Pandemic Lessons from 1918 and Other Topics

Good morning!

Today I’ll cover a number of topics of possible interest.

Earlier this week a colleague sent me a newspaper clipping – actually, a photograph of a clipping from the Douglas Island (Alaska) News published in 1918.  You may remember that was the year a flu pandemic was rampaging across the globe, infecting half a billion people and causing 50 million deaths worldwide. 

The article is titled, “Dos and Don’ts for Influenza Prevention.”

Number 1 on the list:  “Wear a mask.”

Number 4:  “Wash your hands before each meal.”  (I would urge even more frequent handwashing.)

11:  “Avoid crowds.  You can get the influenza only by being near someone who is infected.”

13:  “Do not neglect your mask.” (My modern-day translation: “Wear a damn mask.”)

14:  “Do not disregard the advice of a specialist just because you do not understand.” 

15:  “Do not disregard the rights of a community – obey cheerfully the rules issued by the authorities.”

16:  “Do not think you are entitled to special privileges.”

There are other items, such as “Keep the pores open – that is, bathe frequently,” that are framed a little more in the context of the times, but good advice nonetheless.

Reading this makes me realize how little has changed since the last great pandemic – both in terms of the best ways to prevent infection and also how reliably constant and predictable human nature is.  My takeaway:  Let’s all calm down and do what we’re supposed to do.

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Speaking of the pandemic, we are closely watching case counts, test numbers and particularly the reports of outbreaks in schools.  Our census of COVID-19 patients has been hovering in the high 80s-to-low 90s this week.  We can manage those numbers for now, but a new wave of hospitalizations would put us in a precarious position.  The Labor Day holiday is just around the corner, which will almost certainly spark more cases, and that will be followed in short order by flu season, which can tax our resources even in a normal year.  Getting a flu shot will be a priority this year.  Our Employee/Student Health staff are expecting to receive a shipment of the flu vaccine by Aug. 31, and will begin administering it to employees and students on Sept. 1.  Until then, lets all support the K-12 teachers and our colleagues at universities and colleges as they manage the difficult challenge of keeping everybody as safe as possible. 

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In last Friday’s virtual Town Hall meeting, I spent a little time talking about our financial results from the fiscal year that ended June 30.  As expected, we finished the year in red numbers, recording a $27 million loss.  When you consider that before the pandemic really began hitting us hard in mid-March we were on track to end the year with a $28 million positive margin, this represents a $55 million impact, which is huge.  We were counting on those funds to invest in any number of things – equipment, programs, people.  On the other hand, the loss could have been much greater, and for a while I thought it would be.  It wasn’t worse, in part, because we took early and decisive action, trimming costs where we could. 

The things I want to stress at this point are, first, unless our current course changes dramatically, we are NOT planning another layoff.  Second, salary reductions – a 15 percent cut to executive leadership pay and a 10 percent cut to others making more than $100,000 annually – will NOT be extended past three months. Finally, all departments should have their FY 2021 budgets by now.  Restrictions on travel and hiring remain in effect and we will ask managers to be conservative in their spending for as long as we are in in the throes of the pandemic.  I truly appreciate the sacrifices so many have made, and continue to make, to help us cope with the pandemic and emerge on the other side with a viable organization.

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The political season is heating up once again, and this year that will most likely be an understatement.  The Association of American Medical Colleges, on whose board of directors I am privileged to serve, is sponsoring a pair of panel discussions during the Democratic and Republican national conventions titled “COVID-19:  The Way Forward.”  The panels include the leaders of nine academic medical centers, along with members of Congress and leaders of the AAMC.  I was pleased to be invited to join the panel presenting, virtually of course, at the Republican Convention next Wednesday at 1 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).  This affords me a very visible platform to share the incredible journey that UMMC and Mississippi have been on during the last seven months. 

While I’m on the subject of politics, now is as good a time as any to say that regardless of your political leanings, please remember, as tensions about politics heighten in the weeks ahead, we are here to serve our patients and our students.  ALL patients and students. 

As we approach what are often called “the dog days of summer,” I encourage everyone to stay cool, stay positive, stay safe and stay #UMMCStrong.