how Leave should be applied to these COVID-19 scenarios:

Effective May 20, 2020

Employee is not at work to care for himself due to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 – The employee uses Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave is exhausted then Special leave will be granted as necessary through May 30, 2020. When all leave is exhausted then the employee will be on Leave without Pay (LWOP).
Employee is not at work because the employee has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 (or)
Employee is not at work to care for a spouse, domestic partner or dependent child residing in his household who has been positively diagnosed with COVID-19 (or)
Employee is not at work because the employee needs to care for a spouse/domestic partner, or dependent child that has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 - The employee uses Annual leave. When Annual leave is exhausted then Special leave will be granted as necessary through May 30, 2020. When all leave is exhausted then the employee will be on Leave without Pay (LWOP).

Effective May 31, 2020

Employee is not at work to care for himself due to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 (or)
Employee is not at work because of possible exposure to COVID-19 and has been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19, or who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking medical diagnosis - The employee uses Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave is exhausted then Special leave will be granted for up to 15 working days. When all leave is exhausted then the employee will be on Leave without Pay (LWOP).

Please continue to practice social distancing and proper hygiene to keep you and your families safe during this transitional phase of our recovery. Thank you for all you do and for your dedication to the health of our city and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Self-Monitoring Resource

May 19, 2020 (4:11pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

Since more of you have returned to campus in Phase 1, we are exploring ways to help keep our faculty, staff and students safer and reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. One way is for us to monitor our own health status, understand our risk and when to self-report. A team in our School of Public Health has been investigating the available technologies to help with this effort. While there is nothing currently available that does everything we would like, there is one platform that they feel would be useful now. It is called COVIDcheck. It is not an app, but it is accessible on all your devices, including smartphones, via an internet link. It is a tool that will help you get personalized advice on how to protect your health and the health of those around you.

You do not enter your name or other personally identifying information. It asks questions that either stop or continue depending upon your answers and will advise you on your status and the next steps you need to take, if any. We do not receive the information, you do. Participation is voluntary.

We do ask if you are advised to get tested and you test positive, you notify your supervisor, as with any other illness, and complete and submit the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form. We ask you to visit the site every day so you will know as soon as possible that you could be infected and could potentially infect others.

As other tools and resources become available, we will provide information on those as well. In the meantime, through our shared sense of community and responsibility, I thank each of you for doing your part to protect yourselves and others around you.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Congratulations, Graduates!

May 15, 2020 (6:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

We have much to celebrate this week. Hundreds of graduating students in our Schools of Nursing, Allied Health Professions, Medicine, Public Health, and Dentistry were honored at virtual pre-commencement ceremonies that wrapped up today. It was a privilege to share this special time with our graduates and their loved ones. We look forward to holding a more traditional graduation ceremony when we can gather in person again.

We have officially entered Phase 1. For us, that means more of you will be back on campus as of Monday. Joining their nursing student colleagues in returning to clinical rotations, our third-year medical students will resume their clinical clerkships next week. Allied Health students will also start their curricula next week.

To help keep everyone safer, we will continue to employ measures to reduce transmission of the virus.

When you arrive on campus, you will see new signs announcing mandatory masking in public areas or

when adequate physical distancing is not possible. For those who do not have a cloth face covering that covers your mouth and nose, one will be available in the Bookstore or the Campus Scientific Supply Store.

Hand hygiene will continue to be very important. Please wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use the hand sanitizer stations placed throughout campus. We have also increased cleaning and sanitation schedules.

Large groups may not gather. We will continue to limit the number of people in the same place at the same time and maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet.

Please monitor yourselves for symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills or repeated shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, muscle pain, fatigue, sore throat, GI symptoms or rashes. If you experience these symptoms, call your health care provider.

If you are sick, please notify your supervisor and stay home. If you test positive for or are diagnosed with COVID-19, please complete our COViD-19 Self-Reporting Form online here.

LSU Health New Orleans continues to collaborate with the City of New Orleans and other partners to respond to this public health crisis. Besides the mobile testing project that has brought free COVID-19 testing to more than 3,000 people in vulnerable communities, Mayor Cantrell announced another initiative today. Collaborating with the Mayor’s Office, the New Orleans Health Department and New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, as it did after Katrina, our Department of Psychiatry will provide supportive services to City employees and their families, including public safety departments such as the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD), the Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Finally, the US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have cautioned high vigilance in maintaining good IT hygiene during this pandemic. There have been attempts to hack researchers conducting COVID-19 research, and “cybersecurity researchers in mid-March 2020 indicated the cumulative volume of coronavirus-related e-mail lures now represents the greatest collection of attack types united by a single theme seen in years, if not ever. Researchers have observed credential phishing, malicious attachments, malicious links, landing pages, downloaders, spam, and malware, among others, all leveraging coronavirus lures, according to a cybersecurity firm with a history of credible cyber threat reporting.” While we have invested in resources and employ practices to safeguard our data, each of us plays an important part in protecting our IT infrastructure. It may be an appropriate time to review the IT Security information here.

We have come this far. We have a way to go, but I have no doubt that we will come through to the other side of this crisis. As Leo Tolstoy noted, “There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes.”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Return to Campus Activity Plans

May 12, 2020 (5:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

With the Governor’s and Mayor’s recent announcements, we are moving to Phase 1 beginning May 18, 2020. During Phase 1, more of you to will return to campus, but with some changes. Cloth masks or face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required in all public spaces and where adequate physical distancing is not possible. Adequate physical distancing is a minimum of 6 feet. Medical-grade surgical, N95 and K95 masks are reserved for health care workers in clinical settings. One cloth mask will be provided to anyone who does not have one. They are available in the bookstores. The mask requirement applies to everyone on campus.

As you know, unlike other universities LSU Health New Orleans did not close during the COVID-19 pandemic, so our “Return to Campus Activity Plan” is a little different. We have developed an overall framework for the Health Sciences Center, and each school developed a plan for their faculty, staff and students. Please see the campus-wide planning framework, below. It, along with the plans for each of our schools, will be posted on the Coronavirus website under the Internal Resources dropdown menu at the top of the page and on the Human Resources website landing page.

Supervisors will determine who will be expected to return to campus during Phase 1. The guidance issued by the White House and the State of Louisiana allow vulnerable individuals to continue remote work wherever possible. Vulnerable individuals are defined as the elderly or those who with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and those whose immune system is compromised such as by chemotherapy for cancer and other conditions requiring such therapy. If you are a vulnerable individual, please reach out to your supervisor for guidance.

Because it is the first of our schools to welcome new students to campus, the School of Allied Health Professions will be the first school to bring more people back to campus.

Building entrances at doors without check-in will require an active ID card for door access.

The Governor announced that Phase 1 will be in effect until June 5, at which point the situation will be evaluated to determine next steps.

If we continue taking responsible measures – wearing masks in public and common spaces, maintaining physical distancing, practicing good hand hygiene, frequently cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces, monitoring for symptoms (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills or repeated shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, muscle pain, fatigue, sore throat, GI symptoms, rashes), staying home when you’re sick or when you have had close contact with an infected individual, and self-reporting if you test positive, we can continue to reduce spread of the virus. I know I can count on each of you to do your part.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Resilience

May 8, 2020 (5:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

The word that comes to mind this week is Resilience. Psychologists define it as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.”

I cannot tell you how impressive your resilience during this pandemic has been. You have risen to the challenges to how we work, study, live – literally every aspect of our lives. Our clinicians have coped admirably with the enormous responsibility of taking care of COVID-19 patients and each other. The quality of their care is evidenced by the declining number of patients on ventilators and deaths. Our Healthcare Network faculty have adapted by devising innovative ways to continue to care for our patients. Public Health is contributing in new ways, too. Not only have faculty been advising the Governor and LDH, faculty and students are doing contact tracing to help protect those on campus and reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Our dental faculty, students and clinical staff have been relieving pain and correcting dysfunction for patients with dental emergencies and are now preventing conditions from worsening by performing time-sensitive procedures. As a vital university that did not shut down because of our essential role, our schools continue to find new ways to accomplish our academic mission. Allied Health held a virtual orientation this morning in preparation for safely welcoming new students to campus May 20. Our faculty quickly transitioned to remote and virtual education to keep our educational commitment to our students. Our students adapted to new learning environments and avenues. Our staff has found ways to keep essential functions going strong, providing needed services and resources to support our ability to carry on our Health Sciences Center’s mission. Many of you have learned to work productively from home, to balance work and family in this strange new world thrust upon us. You are all devising ways to deal with the stress of having your lives turned upside down and inside out. And you are still finding time to be of service to others. Your efforts are helping those most vulnerable access testing and other critical resources.

Our nursing faculty and students have shown remarkable resilience, some volunteering to take care of COVID-19 patients; others caring for med-surg patients in our partner hospitals to free up staff nurses for COVID-19 units. Despite the hardship and heartbreak of these desperate times, our nursing faculty and students stepped up and stepped in because they avow, “We are nurses; this is what we do.” We salute all of you and wish you a Happy Nurses Week and Year of the Nurse!

You have tapped wells of resources and reserves that some of you may not have known you had. As Catherine DeVrye notes, “Like tiny seeds with potent power to push through tough ground and become mighty trees, we hold innate reserves of unimaginable strength. We are resilient.” Yes, you are.

Helen Keller so eloquently wrote, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” We are overcoming it through your resilience.

Although we have come a very long way, our journey along the path to a new normal will continue for some time to come. And there will be more hurdles and tests along the way. But we will keep going. Together. We have lives to save. We have treatments and cures to discover. We have health care professionals to educate. We have so much important work and so many contributions yet to make. And it is your Resilience that will allow us to achieve all those things.

In closing, I’d like to wish all of the mothers in our community a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Charity

May 1, 2020 (5:45pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

Our word this week is charity. Although it has even greater meaning for those of us who trained and took care of patients at Big Charity, no other word so well characterizes the selflessness of our current clinical faculty in the midst of this pandemic. With no thought for your own safety, you have put your health on the line to take care of those who have never needed compassionate, skilled health professionals more. That is the very definition of charity.

Charity has also been defined as “benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.” Those of you not involved in patient care have also been committing acts of charity every day. Your love for humanity is displayed by maintaining physical distancing, wearing masks in public and staying home when you don’t have to go out. Because you have followed these recommendations, you have protected the health of your colleagues and helped stop the spread of this virus.

Charity, too, means “generosity and helpfulness, especially toward the needy or suffering.” Many of you have volunteered to help ease the burden of this crisis on others by running errands, making masks, organizing efforts to feed those on the front lines and more. Others of you have made charitable contributions to benefit those less fortunate. One of my greatest sources of pride is witnessing the level of collaboration and cooperation among you. It has never been higher, and it is awesome. You have my enduring gratitude for your generosity to your colleagues and your willingness to help wherever and whenever you can.

Moliere said it well. “Every good act is charity. A man's true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.” And by that standard, you are among this world’s wealthiest. I am proud to stand among you.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Stay at Home Extended

April 28, 2020 (10:00am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Community,

While the rate of Orleans and Jefferson Parish COVID-19 new cases and hospitalizations has been decreasing, the same cannot be said of regions in other parts of the State. Consequently, Louisiana does not yet meet the criteria to move to Phase 1 of reopening, and yesterday the Governor extended his Stay at Home Order until May 15, 2020. Accordingly, we will continue operating as we are at least until then.

A primary reason that the rate of cases here has slowed is the preventive steps we have taken. We ask that you continue to practice physical distancing, wash your hands, clean high-touch surfaces frequently and wear masks. Remember that medical grade surgical and procedure masks, as well as N95 respirators, are needed for patient care, so cloth face coverings are the appropriate choice for non-clinicians. Please continue to wear them when you’re on campus or out in the community.

Thank you for stepping up to do your parts to overcome this health crisis and keep yourselves and those around you safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Hope

April 24, 2020 (5:30pm)

Dear LSU Health Community,

It seems the word that best fits where we are now is hope. The rates of increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as deaths, has slowed. The number of people on ventilators has decreased, aided by LSU Health New Orleans Pulmonary/Critical Care faculty’s innovative alternatives to ventilators. More people are being tested, among them our most vulnerable. LSU Health New Orleans faculty are volunteering to collect samples in partnership with LCMC Health and the New Orleans Health Department and making free walk-up testing accessible to people in underserved areas. The indicators that our physical distancing and other preventive measures are working are quite hopeful. The curve appears to have flattened. We are getting ever closer to meeting the metrics necessary to reach Phase 1 of reopening. But we’re not quite there yet.

I would ask you to keep on doing what you have been doing. Now is not the time to relax your vigilance. You have all really stepped up, and your contributions are making a tremendous difference. Thank you for keeping us all safer.

I would ask that you continue to hold on to hope. As John Green noted, “We need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken.” Seeing your grit and determination as you once again rise to the challenge of responding to a devastating crisis is awe-inspiring.

Though we have come a long way, we have more work to do. I know you are more than equal to the tasks ahead and will continue putting your hope to work. As David Orr said, “Hope is a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.” You are the epitome of resilience, and I am so proud to work alongside you and share the hope that we will prevail very soon.

For the Muslim members of our community, Ramadan is the month of hope. We wish you and your families the blessings of Ramadan. “Ramadan Kareem!”

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Guidance Update

April 22, 2020 (9:15am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

I wanted to provide you this update to the guidance that has been issued by the State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration in regards to leave earning positions (both classified and unclassified) as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration have discontinued the availability of Special Leave for employees who are not at work to care for dependent child(ren) residing in his/her household due to a school closure related to COVID-19 effective April 13, 2020, LSUHSCNO will continue to allow employees who cannot work from home and are in this circumstance to utilize Special Leave (after they exhaust all earned sick and annual leave) though April 30, 2020. This limited extension is intended to allow these employees the time to make other arrangements for child care.

Please continue to take steps to keep you and your families safe during this unprecedented crisis. Thank you for all you do and for your dedication to the health of our city and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Hiring Freeze

April 20, 2020 (8:00am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty and Staff,

As you may realize, the COVID-19 pandemic is having an enormous negative impact on Louisiana tax revenues as the result of voluntary and mandated business closures across the state. When combined with increased state spending to fight the pandemic, rising unemployment benefits costs and the drop in petroleum prices, Louisiana is expected to have a revenue shortfall by the end of the fiscal year and will need to adjust its spending going into fiscal year 2020-21. Funding reductions will likely affect all sectors of state government including higher education. Recognizing that LSUHSC-NO funding is tied not only to state appropriations, but also to service agreements with our affiliated hospital partners and sponsored research, ours is a complex revenue model with several dimensions of potential risk from the state’s economic downturn.

Out of an abundance of caution and fiscal responsibility, it is imperative that we begin planning now to make changes in our business model and adjust our spending wherever possible to insure that the institution is positioned to meet the looming funding changes.

Effective today, April 20, 2020, we are instituting a freeze on establishing new positions and filling vacant positions, regardless of the source of funding. Recruitments already underway with candidates where the selection process has been completed, and offers are in the process of being extended or have already been extended may continue to move forward. Likewise, spending through the remainder of the fiscal year should be curtailed wherever possible with the expectation that FY 2020-21 budgets will be less than those of the current year.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance will be providing guidance shortly on the budget approach for FY 2020-21 in anticipation of these funding reductions. Keep in mind that due to the nature of the COVID-19 disruption, the legislature may convene in mid-May to adopt a budget as required by law and then convene a special session later in the summer to adopt a revised and amended FY 2020-21 state budget. Thus, there is still substantial uncertainty regarding the actual status of funds.

Your support is greatly appreciated as together, with our resilience and fortitude, the LSUHSC-NO family will meet the challenge and will continue to lead the state in educating the healthcare professionals of tomorrow, advancing groundbreaking research and caring with compassion for the people of Louisiana.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Self-Reporting Tool

April 17, 2020 (3:20pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We’d like to make you aware of a new resource for our faculty, staff and students that will help us gather information about potential exposures to COVID-19. For the health and well-being of those on our campuses in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, we are asking all members of the Health Sciences Center community who are under suspicion of or diagnosed with COVID 19, to self-report. We will respect your privacy as we conduct confidential contact tracing to notify work- or school-related colleagues who may have been exposed.

The form is available in two places – as a link under the Internal Resources drop-down menu on our Coronavirus website and on the Human Resources Website.

Human Resources is available for any questions you may have.

Thank you all for the contributions you continue to make and for your diligence in taking safety and preventive precautions. Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Parking

April 14, 2020

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Students,

As you know, getting in and out of our Student Parking Lots has been a little challenging at times due to the construction on our downtown campus. We wanted to make it easier for you to park, so have reprogrammed your parking gate cards to allow entry into the Roman Street Garage. This change is effective immediately. We hope that this small courtesy will improve your access to campus and relieve a little stress.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Keep the Faith

April 9, 2020 (4:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

Faith – it’s a word that is particularly relevant to us right now. It is the foundation of the high holy days that Christians and those of the Jewish faith will continue to observe in the coming days. But beyond Easter and Passover, faith is something that we should all continue to hold fast. We need to have faith that we will come through this crisis. We need to have faith that the human spirit will triumph over this scourge on mankind. We need to have faith that of one heart and one mind, we will persevere. We need to have faith that our resilience will fuel our recovery once the active phase of this crisis passes.

I have faith in each of you. I have faith in your intelligence, skills and extraordinary abilities. I have faith in your passionate dedication to your patients, colleagues and the health of the community. I have faith that your knowledge and talent will continue to save many lives. I have faith that your out-of-the-box thinking and can-do attitude will continue to result in innovations that improve care and contribute to a cure. I have faith that each of your contributions, whatever your discipline, are making a real difference every day.

I hope those of you who are able, can celebrate the holidays with your loved ones in safe and creative ways. I have faith that you will continue to take the preventive measures that are helping to flatten the curve, so we don’t lose the hard ground we have gained in our battle to stop this virus.

I hope that by supporting each other, we can all keep the faith.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Leave Guidance

April 7, 2020 (7:11am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As a reminder, I’d like to reiterate the guidance that has been provided by the State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration in regards to leave earning positions and also provide the Electronic SF-6 COVID-19 Guide, which is also available on the Human Resources website, to our monthly employees on how to enter leave during this time as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Effective March 10, 2020

Not at work to care for himself/herself due to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.
Not at work to care for a spouse or dependent child(ren) residing in his/her household who has been positively diagnosed with COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 13, 2020

Not at work because the employee has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 - Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 16, 2020

Not at work to care for dependent child(ren) residing in his/her household due to a school closure related to COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 18, 2020

Not at work because the employee needs to care for a spouse/domestic partner, or dependent child that has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 - Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

For all approved SF-6 Annual, Sick and/or LWOP entries for the month of March that need to be coded as Disaster or Special Leave due to the COVID-19 guidance above, please contact Nicole Kellum at nkellu@lsuhsc.edu or (504) 568-2954.

If there any questions regarding leave entries, please contact Nicole Kellum at nkellu@lsuhsc.edu or (504) 568-2954 and any questions regarding payroll, call Scott Parks at (504) 568-2115.

Please continue to take steps to keep you and your families safe during this unprecedented crisis. Thank you for all you do and for your dedication to the health of our city and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Coronavirus Updates

April 3, 2020 (9:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

First let me express my deep gratitude for all that you are doing. Please know how recognized and appreciated the enormous sacrifices you are making to care for our community are.

We have some news to share. Governor Edwards extended Louisiana’s Stay at Home Order to April 30, so we will continue our remote learning, work from home arrangements and physical distancing for the personnel whose work requires their presence on campus until then.

Our nursing students will resume their clinical education beginning next week at West Jefferson Medical Center. They are an inspiring group, as you can see in the story on our newsroom.

In conjunction with our partners at UMC, we are about to begin clinical trials of medications that may prove beneficial in treating or helping to prevent COVID-19. Our basic scientists are organizing further research to contribute to a solution for this devastating crisis.

Our faculty continue to share their expertise through media interviews and webinars. Dr. Benjamin Springgate continues to devote hours of his time serving the public on television, he also answered seniors’ questions at an AARP telephone Town Hall this week. Dr. James Diaz presented and answered questions at a webinar presented by LSU's College of the Coast & Environment and School of Veterinary Medicine, along with our School of Public Health that sold out. And Dr. Joy Osofsky and a colleague conducted a webinar sponsored by the New York City Department of Health about strategies to support children and families that drew more than 1,800 participants.

Drs. Erin Dugan, Kellie Camelford, and Krystal Vaughn in Allied Health created a children’s coping and coloring book, Caroline Conquers her Corona Fears, that is being downloaded as a resource all over the country.

Our medical students are collecting PPE to support their future colleagues on the frontlines of COVID-19 patient care.

The Dental School has begun printing face shields and masks to support those handling dental emergencies at the School and others. You will learn more about this effort in the coming days.

Dr. Billy Robinson and Dr. Susanne Straif-Bourgeois in our School of Public Health have been working with LDH on the models and estimates of the COVID outbreak. The Governor presented these models at his media briefing this afternoon.

These efforts reflect your expertise, resilience and can-do attitude, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Please continue to practice all the measures that will help flatten the curve, and please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Campus Updates

March 27, 2020 (4:15pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

This morning, we released information acknowledging your hard work through this crisis. This press release focused on patient care in our teaching hospitals, and it has been very well received and shared on social media. LSU Health New Orleans faculty are caring for the sickest patients in ICUs across the state. You are making a real difference under unimaginably trying circumstances. Your devotion to your patients and your communities exemplifies your selflessness and your humanity. You are the heroes of this pandemic.

We have some further campus updates to share with you this afternoon.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb in Louisiana, we will maintain the current level of remote learning, work from home arrangement and physical distancing for at least another two weeks, and circumstances may dictate an even longer period. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

We understand that many of our students are anxious to help with the COVID-19 response. An LSU Health New Orleans campus-wide effort to coordinate volunteer activities for our students is underway. Our goal is to give our students meaningful opportunities to contribute within their areas of interest and skills and to ensure that they go where they can best serve the community. Your deans are gathering information from our clinical and community partners to determine their needs, and you will be hearing more about it from your Deans’ or Student Affairs’ offices.

After a complete steam cleaning at all our dining operations, Food Services at both the Downtown New Orleans and Dental campuses will resume Monday, March 30, as take-out only. The menus for next week are available on the Dining Services website.

We will be issuing more press releases describing other contributions in the coming days. If you are involved in an activity or have a story to tell, please share details with Leslie Capo at lcapo@lsuhsc.edu.

To say that we are proud of each and every one of you is a vast understatement. Please take care of yourselves and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

New Library Hours

March 25, 2020 (6:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We have been making every effort to provide the support services that our students and faculty need during this public health emergency. Our libraries are among them. We have been monitoring library usage to determine the appropriate operating hours. As they have been increasingly less used, we are reducing library hours beginning tomorrow as follows.

Dental Library:

Monday & Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Closed

We will continue to provide interlibrary loan and document delivery services on a regular basis.

Isché Library:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

With the Governor’s Stay-at-Home Order, I am encouraging each of you to do your part to help flatten the curve. Stay home unless it is absolutely necessary to go somewhere and practice physical distancing if you have to go out. Please take care of yourselves during this challenging time and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Building Access, Credit Union and Food Service

March 23, 2020 (6:00pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We have some important updates to share with you this afternoon.

Building Access

While as many of you as possible should continue to work from home, our buildings remain open for essential functions. With our reduced level of staffing, we are reducing our footprint and closing some entrances. Effective at 7:00 a.m. March 24, access will be as follows.

The front door of the Medical School building at 1542 Tulane Avenue will be locked. There will be two exterior entrance doors accessible with your ID -- the rear door, across from the Sustainable Garden, and the rear stairwell exit door. The door to the 1542 parking garage will also remain open.

There will be a single point of access to the Human Development Center building. It will be by ID at the parking lot door.

Access to the first floor of the Resource Center will be by ID only.

Access to the main parts of our campus will be from the MEB through the door on Bolivar Street only and the Roman Street Parking Garage. The Roman Street door to MEB will be locked.

All second-floor entrances will remain open.

The front door of the Schools of Nursing and Allied Health Professions Building at 1900 Gravier Street will be locked. Access will be from the second-floor elevated walkway.

The front door of the Trail Clinical Sciences Research Building will be locked. Access will be from the second-floor elevated walkway.

The front door of the Lion’s Eye Center Building will be locked. Access will be from the second-floor elevated walkway.

There will be no change in Student Housing access.

There will be no change in access to the Seton Building at 478 South Johnson Street. Both first floor doors remain open with temperature screening prior to admittance.

Campus Federal Credit Union

Please note that the Campus Federal Office on the second floor of the Resource Center is now closed. If you need more than the ATM service, you will have to go to the main office at 2200 Tulane Avenue.

Food Service

Purchasing has been able to secure a limited selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads for your convenience while regular Food Services are temporarily closed. Beginning tomorrow, they will be available in the bookstores on both the Downtown and Dental campuses through Friday. Bookstore hours are from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. We expect to resume regular Food Services Monday, March 30.

With the cases of COVID-19 continuing to increase at a high rate in our community, please don’t go anywhere you don’t need to go. Please practice “physical” distancing – keeping a minimum of 6 feet between yourself and others. We encourage you to be social, just not face-to-face! Please wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after touching high-touch surfaces.

Although this one is very different from the other crises we have survived, to overcome it, we will again have to be of one mind and one will. If we each do all that we can to reduce the transmission of this virus and protect our own and the health of others, then collectively we will triumph over this one, too.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Chancellor Message

March 23, 2020 (6:20am)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Graduating Students,

As we have a little more breathing room today, I would like to take the opportunity to more fully address our decision to postpone our Spring Commencement activities. We felt we owed it to you and your families to notify you as soon as the decision had been reached in conjunction with the LSU President’s Office so you could adjust your plans.

The uncertainty about the foreseeable future forced our decision, just as it has for other organizations with large events planned in the upcoming months. Any other decision would have been irresponsible given the increasing spread of COVID-19 in our community. We cannot predict how long our community will be affected. It could well be for some time to come, and we will not put you and your families at risk by holding a large event until it is safe to do so.

The Fall timeframe seemed a reasonable target for the resolution of the illness in our community and some semblance of normalcy to return. It will also allow enough time to book a venue along with the needed support services such as photographers, awards, florists and more. Everyone else who has postponed their events will also be trying to secure those services.

We understand that it may be difficult for some of you to interrupt your lives to come back for the ceremony. We are familiar with those circumstances as we have students completing their degree requirements at three different times during the year and only one campus-wide Commencement Ceremony. Fortunately, each year, many are able to return to walk across the stage with their classmates.

Please know that we understand what a significant event graduation is for you and your loved ones. Commencement holds great meaning for us, too. Our greatest achievement is educating and training you to hold the health of your patients in your capable hands, to discover the next cure for a devastating condition, or to restore function and quality of life. Commencement is a time to celebrate your accomplishments and those of our faculty who helped you reach this milestone -- together.

Amid this public health crisis, we have larger responsibilities as a Health Sciences Center. Our contributions have never been needed more. Members of our staff are involved in planning for the coming days, weeks and months, to secure needed equipment and supplies, organize targeted efforts in areas of greatest need and try to stay ahead of the curve. Our faculty are working long hours at our partner hospitals, literally putting their health at risk every day to save as many lives as they can.

We know that you understand because you chose your professions knowing full well the responsibilities that go along with them. And we chose you because we are confident in your abilities and know full well that the sacred trust about to be placed in your hands will be well placed.

We will get through this, and nothing will make us happier than to celebrate your accomplishments with you and your loved ones at Graduation. We will keep you updated on details, but rest assured that this Commencement Ceremony will be just as special as the one for our Katrina Class.

In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Food Service Temporary Closure

March 22, 2020 (9:25pm)

Dear LSU Health community,

We have learned that someone who was recently in a Food Service area has tested presumptively positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily closing all Food Services beginning Monday, March 23 to conduct deep cleaning. This will include the downtown campus main cafeteria, Coffee Kiosk and the Dental School Café. We must take every precaution to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff.

We have been working to provide other arrangements but have not yet been able to secure an alternative. If that changes, we will let you know.

In the meantime, we apologize for the hardship this will impose and will work to quickly complete the necessary safety measures.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Time and Labor Timekeeper Guide for COVID-19

March 22, 2020 (7:30pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As a reminder, I’d like to reiterate the guidance that has been provided by the State of Louisiana Civil Service and the Division of Administration in regards to leave earning positions and also provide the guidance, which is also available on the Human Resources website, to our departmental timekeepers on how to process leave during this time as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Effective March 10, 2020

Not at work to care for himself/herself due to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.
Not at work to care for a spouse or dependent child(ren) residing in his/her household who has been positively diagnosed with COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 13, 2020

Not at work because the employee has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 - Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 16, 2020

Not at work to care for dependent child(ren) residing in his/her household due to a school closure related to COVID-19 – Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

Effective March 18, 2020

Not at work because the employee needs to care for a spouse/domestic partner, or dependent child that has a high-risk immunological disorder(s) and needs to avoid exposure to COVID-19 - Sick leave, then Annual leave. When all leave has been exhausted, then Special leave will be granted.

The guidance also provides timekeepers with guidance on how to code daily work and overtime associated with COVID-19. Additional guidance will be provided at a later date for leave reporting in the SF-6 system for employees using that system. If there any questions regarding leave entries, please contact Nicole Kellum at 504-568-2954 and any questions regarding payroll, call Scott Parks at 504-568-2115.

In addition, even after the Governor’s Stay at Home Order goes into effect at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 23^rd, LSU Health New Orleans will continue to operate under the same guidelines as we have been, as we are considered an essential solution to the crisis.

Please continue to take steps to keep you and your families safe during this unprecedented crisis. Thank you for all you do and for your dedication to the health of our city and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

New Library Hours

March 21, 2020 (1pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We wanted to provide an update concerning the new hours of operation for our libraries. Instead of beginning Monday as originally planned, the new schedule is now in effect.

Isché Library:

Mondays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Tuesdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Wednesdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Thursdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Fridays 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays Closed

Dental Library:

Mondays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Thursdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Fridays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays Closed

Please practice social distancing and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or with hand sanitizer after touching high-touch surfaces. You could also use a tissue between your skin and touchscreens, elevator buttons and doorknobs. Take care and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Coronavirus Updates

March 20, 2020 (7pm)

Dear LSU Health community,

Given the uncertainty of our status related to the COVID-19 outbreak in the coming months, and the plans and preparation families make for Commencement, we have decided to postpone the ceremony until sometime in the Fall. Graduates will receive their diplomas on schedule in May; we just can’t hold a large event. We will provide further information as we work out details.

We are putting a new schedule into effect for the Registrar’s, Financial Aid and Bursar’s offices, as well as our libraries, effective Monday, March 23, 2020.

The new hours for the Registrar’s, Financial Aid and Bursar’s offices will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Isché Library:

Mondays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Tuesdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Wednesdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Thursdays 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Fridays 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays Closed

Dental Library:

Mondays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Thursdays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Fridays 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays Closed

And finally, the State has implemented new measures concerning unemployment insurance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this special circumstance, those whose hours have been reduced due to COVID-19 or are unable to work remotely due to the nature of their positions, may be eligible for unemployment insurance. Transient, WAEs, and student workers or other staff who are otherwise not eligible for leave may apply for this unemployment insurance. Please note these considerations do not apply to employees who are working remotely, on paid leave, or continuing to be paid for a full 8-hour work day.

Please visit https://www.lsuhsc.edu/administration/hrm/covid-19-unemployment-insurance.aspx for more information.

To file a claim, please visit louisianaworks.net/hire or call the Louisiana Workforce Commission Claim Center at 866-783-5567.

Please know that the work you are doing to deliver or support health care has never been more vital. We are all in your debt.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Additional Measures

March 17, 2020 (2pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

As the coronavirus continues to spread in Louisiana, we are taking additional measures to protect your health and help flatten the curve. In collaboration with LSU President Galligan, we are hereby dramatically reducing the physical presence on campus. If at all possible, you should continue to work remotely. Be sure to submit the Work Remotely form.

At this time, our buildings will remain open, including the Residence Halls. Food service will continue on a take-out basis only. The Library will remain open for now, but patrons are reminded to practice social distancing – at least 6 feet apart -- and to wash or sanitize your hands after touching high-touch surfaces.

In the event that faculty members need to suspend their research due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they must adhere to the following protocol.

Notify your Dean’s office and the office of the VCAA of the planned start and stop dates.
Provide a list of all personnel (tech, postdocs and students) who will suspend work.
If animals are involved in the research, indicate the approved IACUC protocol number.

Only those who have absolutely essential duties will continue to work on campus, and they will practice social distancing and take other preventive measures.

Please take steps to keep you and your families safe during this unprecedented crisis. Thank you for all you do and for your dedication to the health of our city and state.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Updated Guidance Regarding LSUHSC-NO and COVID-19

March 17, 2020 (6pm)

Dear LSU Health New Orleans Faculty and Staff,

In response to recently revised directives from the Governor and the LSU President related to Coronavirus, we are revising our process and online submission form for requesting authorization to work remotely.

Note- If you have previously submitted a request to work remotely using the older version of the form, you must resubmit your request for approval using the new expanded form.

When requesting to work remotely:

Click on the link above (also on the LSUHSC-NO home page under the Coronavirus section) and complete all required information in the online form.
Be sure to correctly spell your supervisor’s LSU email address. Once the online form is completed, press submit.
The request will be sent via email to your supervisor and you will receive an email from Microsoft Flow confirming that the request has been sent.
When your supervisor receives the request they can approve or reject.
If approved, you will receive an email notice of the approval.
If rejected, you will receive that notice as well. Your supervisor will include a comment related to the reason for the rejection and may ask you to resubmit and revise days or times, etc. in the request. This will require you to submit a new request to work remotely incorporating those changes.

Thank you for bearing with us as we navigate this fluid situation and adapt our strategies to continue our critical missions while remaining sensitive to your current circumstances and protecting the health of our community.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

Updated Guidance Regarding LSUHSC-NO and COVID-19

March 16, 2020 (6pm)

As the cases of presumptive COVID-19 continue to increase across the region, LSU Health New Orleans is taking additional steps to reduce transmission of this viral pandemic. Effective immediately, we are transitioning to a modified work and learning environment to protect the health of our community while continuing to fulfill our critical mission of educating the healthcare workforce for Louisiana.

It is important to note that our campus is NOT closing but many of our regular operations will change.

Work from Home

Essential services will continue. Effective immediately, we are beginning to transition to a work-from-home model for as many employees as is practical. To ensure continuity of operations, supervisors in each division are required to implement plans for (1) remote work for employees who can work effectively from home and (2) modified work assignments for those who must remain on site. If you have clinical responsibilities, please follow the instructions of your Dean and/or healthcare facility.

Supervisors will monitor and communicate regularly with employees working remotely; those employees working on campus will practice social distancing and take other preventive measures. Supervisors and employees should contact the Office of Human Resource Management for guidance on all questions related to requesting leave.

Student Clinical Education

LSU Health New Orleans will remove students from clinical rotations and institute alternative approaches to learning, except where needed to support the local healthcare enterprise or to satisfy accreditation requirements. This strategy will remain in place for the next two weeks while we monitor the situation in our hospitals and clinics, allowing us time to devise clinical education plans for the remainder of the academic year. This strategy also will provide our clinical partners sufficient time to consider alternative modalities of care in which our students can safely participate. LSU Health New Orleans will remain in compliance with all accreditation requirements, and we are confident that this temporary measure will not negatively impact the education of our future graduates.

Student Remote Learning Education

As previously noted, student learning has already begun the transition to remote delivery wherever possible. LSU Health New Orleans will remain in compliance with all accreditation requirements, and we are confident that these temporary measures will not negatively impact the education of our students in our six Schools.

Student Services

Student residence halls and the library will remain open. The bursar’s and registrar’s offices will remain open with reduced hours. Food services will remain operational.

Travel Guidelines

All non-essential travel on university business is suspended. Personal travel should be seriously reconsidered, especially if planning to travel to a region that has been designated by the CDC as a high-risk area for COVID-19 contact. Prior to any personal travel, the online prior and return registration forms must be submitted. Based upon potential exposure, you may be required to self-isolate before returning to campus.

How to Protect Yourself

CDC guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html

· Clean your hands often

· Avoid close contact

· Cover coughs and sneezes

· Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly

· Stay home if you’re sick

Further updates will be provided as new information becomes available, and resources as well as forms and helpful information are posted here: https://911.lsuhsc.edu/coronavirus/ This guidance will be re-evaluated on or before April 13. Thank you for all you do to support LSU Health New Orleans and each other.

March 14, 2020

Dear LSU Health community,

The COVID-19 Work from Home Authorization Form referenced in yesterday’s message is now online, available here. It is to be used by employees who either have to self-isolate or must work from home temporarily due to childcare responsibilities while the K-12 schools are closed.

The form is the first step in a work-from-home arrangement. Supervisors will review requests and determine disposition. Approved requests will require a plan for work assigned by supervisors and regular written progress notes by employees working from home. If you have questions, please contact your supervisor or Human Resources.

We are a resilient people. Together, we have come through enormously challenging times, and together, we will come through this one, too.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier

Chancellor

March 13, 2020

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We wanted to share updated information regarding our response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Travel to areas with sustained local or widespread transmission

While the university has suspended all non-essential, work-related travel, since we cannot prohibit personal travel, we must take measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to our campus and community. Everyone who is traveling (including faculty, staff and students) must register on the Travel Registration website.

Anyone who travels to an area designated by CDC as experiencing sustained local or widespread transmission of the virus will undergo a mandatory minimum 14-day period of self-isolation and monitoring before being allowed to return to campus or participate in any university-sponsored activity anywhere else. Sick or annual leave must be taken for the absence. The areas currently in that category are China, Iran, most of Europe and South Korea, as well as three states in the US -- Washington, California and New York.

As the virus continues to spread, areas of transmission risk will change, and it is possible that your destination’s designation may change while you are there. We are monitoring daily. Those whose travel is to one of the transmission hotspots will be sent information and guidance prior to their return to campus.

While we strongly encourage you to reconsider non-essential personal travel at this time, CDC’s information for those traveling within the US, available here, may help you decide.

Self-Isolation

Those who are exhibiting symptoms and seeking medical treatment, and/or have been in direct contact with any individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 should report by telephone to their supervisor. As recommended by the CDC, the employee may be asked to self-isolate.

Students, staff and faculty should not come to campus when sick. Notify your supervisor or administrative leader by phone. In certain cases, an employee’s supervisor may determine that the employee is able to work from home.

This policy applies only to the university and campus. Those with clinical responsibilities should follow the directions of their health care facility.

Employees who care for minor children whose child care or school is temporarily closed:

It is not appropriate to bring children to the workplace in the event child care or schools are temporarily closed. Employees should make alternative arrangements for child care.
If the employee’s supervisor determines that the employee is able to work from home, a remote work agreement provided by HRM must be completed and maintained on file within the employee’s department. Department Heads will have flexibility to review and approve the request. HRM will be available to provide guidance if necessary.
When possible, employees may work with their department to arrange for an alternative work schedule. Classified and professional hourly employees must continue to maintain their weekly total hours to ensure correct pay. Alternative work schedules should be maintained in the department.
If the employee’s job duties cannot be performed remotely and the employee is unable to make other arrangements for child care, annual leave should be submitted. If the employee does not have annual leave, unpaid time off should be submitted. Employees on leave without pay (unpaid time off) will not be subject to disciplinary action due to these circumstances.

These policies apply only to the university and campus. Those with clinical responsibilities should follow the directions of their health care facility.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to protect the health of our campus and those we serve.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

March 12, 2020

Dear LSU Health New Orleans community,

We have been monitoring SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 since information about this novel virus and disease become known outside of China. To keep the LSU Health New Orleans community safe while carrying out our missions and contributing our expertise to the community, we have developed and updated our response since we implemented our first policy in January. I wanted to make you aware of some important changes in our response.

As the virus has spread overseas and in the U.S., all non-essential travel on university business is hereby suspended until further notice. We request that you seriously reconsider personal travel as well, but take steps to ascertain the level of virus activity occurring at your destination.

In the event that you elect to do personal travel, the State is requiring that you notify your supervisor before you travel. We also require you to provide information on our Travel Registration website, accessible here. You must complete Prior Travel Registration before you travel and Return Travel Registration upon your return. Travel will be evaluated, and where warranted, any special instructions to be followed prior to your return to campus will be communicated. Because the spread of the virus is so unpredictable, this applies to all travel, including personal trips, domestic and international.

While LSU Health New Orleans will remain open, we are suspending university-sponsored and on-campus large gatherings (30 people or more) until further notice. We will begin the transition to remote learning on Monday, March 16, 2020, until further notice. Deans’ offices will be providing more information about this.

Faculty and staff who are well and not under a self-isolation period are expected to report to work as usual. We will implement social-distancing practices and other preventive measures on campus. Please follow the instructions from your schools and administrative leadership. Contact your deans’ offices or supervisors regarding any special circumstances.

This is an evolving situation, and as our situation changes, we will provide updates to our policy and communicate them to you.

Please know how much we value your dedication to health and well-being and your contributions to our success. You have shown remarkable resilience throughout the many challenges we have faced, and this one will be no different. Together we will triumph over this one, too.

Sincerely,

Larry Hollier, MD

Chancellor

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