Dear RVU Community,
At Rocky Vista University, the safety and well-being of our students and employees are our top priority. The Medical Response Team (MRT) was created to address the safety, well-being, and health of our community in response to public health concerns. The MRT is made up of university leaders and students who meet regularly to develop policies and, if necessary, procedures to address public health concerns of significance to the RVU community. All decisions are informed by the team's guiding principles, state, local, and federal healthcare guidelines, and public health data.
The CDC updated the COVID-19 isolation guidelines on March 1, 2024. This updated guidance is intended for community settings. There are no changes to respiratory virus guidance for healthcare settings.
Based on the review of the updated CDC COVID-19 guidelines, the MRT recommends the following guidelines for respiratory infectious illnesses.
Employees and students without clinical responsibilities
- Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and headache.
- You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher), without the use of fever reducing medicine.
- When you go back to normal activities, you should wear a well-fitting mask for 5 days.
- Students who believe they are too ill to come to campus should follow their standard program procedures for seeking an excused absence from mandatory events.
- Employees who believe they are too ill to come to campus or to work should follow standard employee procedures for seeking sick leave.
Employees and students with clinical responsibilities
- All employees & students who serve as Healthcare Personnel (HCP), should stay home if they are sick. Those who present with fever as a major symptom should stay home at least 24 hours after their fever (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) is gone, without the use of fever reducing medicine. Employees should notify their immediate supervisor and work carefully to determine further steps. Students should notify their appropriate program director or clinical coordinator and follow their guidance. Students on clinical rotation should also contact their preceptor or the preceptor’s designee.
- Due to the variability with infection prevention control in healthcare facilities, student HCPs in clinical rotations should follow the guidance of their preceptor or site administrator to comply with individual hospital/clinic recommendations.
- In general, asymptomatic HCPs who have had a higher-risk exposure do not require work restrictions if they do not develop symptoms.
- If an HCP tests positive for COVID or Influenza, CDC recommends isolation for at least five days for COVID or Influenza. Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive. After this isolation period, and you are fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medicine, you may return to campus and wear a well-fitting mask until day 10.
It is not necessary to contact the MRT if you are sick or test positive for COVID or Influenza but if you have questions, you may contact Dr. Mark Lee at mlee@rvu.edu or Kristine Jenkins at kjenkins@rvu.edu.
CDC Reference Links
The RVU Medical Response Team
Chairs
Mark Lee, MD Co-Chair – Assistant Dean of Clinical Education and Graduate Medical Education
Kristine Jenkins, MPA Co-Chair – Senior Director of Campus Operations
Medical Officers
Dan Chappell, DO – Assistant Dean of Clinical Education Resources
Steve Harmon, DO – Clinical Director
Mark Wardle, DO – Vice Chair, Primary Care Department
Louis Musso, DO - Assistant Professor of Surgery
Members
David McCoy, PhD – Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Advising
Kelly Schroeder – Manager, Campus Safety and Security
Kristin Shute - Manager, Human Resources
Breigh Feniello – Executive Administrative Assistant, UT Campus Dean & Sr. Director of Campus Operations
Carrie Chanos, PA-C – Assistant Professor PA Studies
Student Representatives
Austin Allen – Montana, SGA Representative
Porter Taylor – Utah, SGA Representative
Foram Patel – Colorado, SGA Representative
