Archive for the 'General News' Category

Limited Supply of H1N1 Vaccine Available

Published
by
Pete Bekisz
on October 20, 2009
in General News
. Closed

Dear Members of the Keuka College Community:

A limited shipment of 200 H1N1 influenza vaccine arrived at Keuka College Health Services late Friday, Oct. 16.

Following CDC guidelines for situations in which vaccine supplies are limited, these initial doses will be targeted to students at greatest risk of complications from the flu, including those:

  • with underlying health conditions, and
  • who are pregnant, and/or are active EMS workers.

The second target group will be those who care for infants under six months old. Eligible students should call Health Services this week to schedule an appointment (315-279-5368). There is no fee for vaccination by Health Services.

Students with no underlying health conditions, faculty, and staff members, are not eligible to be vaccinated with this first limited supply.

As vaccine becomes widely available in the coming weeks, all members of our community who wish to be vaccinated should have access to the vaccine at Keuka College or from area health care providers.

We understand the need for clear and timely information about the availability of seasonal and H1N1 vaccine, including schedules for clinics and appointments.

Whenever we have new information, we will provide it on the Keuka College H1N1 flu page at http://blogs.keuka.edu/h1n1/ and via Announce.

We at Keuka College are strong proponents of influenza vaccination as the best way to reduce your own risk of illness and protect those who are not able to get vaccinated.

We are committed to delivering H1N1 vaccine to the campus as expeditiously as possible. We ask for your patience as we juggle the unpredictability of supply related to the vaccine, competing demands of preventing illness and treating those who are sick, priorities related to identified risks, and concerns of individual members of our community.

Carolanne Marquis
Chief Operating Officer / Executive Vice President

A Letter to Parents and Guardians from Carolanne Marquis

Published
by
Pete Bekisz
on September 14, 2009
in General News
. Closed

This letter was sent to parents and guardians Sept. 10.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the coordinator of Keuka College’s Emergency Response Team, I wanted to let you know that the College has been preparing emergency plans to address wide-ranging campus issues and health concerns regarding the H1N1 flu virus (also known as swine flu). Our emergency response team receives regular input from the local public health department and closely monitors the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations.

Fortunately, here at Keuka we have only seen one case of the flu and the student who has it has returned home to recover.  We expect to see more cases on our campus this fall, consistent with what is happening in public communities.  We have strongly encouraged all members of the Keuka community to take the standard precautions adopted during the flu season and to play an active role in our public health prevention efforts. We encourage you to have a discussion regarding infection control with your student.

In light of the new CDC guidelines, should your student show signs of the flu, he or she should phone our Health Center so the medical staff can determine if a return home is needed.  If a return home is advised, either the student or Health Services will contact a parent to make preparations to transport their student home. Students should not drive themselves home. We invite your understanding and cooperation should we ask your student to return home. If a student is unable to go home at all or if there will be a significant period of time before a family can pick up their student, the ill student will be directed to stay in one of the designated areas of isolation on campus (Ball Cottage, Blyley apartments, the college guest house, or 409 Chestnut Street). The Health Center and residence life staff will coordinate the move to these facilities. College staff will arrange for regular checks on the student’s condition, meal delivery, and any housekeeping needs. Please note we have a limited number of beds in these designated isolation areas so it is very important a student try to go home for the recommended recovery period. Our goal is to minimize the spread of the disease as much as possible and ensure our students are in the most appropriate environment if they become ill with the flu.

Enclosed in this mailing, you will find an informational piece that outlines current information on the flu and the second outlines the protocol for students to follow if they appear to have flu-like symptoms.  Additional information is available at http://blogs.keuka.edu/h1n1/.

Please note that we have initiated a College Information Line (315-279-5993) that will provide information in the event the Keuka Park campus or an ASAP site is closed. Also, a campus hotline (315-279-5999) has been established for students to call for medical guidance when the Health Center is closed.

Thank you for your efforts to keep all members of the Keuka College family in good health.  Although we can’t eliminate the spread of this virus, our collective efforts can significantly minimize its reach and overall impact.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at cmarquis@keuka.edu or (315) 279-5629.

Sincerely,

Carolanne Marquis
Chief Operating Officer
Executive Vice President

Unconfirmed Case of H1N1 at the MCC Damon City Campus Site

Published
by
Pete Bekisz
on June 22, 2009
in ASAP Sites and General News
. Closed

Keuka College has had a reported but unconfirmed case of H1N1 flu or swine flu at its Monroe Community College Damon City Campus site. The student involved attends class at the Damon City Campus on Tuesday nights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and was last in class on June 9th. The student reported to the college that they were experiencing flu like symptoms during class on June 9th. The student had been exposed to suspected H1N1 flu in their work setting and was treated by a physician for H1N1 flu symptoms on June 16th. The student was told that they were being tested for H1N1 but that the results were unconfirmed. The student has been cleared by their physician as of June 22nd to return to work and school.

If you are a Keuka student who attends class on Tuesday evenings at Damon City Campus and are experiencing flu like symptoms we suggested you contact your physician immediately. We have not had any additional reports of flu like symptoms from students or instructors at any Keuka College sites or the main campus. Additional information can be found at www.keuka.edu under H1N1 Swine Flu.

Memo from Dr. Joseph G. Burke, President

Published
by
Pete Bekisz
on May 1, 2009
in General News and Presidential Updates
. Closed

Memo To: Faculty, Staff, Students
Date: May 1, 2009
From: Dr. Joseph G. Burke, President
Re: Swine Flu

Despite confirmed cases of swine flu in some parts of the country, we believe Keuka College students can safely attend classes and employees can safely work. The College and its ASAP locations will remain open at this time.

We have taken several steps to keep you informed about this disease and developed a plan in the unlikely event the Keuka Park campus or ASAP site is forced to close due to students and employees contracting the disease.

The purpose of this memo is to:

  • summarize actions taken by the College to date,
  • present our institutional-wide communication plan, and
  • outline the actions the College will take in the event of a swine flu outbreak on the Keuka Park campus or ASAP site.

A. Summary of Actions Taken to Date

One Monday, April 27, I asked Vice President for Student Affairs Jim Blackburn and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to send out a campus-wide e-mail about the swine flu and what could be done to prevent infection. Subsequently, the Office of Communications, in cooperation with Health and Counseling Services, prepared information that was published on the Keuka Web site.

On Tuesday, Ginny Coombs met with the division chairs to plan what we might do if classes had to be cancelled. On Thursday, she sent a note to faculty members alerting them to be on the look-out for ill students. Also on Thursday, COO/Executive Vice President Carolanne Marquis met with Dean of Admissions and Marketing Fred Hoyle, Executive Director of Communications Doug Lippincott, Vice President for the Center for Professional Studies Gary Smith, ASAP Marketing Manager Stephanie Miller, and Director of Health Services Martha Rich to formulate an institutional communications plan and develop procedures that College will take in the event of a swine flu outbreak on campus or ASAP site.

B. Institutional Communication Plan

Web site
The primary communication vehicle is the College Web site (www.keuka.edu). The Swine Flu Information Resource page will feature:

  • Status of conditions on the Keuka Park campus (currently open).
  • Status of conditions at ASAP sites (currently open).
  • Local and regional news updates relating to swine flu.
  • Information from health services, including prevention tips, symptoms to watch for, etc.
  • Links to other sites, such as the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control.

Responsibilities:

  • Information coordination: Carolanne Marquis.
  • Information providers: Ginny Coombs, Jim Blackburn, Martha Rich, Gary Smith and Kevin Tierney
  • Writing/editing: Doug Lippincott.
  • Posting: Fred Hoyle.

Hot Line
The College established a swine flu hotline (315-279-5000 ext. 3), which will be posted on the Keuka College Web site. Similar to the College’s weather hotline, it will provide information on class cancellations and/or campus closures at Keuka Park and ASAP sites.

E-mail
Swine flu-related information will also be distributed as needed to students and employees in Keuka Park via the campus mail system and to ASAP students and faculty via the Exact Target system.

C. In the Event of a Swine Flu Outbreak on Campus or ASAP Site

In the unlikely event of an outbreak forcing closure of the Keuka Park and/or ASAP campus, Carolanne Marquis will be responsible for the collection and dissemination of information through contacts with student affairs (Jim Blackburn), health services (Martha Rich), academic affairs (Ginny Coombs), ASAP (Gary Smith), Web site (Fred Hoyle), and communications (Doug Lippincott) and protective services (Kevin Tierney).

In the event a student contracts symptoms (as diagnosed by Health Services) or is diagnosed with the swine flu, he or she will be moved to a designated location on campus.

If the Keuka Park campus closes, access to the College network has been provided to selected individuals in order to post information on the Web site.

Gary Smith and his staff are preparing alternatives for how students might continue their studies outside the classroom if an ASAP site is closed.