Update: Healthcare Working Group

Attendees: Gregg Kvistad, Corinne Lengsfeld, Chris Short, David Odell, Eric Chess, JB Holston, Jerron Lowe, Karen Riley, Karlton Creech, Lloyd Moore, Nancy Lorenzon, Stephanie O’Malley, Michael Talamentes, Sarah Watamura, Jeremy Haefner, Michelle Moreau, Michael LaFarr, Tiffany Vermillion, Paul Chan

Chancellor update: (Chancellor Haefner)

• Still would like to make significant announcement to community re: plan by July 15.
• This group’s work is so important in terms of how we can safely reopen our campus in the fall.
• We’ve received RFI responses from all five vendors.
• We’ve realized we should send RFI to CU Anschutz as well.
  • Chancellor sent RFI to President Kennedy and Chancellor Elliman at Anschutz. We should hear by early next week.
  • Partnership with CU Anschutz might open doors for DU to be part of research projects or serve as pilot test bed for some of CU’s new research.

Update from Tracing Subgroup: (Karen Riley)

• Group viewed several demonstrations, narrowed it down to 5 vendors to send RFI to.
• Asked for return date with proposal and pricing by July 1.
• Working group meets tomorrow. Plan to create matrix for how we’ll put information from RFI’s into parallel process to allow review of all proposals.
• Will have additional section for Ricks Center for Gifted Children and Fisher Early Learning Center, as most options don’t address youngest group.
• Plan to raise with faculty senate and other governance groups soon.
• Looking for input from faculty and students.

Communication plan to campus: (Gregg Kvistad)

• Minutes from all task forces are posted on Chancellor website.
• Interim Provost Lengsfeld will attend Faculty Senate meeting on Friday, June 26 to give updates on contact tracing and RFI process.
• Interim provost also suggested that she attend SAC, USG, and affinity groups in coming week to share updates and solicit input.
• Anyone is welcome to send feedback to provost@du.edu.
• Chancellor Haefner will update the Student Advisory Board that is meeting later this afternoon.
• We will use input from meetings to create FAQs.
• Reminder that a trusting relationship between analog contact tracers and community is important. Most higher ed institutions are utilizing students for contact tracing, which will help. 
• Reminder that local public health authority must authorize the institution's use of non-local public health employees for this activity. CU Boulder has worked that out with Boulder public health authority. We'd need to do the same with Denver public health authority.
• Students will be our best bet to help with enforcement, given that if cases worsen classes will happen online.

Athletics perspective: (Karlton Creech)

• Initial data from schools with football programs that have brought back students is not good.
  • LSU tested 115 (entire football team, 30 positive tests)
  • Clemson tested 100 (23% positive)

Reviewed Health Provider Rubric (JB Holston):

1. Strategic Advisory with DU
   1. Epidemiology
   2. Modeling
   3. Health and mental health care
   4. Experience with other employers/institutions
   5. Dedicated health provider staff
2. Testing
   1. Pre-return recommendation
      1. Testing
      2. Isolation
   2. Type(s) of test
      1. Initial
      2. Periodic
   3. Population tested
      1. Initial
      2. Periodic
   4. Maximum volume
      1. Initial
      2. Periodic
      3. Relationships with other vendors/labs
   5. Price per test
      1. Initial
      2. Periodic
   6. Turnaround time
      1. Initial
      2. Periodic
   7. Staff requirements
      1. Provider
      2. DU
3. Symptom Tracking
   1. Rubric
   2. App Dev
4. Case management & contact tracing
   1. Strategy
   2. Analog
   3. Digital
   4. Public health authority relationship
5. Health care support
   1. Virtual
   2. In-person
6. Communication plan
7. On-campus vaccination
8. Overall cost
9. Future institutional relationship

Summary/Next Steps:

• Group needs to work with providers to ensure maximum flexibility, so we can build on existing processes that are working well on campus.
• Will negotiate modular pricing to ensure we aren’t charged for what we don’t need.
• DU is ahead of many institutions, so many of the RFI’s and contact-tracing proposals start at a more rudimentary level. We have many processes already in play.
• Chris Short: most of the vendors have based their pricing on how much of a commitment we’re willing to make. We have some flexibility there. Least amount of time is 12 months, but we could likely negotiate something shorter. If what they have doesn’t work, we may be able to adjust quickly.
• Ensure there isn’t any confusion about clinic competing with Health & Counseling Center. HCC sees only students – partnership clinic would address faculty and staff.
• Contact tracing allows us to be quickly responsive to address spread. In early days, it took over a week to get results, which was problematic.
• DU is already handling well areas such as cleaning facilities, symptom tracking, full training coming on line for everyone returning to campus, clear signage.
• Group will continue to meet through end of July.

Meeting adjourned 3:30 p.m.