April 3, 2020
The latest news and updates from Interim Dean Robert L. Johnson!
EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING: Take Time for Yourself
Confidential Resources for Managing Stress
As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise, we will all face more difficult stresses and decisions. We want to be sure that everyone is aware of the availability of individualized support.  
 
While there are many guidelines, webinars and podcasts available for general stress reduction, many will feel the need for individual support.
Matthew Menza, MD , chair, Department of Psychiatry, has compiled a list of resources for individualized attention available to  Robert Wood Johnson Medical School  and RWJBarnabas staff, faculty and trainees for addressing the stress of COVID-19. 
 
These are live and online services available 24 hours a day in which one can talk directly to a counselor.  
 
We hope that as many people as possible will avail themselves of these resources during this stressful time.
 
Taking care of ourselves is the first step in taking care of others including our families and patients.
NEW Forum Helps Faculty and Staff Stay Socially Connected
Sometimes the best medicine is knowing that you are not alone.

We really are 'all in this together.'

To that end, there is a new Facebook forum that faculty and staff can visit to share or just learn how our community is managing during these challenging times. For example,

  • Share recipes
  • Tips for exercising at home
  • Balancing child care while working from home
  • Physical distancing while maintaining social connections

or any other topic that you would like to discuss! This private group can be viewed here. You must have a Facebook account to access.
Dr. Joseph Hanna Turns to Hobby for PPE Solutions
When Joseph S. Hanna, MD, PhD , assistant professor of surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, purchased his first CR-10 3D printer roughly four years ago, he never imagined he would one day be using the hobby he loves to have an impact in his chosen profession.

As a 3D printing enthusiast—a hobby he shares with his oldest daughter, they have used their CR-10s—he now owns two—to craft glowing light sabers, chess sets and “more practical” items, such as a replacement part for his family’s espresso machine.

But when Dr. Hanna saw a post online by Josef Prusa, a Czech inventor and one of the giants in the 3D printing industry, relating how he had developed a series of prototypes to create a design for face shields, he knew that this hobby could serve a bigger purpose.

According to Dr. Hanna, "If even 1,000 of the hobbyists in New Jersey and the surrounding area could print 10 face shields, that’s an additional 10,000 shields we’d have for the health care providers who need them.”

Learn more about Dr. Hanna's contributions here .
TEAMWORK: Giving Back Within Our Community
Medical School Donates iPads to Assist with Telehealth
In another demonstration of how our community continues to help one another during this public health crisis; residents, medical school leadership and the Office of Information Technology have joined forces to expand our telemedicine reach.

As a result, 30 iPads were distributed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in an effort to help residents triage and treat patients while respecting social distancing guidelines.

The idea to contact the medical school for assistance was born from members of the newly formed Resident COVID Task Force. A major component of the task force initiative is to maintain both physician and patient safety during this time of uncertainty.

Remy Friedman , MD , MBA , resident internist, Division of General Internal Medicine, helped galvanize the task force and submitted the request. " Our goal is to have three-way conferencing with the patient and their loved ones. The more we have, lessens the need to move tablets between rooms. That will limit the spread of the virus and the amount of cleaning necessary, " noted Dr. Friedman.

The iPads were re-purposed from medical students when they returned the full size iPad and switched over to an iPad mini for their third and fourth clinical years of medical school.

Maged Mohamed , director of the Office of Information Technology, approved the request and Miranda Esposito , program manager, prepped the tablets and had them ready for pick-up within 24 hours. Miranda humbly said, " I was just happy that I could actually DO something to directly help and it gave me pride that our team was able to provide that help."

Thank you to everyone who helped coordinate this so quickly!
Medical School Receives Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Thank you to the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at Rutgers Camden for donating more than 1,300 pieces of personal protection equipment (PPE) to the medical school this week.

N-95 masks, PPE masks, surgical gowns, safety glasses, gloves and goggles were just some of the items included.

An additional thank you to the University Facilities teams at Camden and New Brunswick who arranged for the delivery of these supplies.  Mike Fitzgerald , associate director of facilities in Camden and Chris Pepsin , physical plant director in New Brunswick, worked together to send trucks to meet at a halfway point in Bordentown to conduct the transfer. The supplies were then delivered to the clinical departments in New Brunswick to sort and distribute to our workers on the front line.

Kudos to both teams! Your combined efforts got these supplies in the hands of those who need them most.
How You Can Help during the COVID-19 Crisis


Are you or your team organizing activities to help support the COVID-19 response? The Communications and Public Affairs team is here to help you spread the message. Email Jillian Prior information that you would like distributed to our community.
Urgent Need for Blood Donations
Due to social distancing and the state wide quarantine, many blood drives are being canceled throughout New jersey. The Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration and American Association of Blood Banks, all encourage donors to step up in the days and weeks ahead. You must make an appointment as most centers are not taking walk-ins.

Contact information to assist is listed here.

Please visit   https://www.rwjuhdonorclub.org/   to schedule your next blood donation.

The Red Cross requests that donors   make appointments through their website

If you live in New York, you can contact The New York Blood Centers at 800-933-2566 or visit their website
Participate in a Coronavirus Study
If you are worried that you or a family member may contract COVID-19 or if you would like to be of service during this global emergency, consider taking part in an important and timely research study.
 
Researchers at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences are studying the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people who work at Rutgers and affiliated hospitals. The knowledge gained from this study will help us understand how to reduce the spread of COVID-19, particularly among health care workers.   
 
If you have already tested positive for the novel coronavirus or been diagnosed with COVID-19, you will not be eligible to take part.
 
This study will include:
  • Questionnaires about yourself, your health and your health behaviors
  • Nasal/throat swabs and blood-work obtained over several months
  • Recording your temperature and symptoms over time
 
For more information about this study, to see if you are eligible and to sign up, please click   here , or on one of the links below.
 
How Students Can Help by Supporting Health Care Workers


Fill out RWJMS Students for COVID-19 Response if you are interested in supporting clinical faculty and staff with tasks such as pet care, grocery shopping, virtual homework help and more.
COVID-19 Alerts and Information
Stay informed on the latest information and updates regarding COVID-19 at the medical school and Rutgers community:


Thank you for all that you are doing now, and always, for our patients, for our students, and to support each other during this crisis.
Contribute to the Rutgers COVID-19 Response Fund
Many of you have asked how you can assist in our efforts. Thank you. If you have the means, please contribute to the  Rutgers COVID-19 Response Fund.
Donate PPE
If you have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to donate, email NJCOVIDDonations@gmail.com. Our medical school students have organized this drive to respond to the PPE shortage.
thank you sign
Like health care providers nationwide, Rutgers is badly in need of key medical supplies, especially personal protective devices to protect our people as they provide treatment. And rarely has our research been more important. Dollars to support these areas of research are urgently needed and can’t arrive fast enough. Your support will allow our scientists, physicians, nurses and medical students to continue responding heroically to the spread of COVID-19.
 
Philanthropy has been an essential element of our success to date. Thanks to steadfast support and generosity over the years, we are well-positioned to lead. Gifts to support our research, education and clinical care mission have allowed us to respond rapidly and effectively during this crisis. Our faculty are hard at work teaching our students (now primarily through remote instruction), treating those who suffer from the disease and developing new approaches to diagnose and treat it. All of us at Rutgers thank you and stand with you during this time. 
 
Thank you for  coming together  to help us fight this pandemic. Please know that we are here to support you. Please stay safe and be well.
 
Social Media Post of the Week

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In the News
Demand on health care system increases with COVID-19 surge -- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School -- njbiz.com

Rutgers Acute Care Surgeon Turns to Hobby for PPE Solutions -- Joseph S. Hanna, MD, PhD -- njbiz.com

Health Care Power 50 I-z -- Interim Dean, Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP -- njbiz.com

What coronavirus symptoms do kids experience? Doctors share new information -- Patricia Whitley-Williams, MD, FAAP -- The Today Show

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy by Telephone Benefits People With Parkinson’s -- Roseanne D. Dobkin, PhD -- medindia.net, brightsurf.com, medicalxpress.com, eurekalert.org, ajmc.com, sciencecodex.com, doctorslounge.com, physiciansbriefing.com and futurity.org


Rutgers launches genetic testing service for new coronavirus -- Jay A. Tischfield, PhD mycentraljersey.com, nbcnewyork.com, eurekalert.org, 7thspace.com, newsmedical.net, njbiz.com, patch.com, phillyvoice.com, njtvonline.org,

Coronavirus treatment: Wisconsin genetic sequence research offers hope -- Arnold Rabson, MD -- milwaukeejournalsentinel.com

The coronavirus plight of Central Jersey doctors and nurses -- Sheraz U. Siddiqui, MD , and Ronald Nahass, MD -- mycentraljersey.com

Scientists: The lockdown will save lives -- Martin J. Blaser, MD -- Times Trenton-NJ

Rutgers to expedite graduation of medical students -- Interim Dean, Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP -- njbiz.com
Dept. of Communications and Public Affairs | Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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