COVID-19 & the CU Anschutz Community

April 17, 2020

While stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures are absolutely essential to slowing the spread of the coronavirus, they also have many of us feeling isolated. Connectedness and community are vitally important, and our strong network of support will help us weather this storm together. Please make use of mental health and wellness resources available, many of which are linked below, and do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Our campus community is here for you. We will get through this together.

New Mental Health Series

With dealing with the many facets of COVID-19 is leading to increases in depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders, some are forecasting a “second surge” of this pandemic related to mental health. Neill Epperson, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry, will soon launch a series on what we might expect from a psychiatric point of view as this pandemic progresses. The department’s COVID-19 Support website contains resources, tools, free support groups and more. Additional mental health resources are linked below.

Summer Courses & Events

As we look to the coming months, our schools and college are assessing which critical functions may require on-campus activity. At this time, students should plan to continue remote learning through the summer months; those with clinicals or other in-person course requirements will be notified of alternative plans by their respective school or college. For the safety and health of our community, all university-sponsored in-person events and official functions are suspended through at least the end of August, including on- and off-campus activities and gatherings. As we plan for the future, we must prioritize resources and space for critical operations in our mission areas. Questions about CU Anschutz events may be directed to events@cuanschutz.edu. 

Emergency Child Care for Essential Workers

Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative offers emergency child care for healthcare providers and staff, human services providers, public safety employees, staff supporting critically at-risk populations, and other members of the state’s emergency workforce. Visit www.covidchildcarecolorado.com to apply.

COVID-19 Research Funding Website

The Office of Research Development and Education has developed a new website consolidating known funding opportunities related to COVID-19, which is updated daily. Contact lynette.michael@ucdenver.edu with questions or additional funding sources.

Colorado School of Public Health COVID-19 Webinar

On April 13, the Colorado School of Public Health hosted “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Colorado: Epidemiology in Action.” Elizabeth Carlton, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, and Rachel Herlihy, MD, MPH, communicable diseases branch chief and state epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, joined ColoradoSPH Dean Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, in a discussion of the role that epidemiology is playing in informing policy to mitigate the outbreak. More than 1,200 people attended the session, and the discussion is available online. 

COVID-19 Panel Discussion for CU Supporters

This morning, Chancellor Elliman moderated a panel event for CU supporters titled “A Conversation on COVID-19 with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.” John J. Reilly, Jr., MD, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, highlighted our clinical response; Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, discussed modeling efforts informing the state’s policy response; Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor of research, gave an overview of our research landscape; and Michelle Barron, MD, professor of infectious diseases, shared insights on pandemics, infectious diseases and efforts to continue to flatten the curve. The discussion is available online.

Support & Gratitude 

Many supporters have shown tremendous generosity and a willingness to help during these trying times. Here are some of the ways to support our campus community.