August 27, 2021 | CRT Update Dear RVU Family: Good news arrived Monday, August 23, when the FDA announced full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for people age 16 and older. This vaccine will now be marketed under the name Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee).  This FDA approval is a milestone in fighting the pandemic and we hope this approval will instill confidence in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine in preventing hospitalization, morbidity and mortality. More infectious variants are of increasing concern.  The Delta variant is spreading rapidly across the United States, hitting unvaccinated individuals especially hard and pushing health care systems and providers to the brink in many areas. The recurring stress on our health care system is of great concern.  As the majority of persons reading this email are either directly or indirectly working to benefit our regional and national medical communities, we should all be concerned about the impact of COVID-19.  Again, we hope that the latest news regarding the FDA full approval for the Pfizer vaccine will cause those hesitant to receive the vaccination while under emergency authorization to now be vaccinated.  The more persons vaccinated against COVID-19, the more chance we have to combat this deadly […]

August 13, 2021 | CRT Update Dear RVU Family: The CRT has been receiving questions regarding wearing masks while on campus as a response to the updated CDC guidelines. The guidelines are specific to indoor public places, which does not pertain to RVU. The CRT continues to meet weekly and also has had discussions with our academic program leaders to determine how we can best maintain the safety of our community. A summary of our current guidelines is as follows: Masks are not required in common spaces in the building. However, anyone having any concerns or anyone with young children or immunocompromised loved ones at home are encouraged to wear a mask while in common areas within the university. Please use your best judgement and do what is right for you. Effective Monday, August 16th, the COM is requiring all students, faculty and staff to wear a mask during labs with required attendance. This is necessary due to the proximity and duration of time spent together while in labs. COM students must wear a mask while checking in for exams as there will be a large group of people within close proximity of each other. However masks are not required […]

August 6, 2021 | CRT Update Dear RVU Family, It is wonderful seeing students back on campus! While it is exciting to have students and employees back in the halls of RVU, we have to remember that there are still risks associated with the COVID-19 virus – especially now with the rapidly spreading Delta Variant. Your CRT is closely monitoring the rapid spread of the Delta Variant nationwide and especially in our local markets. We are concerned regarding the rapid spread of the virus and want to ensure the ongoing safety and wellness of our community. We are also considering the latest recommendation from the CDC regarding the wearing of masks for vaccinated individuals in indoor public spaces.  For now, we will continue with our current policies regarding masks on our private campus (all fully vaccinated individuals can determine whether or not they want to wear a mask for additional protection. All non-fully vaccinated individuals must continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing while on campus). We also strongly encourage everyone to wear a mask while in any public spaces off campus and ask you to encourage your loved ones to do the same. Additional CDC recommended precautionary […]