June 29, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Next week, our VM4 students will return to the College of Veterinary Medicine campus to continue their DVM training. Faculty and staff have been diligently working to create guidelines and protocols necessary to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in our community. These protocols are based on guidelines from the CDC, Iowa Department of Public Health, and ISU as well as our knowledge as medical professionals. Our students will learn more about these later this week via town halls and training modules they must complete prior to returning.
I want to stress how important it is for us to follow the guidelines and protocols that have been established. While we have only had one confirmed case in the college, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Story County and Ames has increased significantly in the past month. If cases increase in our CVM community, we may need to take actions that could further impact their clinical training program and college operations. For the hospital to remain open and provide the training they need, we must stay diligent and follow the guidelines outlined.
Additionally, it is imperative that all of us, as medical professionals, follow the CDC guidelines when outside of the college. These include physical distancing, wearing a face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained, frequent hand washing, and staying home if you feel ill. Again, this is important to reduce the risk to the CVM community, but just as importantly, to slow down transmission in our local communities. As members of a medical community, we need to continue to lead efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Thank you and continue to stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dan Grooms, DVM, PhD
Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine