This is a message sent on behalf of Lynn Wilson, Acting Vice-Provost Relations with Health Care Institutions. Please disseminate this message to any faculty or staff members who you think would find it helpful.
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are all coping well and staying safe. I wanted to take an opportunity to remind you about previous communications, and to provide some new information.
Previously:
All unpaid learners (including pre-licensure learners and registered healthcare professionals) were suspended from undertaking clinical placements at our affiliated TAHSN hospitals. Programs and divisions were strongly urged to do the same at other clinical and community sites.
Graduate students who were doing their research at TAHSN hospitals were permitted to continue with their research projects if their research was deemed “essential research” [*] (and the student agreed, along with the departmental graduate coordinator or department chair).
Graduate students who were NOT doing such research would NOT be permitted on site at TAHSN hospitals and were encouraged to consider work-from-home arrangements.
New information:
The above restrictions on clinical practicums will remain in place until July 6th 2020.
The above restrictions on graduate students performing research in TAHSN hospitals also apply to students carrying out research at other off-campus sites (e.g., community organizations).
In very special circumstances, arrangements may be made for virtual placements at the discretion of the program director and host institution(s).
If you have graduate students engaged in research that has been approved as “essential”, the graduate coordinator must confirm that appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is available to them.
Programs and divisions must maintain a list of any graduate students participating in off-campus research that has been approved as “essential”.
The University has cancelled most student activities outside of Canada until Aug/14/2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
[*] Please note that “essential research” refers to projects that have been specifically approved as such by the hospitals or University.
Research is not deemed essential only by virtue of it occurring at sites that are considered “essential service providers.”
Lynn Wilson MD, CCFP, FCFP Vice Dean, Partnerships, Faculty of Medicine Acting Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions Professor, Family and Community Medicine
