MESSAGE FROM SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN

Congratulations to all the faculty and staff highlighted in this issue of Heartbeats! It is exciting to read about all the innovative training, diversity and wellness initiatives, research and scholarly works, and accolades. A takeaway is that not even a pandemic can slow down our Health Sciences teams, and that you continue to find creative ways to teach, serve, and advance science. We find ourselves in an important time for a number of reasons. First, we are less than a week away from Election Day. If you have not voted already, I encourage you to exercise your civic voice and vote. Second, we are heading into flu season, and GW Colonial Health is encouraging everyone to get a flu shot before the end of October. Remember that it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies after the  influenza vaccine. You can receive your flu shot from GW, your health care provider, or a variety of pharmacies around the area. Visit GW Occupational Health for more details and reporting requirements. GW also had a recent visit from the chief advisor for the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine development initiative, “Operation Warp Speed.” GW is one of about 100 sites conducting NIH-funded efficacy trials for a COVID-19 vaccine, and we have been instrumental in recruiting diverse participants, including individuals from underrepresented populations and those with high-risk comorbidities. I am inspired by the many Health Sciences volunteers (including our students) who are assisting with the COVID-19 vaccine trial and those helping to distribute free influenza vaccines to underserved communities across the District.

As a final note, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted HS enrollment and created barriers to our clinical research efforts. I am pleased to see clinical research efforts now resuming, and thanks to our faculty advisory team who developed thoughtful safety guidance and protocols to ensure we resume research with the highest commitment to the health and safety of our teams, participants, and the public. Regarding enrollment, many HS academic programs have met or exceeded enrollment goals. Unfortunately, some have seen lower than expected enrollment in some online programs, increases in deferrals, and a substantial drop in courses taken by GW undergraduates, who are typically on campus. The HS leadership team and department chairs have worked together over the last couple of weeks to address these challenges, formulate remediation strategies within HS and with our external marketing and recruitment partner, and perform budget reconciliation efforts.  While we will need to pay particular attention to completing this academic year with a commitment to fiscal austerity, we have executed a plan to meet our budget obligations without adverse personnel actions like furloughs or layoffs.

Let me end by encouraging each of you to take time for self-care and remain vigilant with masking, physical distancing, and handwashing as the cold weather, flu season, and holiday season nears. I also want to share another “thank you” for all that you are doing to support our students and each other, while advancing the core missions of HS and the school.

--Reamer L. Bushardt