COVID Archive — Page 31 of 35

A masked valet attendant in a red shirt and purple gloves uses a handheld thermometer to screen an employee wearing a patterned yellow top outdoors.
April 17, 2020

Cross-training of employees crucial to VUMC virus efforts

In late March, in preparation for a patient surge and employee absenteeism due to COVID-19, the emergency command center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center asked for a system-wide labor pool to be set up to allow quick and agile redeployment of people and expertise across the institution.

By Paul Govern
Student working from home at a desk, writing in a notebook beside an open laptop displaying a video call. A Vanderbilt University pennant and desk lamp are visible in the room.
April 17, 2020

School of Medicine quickly designs new teaching strategies

COVID-19 — and the mandate for social distancing to curb its spread — has meant rethinking how nearly 400 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine students will master the clinical and didactic skills they need to stay on course.

By Kathy Whitney
Portrait of Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, wearing glasses, a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie.
April 17, 2020

Dr. Jeff Balser on flattening the curve and remaining prepared

Let me start by expressing my gratitude for the way you have supported one another and have risen to the challenge posed by Covid-19. Your courage, flexibility and hard work are having a tremendous impact. 

Cartoon panels showing a smiling girl waving, decorated maracas, a laughing child, an adult comforting a child, and a person waving.
April 16, 2020

At home with children? Have fun and get creative with this music toolkit.

“Musical activities can also support one of the most critical social relationships: that between a parent and child.”

By Kelsey Herbers
A VUMC study found that following up with patients within the week after their hospital discharge as a stand-alone intervention has no impact on readmissions, mortality or patient satisfaction.
April 16, 2020

VUMC’s hotline surpasses 20,000-call milestone

In early March Vanderbilt University Medical Center established a telephone hotline for its patients and employees concerned that they could be ill with COVID-19. The hotline has since received more than 20,000 calls.

By Nancy Humphrey
Café dining area with widely spaced tables, a mostly empty foreground, and yellow caution tape blocking off seating near the counter; several patrons sit in the background.
April 16, 2020

Food Services makes adjustments as part of virus response

Stop by the Courtyard Café at Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and you’ll see that COVID-19 has wrought some obvious changes.

By Paul Govern