Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, said Tuesday at his monthly virtual town hall forum that during this pandemic he has found himself writing more handwritten thank-you notes than he ever has. It’s a way of alleviating others’ stress in a difficult time. And his own.
It makes him feel better, “Trying to find tiny little ways to make other people feel better.”
He urged the UNMC audience to think in terms of “having grace, demonstrating kindness and paying it forward.”
Dr. Gold is very optimistic: “It’s an incredible source of pride for me to be in company of individuals here at the med center who are changing the world on a daily basis,” he said.
“We continue to move ahead at just an amazing pace here at the med center.”
Meetings with federal officials about Project NExT look promising. Exciting construction projects are on time and under budget. A new agreement with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center to continue the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) Center of Excellence will have lasting impact.
But we are all dealing with all that is going on in the world.
“We continue to be really challenged in Nebraska,” by COVID-19, said Dr. Gold.
UNMC’s campuses are among the safest places in their communities, and the med center is working to maintain its hard-won renewed normalcy, to stay open. Campus transmission is extremely low.
But in the community, numbers are “quite high,” Dr. Gold said.
Dr. Gold said usage of the 1-Check UNMC app this week increased by five times over previous weeks. Such app usage, “Has shown in other countries that it can help to control very significantly transmission of disease,” Dr. Gold said.
UNMC must set the example on public health measures. “Not just when we are on campus,” the chancellor said. “When we are commuting, when we are at the grocery store, pharmacy, church, etc.”
The biggest risk, in terms of community transmission, is social gatherings, the chancellor said. When asked about holidays, he noted sadly that his extended family won’t be gathering in person this year.
“For my family, Thanksgiving is one of the real holidays we have celebrated together. Always.
“And it’s really, really tough.”
So, look after one another. Destigmatize the conversation about stress and concerns. Extend grace.
“Think about little things that will make a big difference to others,” Dr. Gold said.
Also at the town hall:
- Dr. Gold offered “thanks, gratitude and congratulations” to the IT department for its work following the recent cyber incident. Michael Ash, MD, UNMC’s vice chancellor for information and technology, reported that more than 75 percent of systems are recovered across the combined enterprise. “We appreciate peoples’ patience,” Dr. Ash said. Go here or email IT for more information on systems impacted by the malware event.
- Dr. Gold is excited about his upcoming new role as executive vice president and provost of the University of Nebraska system in addition to his duties as UNMC chancellor. It will be bittersweet to step aside as UNO chancellor, but he knows those relationships will remain. The university is committed to recruiting a “rock star” for the UNO chancellor position. More to come on UNMC/UNO dual roles.
- Just under 1,000 viewers witnessed the virtual ribbon-cutting for the Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center. All construction projects remain on time and on budget. Dr. Gold and others continue to work hard on sealing the federal partnership for Project NExT, with an eye toward breaking ground a year or so from now.
- Finally, and always: “Mask up, Nebraska,” the chancellor said.