Dear Faculty, Staff, Students and Residents:
On Thursday, March 19, San Antonio identified its first case of community acquired COVID-19, which triggered our next steps of response measures. These are unprecedented times for our community, the nation, and the world. As a “stay at home; work safe” emergency declaration was made by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg last night, we at UT Health San Antonio continue to balance the needs of caring for the sick, educating our students, continuing important ongoing research, and doing what is best for our faculty, staff, students and residents.
This proclamation does not change how we at UT Health San Antonio are currently operating. Last week, we instituted a work-from-home policy for many of our employees whose jobs are suited to working remotely. There are many others, such as our health care providers and clinical support staff, who must be on the front line of this emergency. Our state and nation are experiencing a health care crisis as never before, and we at UT Health San Antonio must respond. If you have a question about whether you are expected to work on site or if you are allowed to work remotely, please consult your supervisor.
There are many important updates for faculty, staff, students and residents across all of our mission areas of clinical care, education and research noted on our COVID-19 website. I urge you to please review these updates, stay informed and understand that conditions are very fluid and may change rapidly.
Thank you for what each of you is doing to adjust during these challenging times. I am very grateful to you. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.
With gratitude and respect,
William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP
President and Professor of Medicine