Skip to content

Other ways to search: Events Calendar | UTHSC News

UTHSC COVID-19 Update: Shelter in Place

March 23, 2020

Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Mayor Strickland has issued a 'safer at home' executive order that requires Memphis residents to stay home unless they are deemed as having an essential job or they need essential supplies. This order goes into effect tomorrow, March 24, at 6:00 pm.

The University is still open for business, but our goal is to minimize the number of employees physically in the office to create a safer work environment.

Effective immediately, all employees, other than those who have been designated as essential employees, should, at the direction of their supervisor, begin telecommuting if they have not already done so. Essential employees are designated as those essential for the continued operations of the university, and include:

  • Campus Police and security officers
  • Critical facilities staff (as directed by Dr. Brown's Office)
  • Clinical activities conducted with our partner practice plans and hospitals
  • Research laboratories are expected to convert to essential personnel as needed to maintain lab function
  • Clinical research patients will be continue to be supported
  • Core research facilities, such as support for experimental animals and vivariums, under the guidance of the Office of Research
  • Regional Biocontainment Laboratory where COVID-19 research is underway, as well as key services needed to support this entire mission, under guidance from the Office of Research
  • The Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery Solutions where critical agents are being produced for the COVID-19 effort
  • Dental emergency clinic and the Dental Core 3D printing facility which is manufacturing protective gear for health professionals


Students on clinical activities remain under the directives of the partner institution where they are doing their clinical rotation, as well as under guidance from their respective colleges.

Research laboratories should use the previous communication from the Office of Research to guide the steps needed to preserve the lab during this shelter in place directive.

As we have put out several announcements over the past few weeks regarding the frequent changes to campus resulting from the COVID-19 threat, we have created an online resource for our campus at uthsc.edu/coronavirus/campus-updates. This web page provides a timeline and link to the numerous campus announcements, as well as the system-wide announcements. There is also a link for the Academic Continuity During Prolonged Closures website and the ITS Resources for Telecommuting and Remote Work web page.
 
We understand these can be challenging times. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance:


For more information and resources on COVID-19, please visit uthsc.edu/coronavirus.

I am very appreciative for all that you are doing for UTHSC! Thank you.


Steve J. Schwab, MD
Chancellor

Sep 9, 2024