COVID-19 Information
As a member of the MGH Institute Health Professions community, you Commit to do your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in all aspects of your life – personal, professional, and societal. We Commit to wearing a mask, following hygiene protocols, and social distancing.
Over the last 18 months, we’ve made decisions based on the science and guidance provided by MGB and city, state and federal (CDC) agencies. Using the Commit @IHP model, our community has remained safe during the pandemic. We’ve seen only a handful of COVID cases among the members of our community and no instances of community spread.
COVID-19 Information
The Components of Commit @ IHP
- Wear a mask [1]
- Follow hand hygiene/disinfectant protocols [2]
- Follow social distancing recommendations [3]
- Comply with MA travel restrictions [4]
- In public, wear your personal mask.
- On campus, the Institute will provide a daily mask and other personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed.
- At clinical education placements, either the site or the Institute will provide you with the required PPE.
- Hand hygiene has been proven to slow the spread of COVID-19.
- Please follow hand hygiene protocols at home, on campus, and when you are in public settings.
- Adhere to the state’s social distancing guidelines [5].
- Respect maximum assembly sizes as designated in specific locations.
- Restrict travel and social situations which are not consistent with these guidelines.
- Public health travel regulations change frequently. It is the responsibility of the student to review and apply the restrictions accordingly. For ease of reference, use guidance on the Massachusetts travel advisory [6].
- Per the CDC, people who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States. You do not need to get tested or self-quarantine if you are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months. You should still follow all other travel recommendations, including adhering to all social distancing, hand hygiene, and mask protocols.
Vaccinations
Students
All Institute students in academic programs scheduled to be on campus this Fall were required to submit their proof of COVID-19 vaccination into their Complio account by September 1, 2021. For guidance on how to populate your Complio account, visit the IHP’s Immunization and Certification page [7]. This requirement may expand to additional groups dependent upon updated guidance from Mass General Brigham.
Students in need of a COVID-19 vaccine can utilize:
- MGB COVID Pass: After completing a daily asymptomatic attestation survey through COVID Pass [8], students can proceed with scheduling their vaccination appointment at an MGB affiliated location.
- Mass.gov: Students can use the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Finder [9] to find a convenient vaccination location.
Noncompliant students will:
- Lose access to D2L (learning management system),
- Not be able to participate in clinical placements, and
- Not be able to attend class on campus.
Faculty/Staff
Vaccines will be required of all employees by October 15, unless you have a religious or medical exemption. If you have questions about the vaccine or want to discuss your vaccine concerns, MGB has developed guidance to help answer questions [10]. To meet the October 15 deadline for Pfizer and Moderna, staff need to receive their first dose of Moderna no later than September 16 and their first dose of Pfizer no later than September 23. The Johnson & Johnson is a single dose vaccine and must be received and documented by October 15.
Employees who do not receive the vaccine by October 15 are subject to corrective action, up to and including termination.
Whether you were vaccinated at a Mass General Brigham site or elsewhere, you must complete this survey [11] with an attestation or documentation. All new hires must receive vaccination clearance to work from MGH Occupational Health beginning on September 13, which includes validation of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Exemption Request Process
If you are a student seeking an exemption for medical or religious reasons for the COVID-19 vaccine, the deadline for the Fall semester was September 1, 2021.
Testing and Health
Be honest with yourself. If you have symptoms, get tested. Regardless of your vaccination status, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and get tested. Using COVID Pass, you can access testing for any reason [14]. Testing is free of charge and there are many locations available to you. If you develop symptoms, infection with COVID-19, or an exposure, follow the Return to Work For Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic Policy [15]on Pulse.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must refrain from coming to campus and should contact MGH Occupational Health Services (617-726-2217; when prompted, students should press option 3) for assessment, testing (if appropriate), and guidance on return to campus.
Students: What to Do if You've Been Exposed to COVID-19
Faculty/Staff: What to Do if You've Been Exposed to COVID-19
Arriving to Campus
Starting on the first day of the Fall Semester, the IHP is using a streamlined campus entry process for faculty, staff, and students.
- All members of the IHP Community are required to complete daily asymptomatic attestation through COVID Pass [22].
- Members of the IHP Community will no longer need to show proof of their daily COVID Pass [22] clearance in order to enter the building.
- Ensuring Compliance:
- Faculty and staff logging into their MGB-issued computers will be prompted to complete their COVID Pass [22] if they have not already done so.
- Students will be part of a weekly compliance audit. Students who were scheduled to be on campus for the previous week but did not complete their COVID Pass [22] attestation will receive a notification. Additionally, their academic program will be notified of their noncompliance.
All Visitors to Campus must check in at one of the security desks where they will complete an attestation form.
While on Campus
All individuals on the IHP’s campus must wear an IHP-issued face mask upon entry to all IHP buildings and when in all public/common spaces and all clinical locations. “Clinical locations” at the IHP includes the IMPACT Practice Center, Skills Labs, Simulation Labs, and research areas. Mask dispensers are located in all buildings.
On-premises, face masks can be removed when you are in:
- Private offices when working alone
- Shared offices if ≥ 6 feet distance can be maintained between all occupants
- Exception: fully vaccinated employees who are immunocompromised, at increased risk for severe disease or who have a household member who is immunocompromised, at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated (See Massachusetts Mask Advisory here).
- Indoor locations where eating and drinking are specifically permitted (i.e., private offices, work rooms, breakrooms, cafeterias, conference rooms)
- Individuals must distance by ≥ 6 feet while unmasked to eat or drink.
- Eating areas for students are located across campus. Indoor eating areas include all classrooms when no classes are scheduled, student lounges, the Shouse lobby, and 4th-floor study area, Bellack Library & Study Commons quiet study area, and B149 Eat Street Café.
Students and faculty will be provided eye protection packets at the start of the semester. In addition to your IHP-issued mask, eye protection is required in skills labs, simulation labs, practicum sites, and when working with IPC clients, research participants, or standardized patients.
Classrooms and Meetings
Faculty
All classrooms were upgraded over the summer. Use the white flip book attached to the podium to assist you when starting the system. Give yourself at least 15 minutes before the beginning of class for set up.
>> Follow these steps to return to the classroom [23]
Faculty Compass contains a section specific to teaching [24] developed by our instructional designers and technologists, librarians, and IT staff to support all teaching modalities.
For assistance with student accommodations contact the OSAS Accessibility Office [25] and see these guidelines for accessibility [26].
Help Desk
(617) 724-7910
Immediate/Urgent Help Desk Assistance
(617) 726-3172
If you have any questions or concerns
open a Help Desk ticket [27]
Students
Submit a ticket to the Help Desk if you need personal assistance with D2L or Zoom. Instructional technologists, information technology support staff and librarians can all be contacted via the Helpdesk.
Resources that support the student experiences (student services, study spaces, library, information technology support, etc.) are all available. The capacity of each room is at pre-COVID levels with everyone masked.
On campus events and gatherings must be reviewed and approved consistent with the current guidelines and precautions. Student event requests should be submitted to OSAS and all other requests should be made through Campus Services using the EMS system [28].
Travel
The IHP is following MGB policy as it relates to employee travel. You can find the full policy on Pulse [29].
Work-related travel outside of state of employee work or residence (domestic and international) is permitted for employees who are fully vaccinated at the time of travel. It is prohibited for employees who are not fully vaccinated. This prohibition includes in-person attendance at educational and academic conferences.
Personal travel is at the discretion of the employee. Employees should adhere to public health guidance when traveling.
