Kettering College H1N1 and Pandemic Flu Plan

updated 10/22/09

1. Communication and Education

• Preventative education
  • Create informational section on KCMA.edu with educational and preventative tips. Site will be updated as needed.
  • Reminder to get seasonal flu vaccine and that students in clinicals at certain sites are required to have the seasonal vaccine.
• CDC posters with educational and preventative info posted in classrooms, skills labs, restrooms and dormitory areas.
• CDC “Fight the Flu” pamphlet printed and distributed around campus.
• Provide online students with appropriate information.

2. Prevention

• Encourage all students, faculty and staff to receive the seasonal flu shot and to obtain the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available through the Montgomery County Health Dept.
• If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home from work, class or clinicals until you are fever-free, without medication, for 24 hours.
  • Flu-like symptoms include, but are not limited to fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches or pains, headache, weakness and general discomfort.
• Use common sense for prevention – social distancing, proper hand-washing and infection control.
• Talk with Environmental Services about wiping down desks, door knobs/breaks and shower floors more often using special sanitation steps.
• “Cover Your Cough & Wash Your Hands” posters in classrooms, skills labs and restrooms.
• Proper hand-washing technique posters placed in all restrooms and skills labs.
• Large hand-washing reminder signs in all labs, dorm lobbies and restrooms.
• Distribute tissue boxes in all rooms throughout campus.
• Acquire hospital-grade foam stations and install throughout school.
• Obtain and distribute imprinted pocket spray sanitizers.

3. Response to Cases on Campus

• Ill students are encouraged to do a self-screening for H1N1, using the form that will be e-mailed to everyone and posted on the web site. The form also will be provided to clinical instructors.
  • If students feel they need to miss class or clinical, they are encouraged to contact their instructors immediately and to work with instructors on continuing to meet course requirements.
• Collect accurate data on class and clinical attendance
  • Monitoring absenteeism is preferable to monitoring illness.
  • When absenteeism reaches 10% of the class, faculty are to report the absenteeism to the department chair and to Dr. Cobb via e-mail.
  • Any concern about college-wide absenteeism will be brought to the attention of the other college administrators and the H1N1 taskforce. 
  • The Public Health Department of Montgomery County recommends consulting with them prior to making a determination about whether to close the college due to high absenteeism.
• Kettering Medical Center Infection Control policy and missed classes/clinicals:  Faculty are encouraged to assure students that they will be reasonable about clinical and class absences to the degree possible. Our goal is to work together for the best student outcomes, which includes ensuring a safe learning environment for others—fellow students, patients and faculty.
  • Missed classes and clinicals will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
• Isolation for dorm students who contract H1N1.
  • Cases need to be reported to residence hall directors.
  • Isolate dorm students on case-by-case basis.
  • Send local students back home, if possible.
• In the event staffing levels are involuntarily reduced to the point that the college’s ability to provide certain basic and essential services to students poses a potential risk, the following items should be considered remedial steps and, where deemed appropriate, implemented by authorized personnel:
  • Work schedules: Adjust and stagger work schedules to provided increased hours of coverage (emergency response, telephone coverage, etc.) by office staff.
  • Temporary telecommuting:  Review responsibilities and determine where temporary telecommuting would be appropriate to cover basic and essential items.
  • Extracurricular events:  If and where appropriate, postpone or cancel extracurricular/co-curricular events.
  • Alternate learning experiences: Faculty are encouraged to work with their department chairs to consider possible alternate learning experiences in the event of widespread absenteeism.
  • Payrolls:  Consider affect on payrolls if those who approve are absent. Also need to make sure those who work from home are paid.
  • Hand-washing:  Require periodic hand-washing.
  • Sanitizer stations: Have alcohol hand foam/gels readily available

 

4. Ongoing Response Team

• Team includes:  Beverly Cobb (Dean for Assessment & Learning Support), Paula Reams (chair, Bachelor of Science in health professions), Stephanie Butkus (student health advisor, nursing faculty), Mindy Claggett (public relations officer), Jerry Mahn (associate director, residence hall and Student Life).

• Consultants to team: W.G. Nelson (Dean for Academic Affairs), Jack Burdick (Chief Business Officer), Pam McCartney (manager, KMC Infection Control), Mary Shock (coordinator, KMC Employee Health), Montgomery County Health Dept. representative
• Regular meetings will be held to review circumstances.
• Campus closing procedures:
• Team evaluation when appropriate to discuss ability of the college to provide minimum services to the campus community.