>>> GOOD MORNING. [00:00:01] I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO TODAY'S TOWN HALL MEETING. [Employee Townhall] I HOPE EVERYONE HAD AN ENJOYABLE THANKSGIVING. I WANT TO FIRST START BY THANKING EVERYONE FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYERS AND EACH OTHER DURING THIS TIME THAT JUST SEEMS TO GO ON FOREVER AS WE DEAL WITH THE REALITIES OF THE PANDEMIC. THE LAST TIME WE GOT TOGETHER, IT WAS BACK IN OCTOBER, AND NEARLY 2,300 OF YOU JOINED OUR TOWN HALL. SO I HOPE YOU FIND THESE BENEFICIAL. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK YOU'VE BEEN GIVING US AS WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AND RESPOND TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN A COVID ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING BECOMING DALLAS COLLEGE. IN THE PAST, WE'VE FOCUSED ON A LOT OF THE WORK HERE. BUT TODAY, I REALLY WANTED TO DEDICATE SOME TIME TO DISCUSSING THE IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH, READING ABOUT, HEARING ABOUT ALMOST 24/7. AND THAT'S THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. I FEEL FORTUNATE IN THAT WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT LEADERS IN DALLAS COUNTY THAT I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF TALKING WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND THEREFORE, I GET A SENSE OF NOT JUST WHAT IS HAPPENING NATIONALLY BUT REALLY IN OUR LOCAL COUNTY AND THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING AND HOW WE'RE REALLY WORKING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. SO IN TODAY'S MEETING, WE'VE GOT WITH US DR. PHILIP HUANG WHO GOT MY ATTENTION RECENTLY IN SEPARATE PHONE CALLS AS THEY BOTH SHARED WITH ME SOME STATISTICS THAT I REALLY THAT I KNOW I READ AND I SEE THIS INFORMATION. BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET SO MUCH. AND THE CHANGES DAY-TO-DAY DON'T SEEM THAT DRAMATIC WHEN WE LOOK OVER TIME. AND WE'VE MADE DECISIONS PACED ON THAT ACCORDINGLY. INCLUDING THE FACT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING REMOTELY AND INTEND TO WORK REMOTELY THROUGH EARLY JANUARY. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE'RE RECEIVING FROM INDIVIDUALS LIKE DR. PHILIP HUANG AND DR. SRERESE THAT ARE WITH US TODAY. ALSO A CONCERN TO ME IS THE INCREASE OF CASES ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON US. AND ALSO, SHARON DAVIS WILL BE WITH US TALKING ABOUT HOW DALLAS COLLEGE IS RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL. I'M EXCITED TO HAVE WITH US TWO FOLKS THAT I THINK WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE IN DALLAS COUNTY. DR. PHILIP HUANG IS THE DIRECTOR OF DALLAS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SINCE 2019. AND PHIL, THAT'S A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME RELATIVELY SPEAKING. BUT MY GOODNESS, HAVE YOU HAD AN IMPACT! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND DR. FRED CERESE IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PARKLAND HEALTH SYSTEM SINCE 2014. WE ALMOST MIRROR OUR TIME HERE. AND IRONICALLY BOTH OF US CAME FROM LOUISIANA TO DALLAS. AND SO I'M GLAD TO HAVE DR. CERESE WITH US AS WELL. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF HEARING FROM DR. CERESE ON ALMOST A DAILY BASIS AS WE PARTICIPATE ON THE CALL AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES AND COLLABORATION. I'VE APPRECIATED HIS WILLINGNESS TO HAVE PARKLAND WORK WITH US. BUT ALSO WILLING TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE. AND OUR OWN DR. SHARON DAVIS, THE CHIEF CLINICAL RESPONSE OFFICER, IS JOINING US LIVE TODAY AS WELL. AND OF COURSE, EXECUTIVE ADVICE CHANCE HE WILLER WHO IS GOING TO HELP GUIDE OUR CONVERSATION. THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES. WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THOSE RELATED TO HEALTHCARE TODAY. SO WITH THAT, DOCTOR, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. >> THANK YOU, DR. MAY. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL GET [00:05:02] THROUGH TODAY. DR. MAY, I WANT TO START WITH YOU AND REFERENCE SOMETHING YOU'VE SAID A MINUTE AGO. WE'RE OBVIOUSLY WORKING REMOTE DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD. KIND OF SHARE WITH US YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHY YOU THOUGHT THIS DECISION WAS IMPORTANT. >> SURE. WELL, PART OF THE REASON I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT IS I LISTEN TO OUR TWO GUESTS WHO REALLY I HAVE FOUND GIVE GREAT INSIGHT AND GREAT ADVICE. AND REALIZE THAT LITTLE GUIDANCE FROM EITHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE OF TEXAS, IN MANY WAYS, WE'RE ON OUR OWN TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AS BOTH DOCTORS AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA, THIS IS DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS THAT FOR US TO GO REMOTELY. ONE, WE SAW A NEW SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WERE OCCURRING IN DALLAS COUNTY. BUT REALLY, THE ENTIRE NORTH TEXAS AREA. AND SECONDLY, HOLIDAYS. YOU KNOW, LIKE ALL OF US, IT'S HARD TO TELL YOUR CHILDREN NOT TO COME HOME OR YOU MAY VISIT OTHER FEMME MEMBERS OR GET TOGETHER. WE K GATHERINGS ARE HIGH RISK FOR SPREAD, EVEN AS YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE TOGETHER, THE GREATER THE CHANCES ARE THAT SOMEONE WILL HAVE NONSYMPTOMATIC COVID AND BE IN A POSITION TO SPREAD THAT. SO WITH THANKSGIVING AND THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY SEASON HERE WITH CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR, WE WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AFTER THE HEALTH INTEREST OF BOTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT BEING SAID, WE'VE GIVEN JANUARY THE 4THTH. THAT REALLY A DATE WHICH WE'LL REVIEW HOW WE HANDLE THAT GOING FORWARD. YOU KNOW, NONE OF THIS UNFORTUNATELY IS SET IN STONE IN TERMS OF OUR DECISIONS. RATHER, WE'RE BASING THEM ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND MAKING THOSE DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY. OF COURSE, WE NEED TO GIVE GUIDANCE TO OUR STUDENTS AND TO OUR FACULTY SO THAT THEY CAN PROPERLY PREPARE FOR THEIR COURSES. SO AS WE'VE LAID OUT IN THE SPRING, WE'LL BE PREDOMINANTLY OPERATING IN A DIGITAL WORLD AND DELIVERING ONLINE COURSES. EVEN AS WE REALLY TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE STUDENTS AND THOSE COURSES THAT REALLY NECESSITY FACE-TO-FACE ENGAGEMENT. BUT AS WE DO SO, WE'LL DO SO BY PRACTICING THE PRES C.D.C. GUIDELINES. THE NEW ONES HAVE ROLLED OUT. DR. DAVIS HAS BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONDING ACCORDINGLY. IT'S AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND ONE THAT I HOPE FOLKS AREN'T JUST RELAXING AND SAYING WE'RE NOT -- FOR OUR STUDENTS, I WORRY ABOUT THEM IN THAT GOING REMOTE FOR MANY OF THEM MEANS THEY CAN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. I'M ASKING EVERY ONE OF YOU TO WORK HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF EVERY STUDENT AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM AND RESPOND TO THEM. IT'S CHALLENGING FOR US, BUT FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS IT'S MORE CHALLENGES AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP DURING THIS TIME. >> THANK YOU, DR. MAY. LET ME LISTEN TO OUR REAL EXPERTS, OUR TWO REAL DOCTORS HERE TODAY. START WITH YOU DR. PHILIP HUANG. WE'RE SEEING RECORD NUMBER OF CASES. WE WOKE UP TO HEADLINES THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT A RECORD NUMBER OF CASES IN TEXAS. AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WE'RE AT LEVEL RED. THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CONCERN. AND SO CAN YOU KIND OF GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS, DR. HAUNG AND THE LATEST NUMBERS OF COVID-19 AND DALLAS COUNTY AND HOW SERIOUS OUR SITUATION IS. >> SURE. FIRST, THANKS DR. JUSTIN LONON AND DR. MAY FOR INCLUDING ME ON THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING AND THIS IS THE MESSAGE WE'VE BEEN SAYING THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. IT'S REALLY SERIOUS, VERY ALARMING WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, THERE WERE -- WE DID GET DOWN TO THE ORANGE LEVEL. MAYBE A MONTH, A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK. BUT WE DID HAVE TO GO BACK TO THIS RED HIGHEST RISK LEVEL. AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE'VE BEEN REPORTING AND WORKING WITH THE VARIOUS [00:10:01] HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. WE'LL HEAR FROM DR. SERESE FROM PARKLAND. IF THEY HAVEN'T REACHED THE HIGHEST PEAK LEVELS, THEY'RE LIKE A WEEK AWAY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO HEAR. WE MEET REGULARLY WITH THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS WITH THE MODELS AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. ALL OF THE INDICATORS ARE SHOWING US THIS REALLY HIGH LEVEL. WHAT WE'VE SEEN, WE CAN REDUCE THE SPREAD. WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS WEARING THE MASKS AND AVOIDING CROWDS AND SIX-FOOT PHYSICAL DANCING, AND DOING THESE THINGS THAT SLOWED DOWN THE SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE NOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COVID FATIGUE. WE'RE GETTING INTO THE HOLIDAYS. WE JUST HAD THANKSGIVING. WE'RE GETTING INTO THE COLDER WEATHER, WHERE PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE TIME INDOORS. ALL OF THESE FACTORS, YOU KNOW, REALLY PUT US AT VERY CONCERNING, CONVERGING IN BAD WAYS. AND WE'RE STARTING RIGHT NOW ALREADY AT THESE HIGHER LEVELS THAN EVEN WHERE WE STARTED BACK IN THE SUMMER BEFORE WE SAW THOSE INCREASES. SO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT RECORD NUMBERS. AND WE'VE GOT ALL THESE OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY GOING TO INCREASE OUR RISK FOR CONTINUED SPREAD. SO IT'S VERY SERIOUS. AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH. >> W THANKSGIVING. IS IT TOO SOON TO TELL WHAT IMPACT THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY MAY HAVE ON THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE CASES? >> YEAH. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS. WE ACTUALLY, RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, I THINK THERE WAS SORT OF A SLOW DOWN, SLIGHT SLOW DOWN IN THE INCREASE. BUT WE ANTICIPATE IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE NEXT WEEKEND AND FOLLOWING WEEK THAT WE'LL SEE MORE OF THE IMPACT SPECIFICALLY FROM THANKSGIVING. THAT'S WHAT SOMETIMES WE SEE THESE FLUCTUATIONS, WE SEE IT LIKE IN FLU SEASONS WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF DEATHS AND A LOT OF CASES, AND PEOPLE START GETTING THEIR FLU VACCINES. WE GET EBBS AND FLOWS AS PEOPLE START RECOGNIZING AND HEARING THE MESSAGE MORE. AND SO WE -- RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, MAYBE MORE RECOGNITION OF THAT. BUT WE'LL START TO SEE PROBABLY THE IMPACT OF THANKSGIVING OVER THE NEXT WEEK. >> YEAH. IF I COULD JUMP IN. AND IF I COULD JUST IN ON THIS TOPIC. REFLECTING ON THAT FROM DALLAS NEWS -- I'LL READ THE WEIGHT. "SHORT OF MORE DRASTIC ACTION, IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE PUBLIC TO TURN BACK THE TIDE OF THE LATEST WAVE." HE SAID THIS AT YESTERDAY'S COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING. IT FALLS ON ALL OF US TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER. AND I WAS REFLECTING ON THAT THIS MORNING. QUITE HONESTLY REMINDED OF A PERSONAL SITUATION IN MY FAMILY THAT WENT THROUGH. MY SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW ARE BOTH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. THEY WORK IN TWO DIFFERENT HOSPITALS IN COLORADO. CANCELLED THEIR THANKSGIVING TRIP TO DALLAS, BECAUSE THE HOSPITALS ARE FULL. ALL THE ELECTIVE SURGERIES ARE CANCELLED. AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING TRANSFERS IN HOSPITALS. MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WAS COMMENTING WHO HAPPENS TO BE A SUPERVISOR IN AN OPERATING ROOM. SHE'S BEEN PLACED ON 18-HOUR SHIFTS NOW TO HELP WITH THE COVID UNITS NOW. MENT YET DRIVING HOME PAST A BAR PARKING LOT, IT'S FULL. AND COMMENTED THAT HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY ISSUES! I'D LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS, DR. CERISE AND HUANG. ARE THERE FOLKS THAT ARE REGARDING NOT JUST TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT MAYBE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN? >> JOE. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. I MEAN, STILL WE'VE ALLUDED TO IT ALREADY. PEOPLE HAVE FATIGUE AROUND ALL OF THE PRECAUTIONS WE'VE BEEN TAKING. BUT IT REALLY IS A TIME THAT YOU KIND OF HAVE TO FORCE YOURSELF TO REMAIN VIGILANT. AND ADHERE TO THESE INFECTION CONTROL PRACTICES. PHIL TALKED ABOUT THE INCREASE OF CASES WE'RE SEEING. WE'RE SEEING MORE CASES NOW THAN WE SAW AT THE PEAK IN JULY. [00:15:01] AND I THINK SINCE IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN MORE COMFORTABLE. FACT IS MOST PEOPLE THAT GET IT, DO WELL. PARTICULARLY YOUNG PEOPLE THAT GET IT DO WELL. IT STILL HAS, YOU KNOW, 2% OR SO MORTALITY RATE. BUT MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IN THAT CATEGORY THAT DO OKAY. SO IT'S EASIER TO GET LAX. I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS THIS MORNING. THEY WERE MENTIONING THEIR FAMILY, SOMEBODY HAD A PARTY, AND THERE WERE 17 PEOPLE, AND 16 TURNED OUT POSITIVE. IT'S A GATHERING AMONG FRIENDS THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE OKAY BECAUSE IT'S PEOPLE WE KNOW. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POSITIVITY RATE IN THE COMMUNITY, I KNOW FOR US, 8% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE TEST AT PARKLAND, WITHOUT SYMPTOMS, THEY'RE COMING IN FOR SURGERY OR UNRELATED TO COVID, AND WE TEST THEM BEFORE THEY COME IN, 8% ARE POSITIVE. THAT MEANS ONE OUT OF EVERY 13 PEOPLE OUT THERE COMING IN ARE POSITIVE. IF YOU'RE IN A GROUP OF 13, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE SOMEBODY IS POSITIVE. EVEN 13 PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW AND YOU TRUST, IT'S JUST OUT THERE. SO THESE GATHERINGS ARE WHERE WE KNOW IT'S SPREADING. IT'S EASY TO LET DOWN YOUR GUARD. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT VACCINES IN A LITTLE BIT. BUT THAT'S THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. AND IF WE CAN JUST HOLD ON FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS, WE'LL GET TO THAT POINT WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT SAFER AND NOT STRESSING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SO MUCH. >> A KNOW, IT IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE -- BUT I DO THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE KNOWING PERSONALLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS OR HAVE SEVERE ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH. SOMEONE I WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE WITH IN DALLAS PASSED AWAY FROM THIS. IT IS GETTING AT MORE IMMEDIATE IMPACT THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING. SO BUT CERTAINLY, IT'S FRUSTRATING. AND I GUESS, THERE'S MIXED MESSAGES OUT THERE. SOME PEOPLE STILL THINK IT'S A HOAX, OR THAT MASKS ARE A POLITICAL THING. BUT THEY'RE NOT POLITICAL. THESE ARE PUBLIC HEALTH-TYPE OF INTERVENTION. IT CAN SLOW THE SPREAD. THAT FRUSTRATING THAT THERE ARE MIXED MESSAGES ACTUALLY OUT THERE. BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE ALL IN TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND AT THE FRONTLINES, IT'S REAL. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY. AND ANY WAYS WE CAN CONVEY THAT IS IMPORTANT. IT'S STARTING TO HIT MORE PEOPLE DIRECTLY AND PERSONALLY. >> J YOUR POINT. YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS LACK OF GUIDANCE FROM EITHER FEDERAL OR STATE. BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A UNIFORM MESSAGE THAT SAYS THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE EXPECTED, I GET IT. YOU GET IT. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO BE FORCED, AND SO POLITICAL LEADERS ARE RELUCTANT TO DO THAT. TO PHIL'S POINT, IT FALLS ON THE INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RISKS ARE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY. WE'RE TALKING TO A BUNCH OF SMART PEOPLE IN YOUR COLLEGE SYSTEM HERE, SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE RISKS ARE. SO WE DON'T NEED AN AUTHORITY SAYING DON'T GO TO RESTAURANTS AND SIT IN CROWDED PLACES. YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN A RESTAURANT, YOUR MASK IS OFF. YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN AN ENCLOSED PLACE. AND WITH THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THERE'S A DECENT CHANCE YOU GET TRANSMISSION THERE. >> YEAH, THANK YOU. AND I GUESS, JUST FOR ALL OF OUR FOLKS THAT ARE JOINING US TODAY HERE INTERNALLY, JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO KIND OF OWN THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY. WE CAN'T HELP WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO NECESSARILY. BUT ONE THING WE CAN DO IS MANAGE WHAT WE DO AND BE BOTH AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS IN THE PROCESS. SO APPRECIATE THAT. >> DR. CERISE, YOU REFERENCED THE POSITIVITY RATES. THERE WERE STORIES LOCALLY LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED FOR COVID PATIENTS. CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT. >> SURE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING NOW IN ALL OF THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, ARE SEEING THIS, IS AS THE CASES INCREASE, [00:20:05] HOSPITALS FILL UP. AND WHILE WE CAN EXPAND PHYSICAL SPACE. YOU CAN PUT TWO PEOPLE IN A ROOM IF YOU HAVE TO. YOU CAN OPEN CLOSED AREAS. WHAT YOU CAN'T DO IS CREATE STAFF. AND EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW IS FEELING THE PRESSURE ON HAVING ADEQUATE STAFFING. AND THE EARLY PHASES OF THIS WHERE THERE WERE A FEW HOTSPOTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU COULD PULL FROM OTHER PLACES TO STAFF. BUT NOW EVERY PLACE IN THE COUNTRY IS FEELING IT, SO YOU CAN'T PULL FROM OTHER AREAS. SO EVERYBODY IS STRESSED. IT'S LIKE OPENING AN ADDITIONAL ICU FOR EVERY HOSPITAL IN TOWN, AND FINDING CRITICAL CARE NURSES TO DO THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT. IF YOU LOOK, THE ICUS ARE ABOUT 97% FULL NOW. WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO PRACTICALLY, IN DALLAS COUNTY THERE ARE 25 AVAILABLE ICU BEDS RIGHT NOW IN THE WHOLE COUNTY. SO WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW, WITH THE LAST SURGE. BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A LOT OF CUSHION TO SURGE FURTHER. AND, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALS WILL HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT. YOU'LL HAVE TO START SHIFTING PEOPLE FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER, ALTERING YOUR STAFFING PATTERNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW, 25 AVAILABLE BEDS IN THE ICU. THAT GETS ALL OF OUR ATTENTION, YOU KNOW? >> Y CONCERN. WHEN WE STARTED THIS BACK IN MARCH, WE WERE FOCUSED ON FLATTENING THE CURVE, AND FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE WEREN'T OVERRUNNING THE HOSPITALS. CLEARLY, IT'S A CONCERN THAT THE FEW BEDS THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE. >> I WERE AT THE PEAK IN NORTH TEXAS, WE HAD 1,700 PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITALS IN MID-JULY AT THE PEAK. TODAY, WE HAVE OVER 2,000. WE'VE BLOWN PAST THE TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ALL IN CRISIS MODE AND WONDERED HOW WE'RE GOING TO PULL IT OFF. WE'VE LEARNED A LOT SINCE JULY. WE'VE GOTTEN PARTY WITH PPE AND STAFFING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT OUR VOLUMES ARE HIGHER THAN THEY WERE AT THE CRITICAL PEAK TIME IN THE SUMMER. >> W QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE. AND THAT'S ALREADY COME UP A LITTLE BIT IN OUR CONVERSATION THIS MORNING. WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. SO I'LL START WITH YOU, DR. HUANG AND ASK YOU DR. CERISE TO COMMENT AS WELL. WE'RE HEARING THE VACCINE COULD COME AS EARLY AS THIS MONTH. SO WHEN DO YOU EXPECT IT TO ARRIVE IN DALLAS COUNTY? AND WHO DO YOU EXPECT TO BE AMONGST THE FIRST GROUPS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE IT? >> SURE. WELL, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITY ON THIS. TWO OF THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE SUBMITTED IT TO FDA FOR THE AUTHORIZATION. THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR C.D.C. MET YESTERDAY. AND MADE SOME OF THE -- CLARIFIED THAT FIRST GROUPS THAT WOULD RECEIVE IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE PRIORITIZING FIRST HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL, THOSE WORKING IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES WHO COME IN DIRECT CONTACT OR INDIRECTLY WITH THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING NONMEDICAL STAFF AND THOSE WORKING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. AND THE SECOND PRIORITY IN THE FIRST GROUP BEING RESIDENTS OF LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. BUT WE DEPENDING ON THE FDA PANEL'S ACTIONS AND THEN I KNOW THE CDC'S PANEL IS TRYING TO MEET IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT. I THINK THERE ARE TWO REVIEWS OCCURRING THIS MONTH. IT COULD BE THE LATTER PART OF THIS MONTH THAT WE'LL SEE IT. I KNOW THERE ARE EFFORTS TO GET IT OUT THERE, SO IT'S READY TO GO ONCE THE APPROVALS OCCUR. SO, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR THOSE FIRST PRIORITY GROUPS, WE'RE LOOKING AT EARLY AS LATTER PART OF THIS MONTH. >> DR. C YOUR STANDPOINT? >> T SAID, CDC RECOGNIZED AND CREATED TIERS OF PRIORITY. THE FIRST TIER IS HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND PEOPLE IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. SO WE ARE ON STAND-BY WORKING WITH THE STATE NOW ON DO WE HAVE THE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE? BECAUSE, REMEMBER THE PFIZER VACCINE IS ONE THAT'S GOT TO BE SUPER COLD, YOU KNOW, AT SUBZERO TEMPERATURES. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SPECIAL FREEZERS TO BE ABLE TO EVEN ACCEPT THAT VACCINE. AND MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH STORAGE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS. [00:25:01] WE'RE PREPARED TO ACCEPT IT WHEN IT COMES. AND WE KNOW THE FDA MEETS ON THE 10TH OF THIS MONTH TO CONSIDER THE PFIZER APPLICATION. THEN, WE EXPECT A DECISION IS LIKELY WITHIN A WEEK OR SO AFTER THAT. AND SO AS PHIL SAID, PROBABLY MID-/LATE DECEMBER WE'LL BE VACCINATING SOME OF OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS BY THE END OF THE MONTH. >> D FOLKS WHO AREN'T IN A PRIORITY POSITION? WHEN DO WE ANTICIPATE PAST THE FIRST WAIVER THAT THE VACCINE WILL BE WIDELY AVAILABLE? >> SURE. AS MORE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, THEN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TIER ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL WORKERS, PERSONS WITH HIGH RISK HEALTH CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, 65 OR OLDER, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. THE POPULATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING ARE MOST VULNERABLE. IT'S ANTICIPATED PROBABLY NOT MORE OF THE WIDESPREAD AVAI SPRING/EARLY SUMMER WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY OUT THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS IT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD AND BE AVAI APPROVALS, THEN, I THINK EVERYONE IS TRYING TO GET IT OUT THERE AS FAST AS THEY CAN. >> W ABOUT WHEN IT'S WIDELY AVAILABLE, KIND OF THEN WHAT? DR. CERISE OR DR. HUANG, EITHER ONE, SHARE FROM YOUR STANDPOINT, WHEN IT IS WIDELY AVAILABLE, DO WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO QUOTE "NORMAL LIFE"? DOES THAT MEAN WE DO AWAY WITH MASKS AND TESTING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING? >> I COMING, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE WHILE STILL. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE -- JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND REALIZE YOU'VE GOT TO GET 60-70% OF THE POPULATION IMMUNIZED OR EXPOSED TO THE DISEASE TO ESTABLISH IMMUNITY, TO BREAK THE TRANSMISSION. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN AS WE DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED IT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND HOW THE DURATION OF PROTECTION THAT IT PROVIDES. AND SO I'M SURE EARLY ON, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THROUGH THE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MASKING AND DISTANCING WHILE WE, YOU KNOW, BUILD UP THAT COMMUNITY IMMUNITY. >> D AS DR. CERISE WAS SAYING, WE'VE GOT TO GET 60-70% OF PEOPLE VACCINATED. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE THAT ARE CONCERNED AND MAY NOT HEED THE CALLS TO GET THE VACCINE? >> SURE. I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE ALL WANTING TO SEE THE DATA AND THE REVIEW FROM FDA. AND BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED, THE DATA LOOKED REALLY GOOD. IT'S HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND SAFE. THE SAFETY PROFILE, PRELIMINARY THINGS THAT I HAVE HEARD LOOK VERY GOOD. BUT CERTAINLY, EVERYONE HAS THOSE CONCERNS. BUT ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION, THEN, I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE ASSURANCE REGARDING THE PROCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, I THINK ALL NINE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, THE MAJOR ONES, PUT A PLEDGE OUT THERE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CUT CORNERS ON THIS. AND SO PART OF THAT IS TO BUILD THAT TRUST. AND AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, GET THAT INFORMATION OUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WITH ALL OF OUR VACCINES THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO GET IT. THAT'S NOT WISE FOR THEM. IT'S NOT -- YOU KNOW, AS FRED MENTIONED, WE NEED 60-70% SORT OF COVERAGE OR IMMUNITY TO REALLY GET THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK WITH EVERY VACCINE, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO GET IT. IT'S AT THEIR PERIL IN SOME WAYS. WE T INFORMATION OUT AND EDUCATE AND ADDRESS CONCERNS AS MUCH AS WE CAN. >> W SESSION ON THE VACCINE, PHIL, RIGHT? AS I TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT NURSES WHO ARE HESITANT, RELUCTANT TO TAKE IT. THERE'S A LOT OF MISTRUST OUT THERE. IT'S GONE FAST. BUT THE FACT THAT IT'S GONE FAST DOESN'T MEAN -- THERE'S YEARS OF WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE FOR DEVELOPING VACCINES [00:30:01] FOR CORONAVIRUSES. THIS HAS NOT JUST HAPPENED IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THERE'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE RECEIVED THESE VACCINES NOW. AS PHIL SAID, IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. THE MODERNA TRIAL THAT RELEASED DATA, WHAT THEY'LL DO IS GIVE HALF THE PEOPLE PLACEBO AND THE OTHER HALF THE VACCINE AND SEND THEM OUT INTO THE WILD AND LET THEM GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. AND THEY COUNT WHO GETS COVID. AND THE REASON IT'S MOVED QUICKER IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY RATES HAVE BEEN SO HIGH, THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING INFECTED. AND SO IT REALLY HELPS THE TRIALS MOVE FASTER. AND WHAT MODERNA REPORTED, OUT OF 170 PEOPLE THAT GOT COVID IN THEIR TRIAL, 162 OF THEM WERE IN THE PLACEBO GROUP. THAT'S REALLY EFFECTIVE. YOU KNOW, ONLY EIGHT OUT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS GOT THE VACCINE, WERE ACTUALLY AFFECTED. SO IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. AND THEN, FROM A SAFETY ISSUE, AS PHIL SAID, WE'VE SEEN NOTHING SO FAR. THERE ARE DATA SAFETY MONITORING BOARDS AND GROUPS WATCHING FOR SYMPTOMS ALL THE TIME, TRACKING MEDICAL RECORDS, DOING PASSIVE SURVEILLANCE, ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE, AND NOT PICKING UP DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS. IF THEY DO SENSE ANY TRIGGERS, THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE THE RED FLAG RIGHT AWAY. AND SO LOOK, IT'S ABSOLUTELY EFFECTIVE. AND IT LOOKS TO BE VERY SAFE AS WELL. AND THAT DATA WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THAT CLOSELY. IT'S NOT -- THE OTHER THING IS, YOU'RE NOT GETTING A VIRUS. SO THAT'S THE OTHER THING WORRY ABOUT. AM I GOING TO GET COVID TAKING IT? THERE'S NOT COVID VIRUS IN THE VACCINE. SO YOU CAN'T GET COVID FROM TAKING IT. BUT THERE'S A DECENT CHANCE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT GET A LITTLE ACHY OR LOW-GRADE FEVER. BECAUSE WHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM ACTIVATES, YOU MIGHT FEEL, YOU KNOW -- YOU MIGHT FEEL SOME MILD SYMPTOMS. THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU SEE WITH VACCINATIONS AND ACTIVATING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. >> D YOU. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR THE VACCINE. YOU REFERENCED EARLIER THE EXTREME COLD STORAGE. AND WE'VE HEARD THE VACCINE MAY REQUIRE TWO DOSES. SO CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT, JUST THE PROCESS TO GET IT, WHAT IT MAY BE. AND WHERE YOU ANTICIPATE AREAS THAT IT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. >> Y QUESTION. SO THE PFIZER VACCINE HAS SOME VERY STRICT PROTOCOLS AROUND HOW YOU CAN HANDLE IT. EVEN FOR A HEALTH SYSTEM LIKE PARKLAND, WE HAVE TO STORE IT CENTRALALLY. THEY DON'T WANT US TO DISTRIBUTE IT AT DISTANT SITES, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO KEEP IT CLOSELY-CONTROLLED AND TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED IN THE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES. AND SO WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE FOR OUR SYSTEM COMING TO THE MAIN CAMPUS TO GET THE VACCINE. IT IS TWO DOSES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DAY ZERO AND THEN A DAY 21 YOU HAVE TO GET A SECOND SHOT. AND YOU NEED THAT SECOND SHOT FOR IT TO BE EFFECTIVE. THE MODERNA VACCINE THAT WILL BE COMING SHORTLY AFTER THE PFIZER ONE REQUIRES A SECOND DOSE AT 28 DAYS. BOTH OF THE EARLY ONES ARE GOING TO REQUIRE A SECOND DOSE. THERE ARE OTHERS COMING THAT MAY NOT REQUIRE MULTIPLE DOSES AND MAY BE EASIER TO HANDLE IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTING IT EASIER. BUT THAT'S THE FIRST TWO THAT WE'LL SEE. WE DO EXPECT IT TO BE WIDELY AVAILABLE AT SOME POINT. PHIL CAN TALK ABOUT HOW MANY PLACES HAVE APPLIED TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE. SO I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE PLENTY OF OPTIONS, JUST NOT IN THE MONTHS OF PROBABLY DECEMBER AND JANUARY CERTAINLY. >> Y QUESTION, IF I COULD ON THAT. IS IT REALLY PRECISE ON THE 21 AND 28 DAYS? IS THERE A BIT OF A WINDOW? OR DO YOU NEED TO HIT THAT DATE? >> T TOO. I WAS ON A CALL WITH STEPHEN HAHN, THE DIRECTOR OF THE FDA A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. AND ONE OF THE DEANS OF THE SCHOOLS ASKED THAT QUESTION. THEY HAVE TO LOOK -- THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMBING THROUGH THAT DATA TO SEE IN THE STUDIES SORT OF WHAT -- HOW FAR PEOPLE STRAYED FROM THE 21 DAYS. THE SAFE ANSWER IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE OR AFTER IS GOING TO BE SAFE. BUT LET'S SAY THE PERSON THAT COMES IN THREE WEEKS AFTER, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU GET YOUR SECOND SHOT THEN? OR DO YOU HAVE TO RESTART THE CYCLE? AND THEY WILL BE COMING OUT WITH MORE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE AROUND THAT. BUT SURELY, THERE WILL BE A FEW DAYS' LEEWAY. [00:35:01] THE QUESTION IS IF YOU MISS IT BY A MONTH, WHAT DO YOU DO? WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE AROUND THAT. >> W DR. DAVIS. YOU IN THE CRITICAL RESPONSE OFFICE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. AND WE KNOW THAT OUR FACILITIES, OUR CAMPUSES, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN USED AS TESTING SITES, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY. SO DR. DAVIS, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON KIND OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MAY BE WORKING TO MAKE THE VACCINE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND THEN OUR STUDENTS WHEN WE CAN. >> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO OUR BOARD AT THE LAST MONTH'S BOARD MEETING APPROVED AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN [INDECIPHERABLE] AS DISTRIBUTION SITES FOR THE VACCINE. OUR FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE SHOULD THE COUNTY NEED THEM FOR DISTRIBUTION SITES. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE PRESIDENT OF TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF PHARMACISTS, TO SEE IF THEY CAN UTILIZE OUR MAIN CAMPUS SITES AS CLINICS, WHICH OUR EMPLOYEES AND LATER OUR STUDENTS CAN GET THE VACCINE COMING TO OUR MAIN CAMPUSES. THOSE ARE WAYS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTICIPATING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE VACCINE. >> J IF I COULD. CERTAINLY, THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. I ME RESPONSIBLE AS I MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY FOR WELL OVER 100,000 PEOPLE THAT LOOK TO US FOR EDUCATION SUPPORT AND SERVICES. SO WE'LL -- WE'RE IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STUD EMPLOYEES. SO AS WE LOOK AT THAT, HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE AND PARTNER, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM BOTH DR. CERISE AS WELL AS DR. HUANG ON THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION. CLEARLY, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SCALE THAT WE OPERATE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LINE EVERYBODY OUT AND HAND IT OUT THAT WAY. WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS. >> SURE. I'LL CHIME IN HERE. IT'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATION ON THIS. AS FRED MENTIONED, THAT WE HAVE OVER I THINK AS OF LAST WEEK, OVER 200 SEPARATE PROVIDERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP. BUT THE OTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS DISTRIBUTION IS THAT THE PHARMACIES ARE REALLY PLAYING A BIG ROLE. THAT PHARMACY CHAINS. I KNOW THERE ARE OVER 240 PHARMACY SITES THAT HAVE SIGNED UP THAT WILL BE PARTNERING WITH THIS. THE PHARMACIES ARE GOING TO BE PLAYING ROLE IN ACTUALLY GETTING VACCINE TO SOME OF THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS LIKE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. AND HAVE SOME RESOURCES THERE TO SUPPORT OTHER ADMINISTRATION. SO WE'LL BE WORKING ALL TOGETHER. AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP WE'VE HAD ALREADY WITH DOING COVID TESTING. AND YOU KNOW CERTAINLY THE OPPORTUNITY AS NEEDED TO USE YOUR CAMPUSES AS SITES FOR PROVIDING VACCINE. I THINK, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING SEE HOW ALL THE AVAILABLE SITES THERE ARE AND WHAT ARE THE NEEDS. AND AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FRED FROM PARKLAND VERY CLOSELY, ON HOW WE MEET THE NEED. >> WELL, GREAT. LET ME TURN BACK TO YOU, DR. MAY. YOU REFERENCED EARLY OUR RETURN ON JANUARY 4TH. AND YOU KNOW, CLEARLY, WE'VE HAD QUESTIONS AROUND THAT DATE. AND SO KIND OF SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT IN A LITTLE GREATER DETAIL, IF YOU COULD. >> SURE. AND I HEARD FROM FOLKS, ARE WE GOING TO BE READY BY THE 4TH? HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE OR NOT. WE PICKED A DATE. WE COULD HAVE PICKED ANOTHER DATE FOR COMING BACK. BUT THAT'S REALLY A POINT IN TIME THAT WE'RE AIMING FOR. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY CONTROL WHAT IS GOING ON IN P PARTICULARLY DURING A PANDEMIC. SO I THINK WE'VE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED THAT WE PAY ATTENTION. WE LISTEN TO OUR FOLKS LIKE DR. CERISE AND DR. HUANG. WE HEED THEIR ADVICE. WE LOOK AT HOW WE CAN RESPOND. WE L COLLABORATE IN PARTNERSHIP. AND DR. CERISE'S COMMENTS EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THERE'S A REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC DOWN [00:40:02] THE ROAD WITH THE VACCINE. CERTAINLY, THAT GIVES US SOME RAY OF SUNSHINE AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE. WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THE 4TH, MAYBE NOT? THAT'S GOING TO BE A CONSTANT EVALUATION KNOWING THAT WE -- I THINK DR. CERISE AND DR. HUANG, WE MAY WELL SEE A SPIKE COMING INTO THIS FIRST OF ALL. I MEAN, EVERYBODY -- BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC WINDOW ABOUT WHEN THIS WAS GOING TO OCCUR. WE KNEW WITH THE START AND END DATE IS LIKE ITS OWN ORGANISM THAT IS MOVING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'LL BE RESPONDING TO IT RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND TO A GREAT EXTENT. >> D A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN WE DO RETURN NEXT MONTH. AND ABOUT WHAT PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE TO SAFELY WELCOME EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS BACK. >> OKAY. YES, WHILE WE'RE WORKING REMOTELY, OUR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON SITE AT OUR CAMPUS LOCATIONS. SO THEY ARE ASSESSING OUR SIGNAGE. MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE SIGNAGE IN PLACE. THEY ARE ALSO PREPARING OUR CLASSROOMS AND OUR COMMON AREAS TO MAKE SURE THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. AND THEY ARE ALSO CLEANING AND SANITIZING ALL OF OUR AREAS SO THAT WHEN WE RETURN, EMPLOYEES CAN FEEL SAFE THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS BOTH AS SAFE AND WELCOMING AS POSSIBLE. >> W WE MAY HAVE A LARGER NUMBER OF FOLKS COMING BACK, IF THERE ARE PLANS TO IMPLEMENT ABC SCHEDULE OR IF WE'LL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE OUR AB SCHEDULE. >> SO AT A PRIOR TOWN HALL, I MENTIONED WE WERE GOING TO BRING EVERYONE BACK IN JANUARY. WELL, THAT WAS PRIOR TO KNOWING HOW THESE NUMBERS HAVE SPIKED. AND AS WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND MANAGE THAT, ALONG WITH MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE AB SCHEDULE WHEN WE TURN IN JANUARY. >> S YOU. WE'VE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR NOTIFICATION PROCESS ONCE THERE IS A POSITIVE CASE AT ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS. SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW OUR REPORTING SYSTEM WORKS, AND HOW EMPLOYEES CAN STAY INFORMED ABOUT IT. >> YEAH. SO THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, EMPLOYEES CAN SELF-REPORT OR NOTIFY THEIR SUPERVISOR OR A BACK TO CAMPUS COORDINATOR WHO CAN REPORT ON THEIR BEHALF. THE REPORTING IS DONE IN OUR ECONNECT SYSTEM. ONCE A REPORT HAS BEEN FILED, ONE SOMEONE FROM THE CRITICAL RESPONSE OFFICE WILL CONTACT THE EMPLOYEE, STUDENT OR COMMUNITY MEMBER AND DO A POST-POSITIVE INVESTIGATION. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THEY'LL DETERMINE WHO THE PERSON HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH. THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL ALSO BE NOTIFIED THAT THEY HAVE A POSSIBLE EXPOSURE AND WILL BE ASKED TO SELF-QUARANTINE. AND IN TERMS OF HOW EMPLOYEES CAN STAY ABREAST OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AND AROUND THEM, ON THE COVID-19 RESOURCES AND INFORMATION PAGE, EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO OUR DASHBOARD. THE DASHBOARD SHOWS WHERE WE'VE HAD POSITIVE CASES, LOCATIONS AND JUST GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE AND HOW MUCH EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID. >> THANKS, SHARON. LET ME TURN TO YOU, DR. HUANG. SIMILAR QUESTION. WE'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS. IF SOMEONE,S JUST SOMEONE IN THE ACCOUNT RECEIVES A POSITIVE TEST RESULT, WHAT STEPS SHOULD THEY EXPECT FOLLOWING THAT? AND YOU'RE ON MUTE. >> T PARTNERSHIP WE'VE HAD WITH PARKLAND IN THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM, BEEN IMPLEMENTING A SYSTEM USING THIS QUALTRICS. EVERYONE WE GET A REPORT OF A POSITIVE CASE, WITHIN 24 HOURS OF RECEIVING THAT REPORT AS LONG AS THE REPORT CAME IN WITHIN 14 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THEIR COLLECTION, THEN, THEY'RE SENT -- IF WE HAVE A CELL PHONE NUMBER OR E-MAIL, A MESSAGE WITH A LINK TO THEM TO ALLOW THEM TO FILL OUT A SORT OF A SELF-ASSESSMENT, SELF-IDENTIFICATION OF ANY PERSONS THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AS CLOSE CONTACTS. AND THEN, THOSE PERSONS ARE -- IF THEY HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THEM, ARE SENT ANOTHER LINK TO A MESSAGE [00:45:02] WITH INFORMATION ABOUT QUARANTINING, ABOUT RESOURCES, AND THINGS FOR SUPPORT. THAT'S OUR AUTOMATED SYSTEM. THEN, GIVEN THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING LATELY WHEN WE'RE SEEING AN AVERAGE OF 1,400 PATIENTS A DAY AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS, THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM REALLY IS OUR SORT OF WAY TO REACH THE MASSES THAT WAY. AND THEN, WE ALSO DO THAT IN-PERSON STAFF THAT ARE DOING INVESTIGATING OF CLUSTERS IN MEAT PACKING PLANTS AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, DAY CARES. AND THEN, WE ALSO HAVE A SYSTEM TO CONTACT PEOPLE BY PHONE WHO HAVEN'T FILLED OUT ANY OF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS TO TRY TO COLLECT THAT SAME CONTACT INFORMATION AND NOTIFY THOSE PERSONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED. SO THAT'S SOME OF THE PROCESSES. WHAT WE'VE SAID FROM THE START WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE LOW, THE CONTACT TRACING AND CASE INVESTIGATION OF EVERYONE WHO TESTS POSITIVE IS MORE MANAGEABLE. AS YOU GET TO THE HIGH NUMBERS, THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO SLOW THE SPREAD DOWN MOST ARE SOME OF THESE OTHER GETTING PEOPLE TO WEAR THE MASKS AND AVOID CROWDS AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE POLICIES THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE HAVE THESE ONGOING EFFORTS. SO DEFINITELY SHOULD RECEIVE THE AUTOMATED MESSAGES. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO RESPOND TO THOSE. FILL IT OUT. AND ALSO, THEN, THE FOLLOW-UP PHONE CALLS WHEN YOU CAN. >> D YOU. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IF SOMEONE HAD ALREADY HAD THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, CAN THEY GET IT AGAIN? AND WILL THEY NEED TO GET THE VACCINE? YOU MENTIONED EARLIER WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME. SO YOUR THOUGHTS ON THOSE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. >> SURE. WE DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN GET IT AGAIN. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CASES NOW REPORTED OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN REINFECTED. HAVE HAD SYMPTOMATIC DISEASE AGAIN. SO THAT IS POSSIBLE. SO THAT'S THE ANSWER FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD IT. AND, YOU KNOW, WONDER ABOUT CAN I NOT KEEP A DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK? WE ENCOURAGE THAT TO CONTINUE. PLUS, IT'S JUST A PRACTICAL PIECE THERE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO HAS HAD IT AND WHO'S NOT. SORT OF A WORKPLACE, YOU WANT EVERYBODY TO FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURES. BUT YOU CAN GET IT AGAIN. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE GUIDANCE ON VACCINATIONS WILL BE FOR PEOPLE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE HAD IT, TO GO GET VACCINATED. I DON'T KNOW THAT. I WOULDN'T EXPECT THEM TO BE IN THE EARLY TIER. I THINK AT THE END OF THE LINE WHEN EVERYBODY THAT IS NAIVE TO THE DISEASE GETS VACCINATED, THEN, THOSE ONES THAT HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF INFECTION MAY GET THE CALL. PHIL, YOU MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT THAN I. THAT'S WHAT I SUSPECT WILL BE THE GUIDANCE. >> T FAR. IS THAT, YES, HAVING PRIOR INFECTION WOULDN'T SAY YOU COULDN'T GET THE VACCINE. IT W RECOMMENDED. >> D YOU, YOU MENTIONED WEARING MASKS EARLIER AND SOME OF THE DIVISIVE DIALOGUE AROUND WEARING MASKS. WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE SENT IN ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WEARING MASKS, AND IF THERE'S NEGATIVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF HAVING WORN THEM? >> Y REITERATE, THE MASKS ARE NOT A POLITICAL THING. THEY ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION. AND THEY REALLY -- THE RECOMMENDATIONS DID CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS. AND AS PART OF OUR EVOLVING KNOWLEDGE, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS RECOGNIZED HOW IMPORTANT THE ASYMPTOMATIC SPREAD, THE PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE INFECTION AND NOT KNOW IT AND STILL SPREAD IT THROUGH THE DROPLETS, THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING THE MASK BECAME MORE RECOGNIZED. THERE'S BEEN OTHER STUDIES AND DATA SHOWING THE EFFECTIVENESS. IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE AND THE UNIVERSAL PRECAUTION. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHEN EVERYONE HAS INFECTION. IF EVERYONE WEARS IT, THAT IT HELPS PREVENT THE SPREAD. AND THERE HAS ALSO BEEN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. PROTECTING THE WEARER ALSO. THAT'S BEEN EVOLVING NEWS. AND THERE'S NOT ANY LONG-TERM EFFECTS TO WEARING IT. [00:50:01] I'VE SEEN I MEAN THERE HAS BEEN -- THEY'VE LOOKED AT -- THER SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON OXYGENATION OR CO2 AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IT'S A SAFE, SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, PROTECTIVE THING THAT WE CAN ALL DO. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, DR. CERISE AND DR. HUANG, THE QUESTION IS FOR BOTH OF YOU. AS YOU YOU'VE HEARD IN THIS CONVERSATION, IN JANUARY, WE'LL START WELCOMING EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS BACK. SO JUST ANY BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU WOULD SHARE WITH US THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND AS WE RETURN BACK TO OUR LOCATIONS? >> WELL, I'LL START. AND PHIL HAS ALREADY TOUCHED ON. THE FIRST THING IS JUST THE BASICS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW SIX FEET AND A MASK. MENT AND THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING TRANSMISSION. AND PEOPLE HAVE STUDIED IT. YOU WONDER, WHERE DO THESE THINGS COME FROM? PEOPLE ACTUALLY STUDY. AS I'M TALKING, I HAVE DROPLETS COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH RIGHT NOW. NOBODY ELSE IS IN THE ROOM WITH ME. I DON'T HAVE A MASK ON. BUT THE DISTANCE THAT THOSE THINGS CAN TRAVEL, WE THINK THAT'S GOING -- NOT THINK. THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT THAT'S LESS THAN SIX FEET UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. IF I'M SINGING IN A CHOIR AND PROJECTING, IT MAY BE LONGER. IF I'M YELLING, IT MAY BE FURTHER. IF I'VE GOT THE VIRUS AND I'M SYMPTOMATIC AND I HAVE A HIGH LOAD OF VIRUS IN MY, MAYBE SIX FEET IS NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE THERE'S GREATER DENSITY OF THE VIRUS. AND SO A MASK AND SIX FEET, MASKS PREVENTS THOSE DROPLETS, AND IT ALSO PROTECTS THE PERSON THAT IS WEARING IT. MENT IT PROVIDES A DUAL FUNCTION THERE. SO THOSE ARE THE KEYS. THEY HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO WORK AT THE HOSPITAL EVERY DAY, AND WE'VE NOT HAD OUTBREAKS AT THE HOSPITAL. WE'VE HAD LITTLE CLUSTERS. WHERE WE'VE HAD LITTLE CLUSTERS IS AROUND A BREAK ROOM, PEOPLE SITTING TOGETHER AROUND A TABLE, TAKING OFF THEIR MASK TO EAT. AND YOU'LL SEE TRANSMISSION HAPPENS THAT WAY. IT'S THESE LITTLE LAPSES OR LITTLE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE A BLIND SPOT. SO I WOULD SAY THOSE TWO, THE MASKS AND DISTANCE, CONTINUE THAT. AND YOUR HAND SANITIZER. BECAUSE THERE'S STILL THE ABILITY TO SPREAD IT BY TOUCH AND BY SURFACES, EVEN THOUGH IT'S MUCH LESS COMMON THAN THE DROPLETS. THAT'S STILL A REAL THING, SO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AS WELL. AND THEN, OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE HAVE HAD SYMPTOMS, STAY AWAY. >> YEAH. I GUESS MAKING SURE AND REMINDING PEOPLE, IF THEY'RE ILL, STAY HOME. MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE COMING IN, HAVE SIGNAGE TO SAY DON'T COME IN IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS. THE INFORMATION, MAKE SURE THE BUILDINGS HAVE GOOD VENTILATION SYSTEMS PRETTY MUCH. THOSE ARE THE BEST THINGS. >> D THIS. . WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES, SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT DALLAS COLLEGE AND THE MEASURES WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE. WHAT PERSONAL MEASURES SHOULD THEY BE THINKING ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE NOT AT WORK? >> I THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING. WEAR THE MASK, AVOID CROWDS, KEEP SIX-FOOT DISTANCE, WASH YOUR HANDS, DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES, NOSE, AND MOUTH. OUTDOORS IS BETTER THAN INDOORS. GREATER DISTANCE IS BETTER THAN LESS DISTANCE. IT'S REALLY, NOT LET UP AS FRED MENTIONED. IT'S SORT OF THESE SMALL FAMILY GATHERINGS, MEDIUM FAMILY GATHERINGS, PEOPLE THINK I'LL JUST GO TO THIS ONE EVENT. OR I'LL JUST GO OUT TO THIS RESTAURANT HERE. WE HAVE OUR GUIDANCE DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT, AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD. WHILE WE'RE IN THE RED ZONE, THERE'S A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS WHAT OUR LOCAL EXPERTS THINK IS SAFE. >> I DR. CERISE. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. WE KNOW CERTAINLY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT NEEDS AND SUPPORT THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD. SO FROM YOUR STANDPOINT THERE AT PARKLAND, WHAT SORT OF CHALLENGES HAVE YOU SEEN FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH STANDPOINT? >> Y QUESTION. THERE'S SO MUCH ABOUT COVID IS JUST IT'S BAN DISRUPTOR. AND CONNECTIONS. [00:55:01] EVERYTHING WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, IT'S KEEP STAYING AWAY FROM PEOPLE, RIGHT? WHAT DO HUMANS NEED? THEY NEED CONNECTION. SO FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT'S BEEN TOUGH. PEOPLE GET ISOLATED. MENT AND SO WHAT WE TRY TO TELL PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ASKING YOU TO KEEP DISTANT, TRY TO STAY CONNECTED. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE CONNECTED WITH THIS SORT OF STUFF. SO MY FAMILY, I DIDN'T GET TOGETHER IN NEW ORLEANS FOR THANKSGIVING WHERE MY FAMILY IS. BUT WE DID CONNECT. ALL OF THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND COUSINS, WE HAD A BIG ZOOM AND GOT CAUGHT UP WITH EVERYBODY. SO YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. WE DO KNOW FROM A PROVIDER STANDPOINT, OUR PSYC PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, THEY FOUND THEY CAN DO VIRTUAL VISITS, AND IT ACTUALLY WORKS QUITE WELL. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE HAVING ISSUES, REACH OUT TO YOUR PROVIDER, AND THERE ARE WAYS TO CONTINUE TO GET SEEN EVEN IF IT'S NOT PHYSICAL FACE-TO-FACE VISITS. >> W OUR FINAL QUESTION, BOTH OF YOU, DR. CERISE AND DR. HUANG, HAVE REFERENCED SOME OF THIS. BUT JUST YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS AS PEOPLE ARE CONTEMPLATING WHAT DO THEY DO DURING THE HOLIDAY BREAK IN TERMS OF CONSIDERING GETTING TOGETHER WITH FAMILY. HOW DO THEY DO THAT CONNECTION PART YOU WERE JUST REFERENCING, DR. CERISE, BUT IN A WAY WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY? >> S WAYS -- OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE MOST SAFE THING TO DO IS NOT TRAVEL, RIGHT, AND TO NOT VISIT. IF YOU DO, THERE ARE WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR RISK. THE CDC HAS PUT OUT GUIDANCE AROUND THIS. THE COUNTY HAS PUT OUT GUIDANCE AROUND THIS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR PARENTS, THEN, ISOLATE YOURSELF FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE HAND. AND SO THAT THERE'S MUCH LESS RISK YOU'RE GOING TO BRING EXPO HOUSEHOLD. PHIL, WHY DON'T YOU TALK. BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON HOLIDAY GATHERINGS AND WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO REDUCE RISK. >> Y PRINCIPLES. AVOID THE CROWDS. DO IT VIRTUALLY. IT CAN'T BE LIKE A NORMAL HOLIDAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, WEAR THE MASK. OUTDOORS IS BETTER THAN INDOORS. BUT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THIS SEASON, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT. AND PROTECTIVE. AND PLACES LIKE AIRPORTS, BUS STATIONS, TRAIN STATIONS ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, HIGH SORT OF SPREADER OPPORTUNITY PLACES. SO AVOID THAT. AND AS I MENTIONED, THERE COULD BE SOME, YOU KNOW, PRE-QUARANTINING FOR 14 DAYS. BUT SMALL GROUPS. BUT REALLY, IT'S JUST GOT TO BE DIFFERENT. AND TRY TO DO THINGS VIRTUALLY. >> W EVERYBODY. THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR QUESTIONS. MENT I APPRECIATE CERTAINLY THE PANELISTS AND EVERYONE WHO JOINED US TODAY. PLEASE KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING. YOU CAN SEND THOSE TO THE TOWN HALL. E-MAIL ADDRESS. WHERE WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR COVID-19 SHARE POINT SITE. AND SO WITH THAT, DR. MAY, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. YOU HAVE TO UNMUTE TO DO THAT. >> THANK YOU. DR. CERISE AND DR. HUANG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US. I WAS KIND OF SMILING AT THE IDEA WITH ZOOM AND FACETIME AND DUO AND OTHERS HAS BECOME A REGULAR PART OF OUR LIVES. AND THE CRISIS WITH MY 90-YEAR-OLD PARENTS RIGHT NOW IS THEIR IPAD LOCKED UP. SO THEY CAN'T SEE EVERYONE FACE-TO-FACE. WHOEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A FAMILY PROBLEM WHEN THE IPAD IS NO LONGER WORKING OR FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. SO THE REALITY OF TODAY'S WORLD. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR FOLKS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE FOR JOINING US TODAY. AND HOW YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE FACING MANY OF THESE SAME ISSUES. [01:00:01] THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.