The Wasson Center for Clinical Skills Training, Assessment, Scholarship and Interprofessional Educational Services remains operational, under enhanced safety guidelines outlined Thursday, March 12, by Holly Gerzina, Ph.D., senior executive director of interprofessional education services and simulation.
NEOMED faculty and curriculum coordinators make decisions regarding course delivery, specifically activities that are scheduled in the Wasson Center. Students should contact the course director and curriculum coordinator for the most up-to-date information and decisions involving course sessions, schedules and the student’s responsibility to report.
The Wasson Center is following published guidelines and recommendations in order to maximize public safety. To this end, we have been working closely with faculty and course directors regarding scheduled activities. Additionally, we are following policies and procedures consistent with NEOMED, the CDC, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Inter-University Council to safeguard students, standardized/simulated patients, faculty, external clients, and staff.
Specifically, the Wasson Center screens all participants including standardized/simulated patients (SPs), learners, and faculty in accordance with the following guidelines.
- Anyone returning from international travel within the past 14 days will not be permitted to participate in Wasson Center-based activities.
- Anyone having contact with a person with confirmed lab test of COVID-19 is not permitted to participate in Wasson Center-based activities.
- Anyone under active monitoring or observation by a local, state, or federal public health agency due to risk of SARS-CoV2 that causes the disease COVID-19 is not permitted to participate in Wasson Center-based activities.
- No more than 20 persons will be permitted for teaching and assessment purposes in the Wasson Center, and areas that are in use must allow for social distancing from others (up to 6 feet).
- If Wasson Center personnel identify any person experiencing signs and symptoms (fever, cough, and shortness of breath), such persons are not permitted to participate in Wasson Center-based activities and are instructed to contact his/her health care provider and/or local health department.
For faculty who decide to proceed with Wasson-based activities, the following additional precautions have been implemented consistent with current best practice:
- Purell® is available at all exam stations (student corridor/SP exam room/rater corridor) and workstations. Clorox® wipes are also available throughout the Wasson Center. Proctors are wiping down keyboards, mice, and door handles in the student corridor between student encounters.
- We are instructing both learners and SPs to forgo handshakes.
- We are instructing SPs to prompt students to wash/disinfect hands and stethoscopes and may request this be repeated anytime there is a concern that proper procedure was not followed, or hygiene is compromised by coughing, sneezing, or touching faces.
- All surfaces/equipment in the Center including exam rooms/equipment/furniture, hallways, conference rooms, phones, computers, faucets, and door handles are cleaned at the beginning and end of each day and repeated during day between exams by SPs, staff, and proctors.
Brief posters of precautions and guidelines reiterating the information stated above are posted throughout the Wasson Center. Additionally, simulation center personnel provide verbal instructions at each orientation to student groups, SP groups, and faculty groups and are available to field and respond to any questions and provide the most up-to-date communicated information.