COVID-19 Information and Resources for Clinical Staff

Thursday, May 12, 2022 was the last day of the University testing program. Gateway testing for new hires, surveillance testing of current affiliates, and weekly testing for those with medical or religious exemptions have been discontinued.

Testing is now readily available in public and private locations, as well as through self-tests, and surveillance testing no longer plays the important role that it did previously, in the context of high vaccination and booster coverage at the University. Wastewater surveillance will continue for undergraduate residential buildings. Should public health conditions change, we will reassess the need for on-campus testing options. In addition, the Contact Tracing Program will continue to provide information and guidance as necessary. Information on accessing self-testing kits is available on Columbia’s Human Resources website.

For up-to-date human resources policies, please see the Quick Reference Guide for HR Departmental Contacts.

At-A-Glance COVID-19 Policies

• Wear a mask:

  • Classrooms: Masking in all classrooms will be required through September 30th to allow a smooth return to the classroom.

  • Clinical and Clinical Research Settings: Masking in indoor settings in clinical and clinical research areas and other human subjects research as well as field research is required.

  • Shuttles: Masking is required on Columbia-operated shuttles.

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get vaccinated and boosted based on your eligibility:
  • Vaccines are available in New York City for everyone ages 5 and older. Booster doses are available for everyone 12 and older
  • Visit the NYC COVID-19 and Flu Vaccine Finder or call 877-VAX4NYC (877-829-4692) to find a vaccination site
• Monitor for symptoms and stay home if you are sick: Monitor for symptoms, and if you feel sick, notify your supervisor, stay home or leave work early.
• Get tested: Testing is especially important if you have COVID-19 symptoms or were recently in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. 
  • Visit the NYC COVID-19: Testing webpage to order at-home tests or find a COVID-19 testing site in the city or from covid.gov/test

What To Do If You Test Positive

• Employees with a positive test result should inform their department of their positive test result so that the Department is able to plan for the absence, based on the isolation guidance the employee receives from their healthcare provider.
• Employees able to continue working remotely should confirm their plans with their department. Employees either unable to work remotely due to their type of work or too ill to work will be eligible for quarantine pay as defined in the policies below under NYS Paid Sick Leave for Mandatory or Precautionary Quarantine. Quarantine payment is separate from regular sick days and is not charged to the sick bank or salary continuation.
• Employees should be reminded to send their positive test result to Columbia Health at covidtesttrace@columbia.edu.
• Columbia Health will send a confirmation email to the employee providing guidance on isolation and return to work. This will be the only correspondence sent out to the employee, who should share it with their supervisor or local HR if they are required to and cannot return to campus.
• Leave Management does not need copy of the results, but are available to the Department or Employee if there are questions.
• Employees not able to return to work within the typical 5 days of isolation should contact leavemanagement@columbia.edu for further guidance. Documentation from a physician may be requested.

Clarification on gatherings, events, meetings and visitors:

• There are no restrictions on social gatherings on or off campus, except for clinical-related settings. Masking in indoor settings in clinical and clinical research areas and other human subjects research as well as field research is required. 
• It is the responsibility of Columbia event sponsors to check the vaccine status of all non-Columbia attendees or visitors prior to or at the beginning of the event

For the most up-to-date guidance and clinical support documents, please see the COVID-19 Information resource page on the NewYork-Presbyterian Infonet. This page coalesces information on clinical resources, patient and visitor guidance, key infection prevention & control guidance, healthcare personnel guidance, regulatory guidelines, and more.

There are no COVID-related restrictions on personal or Columbia-related travel; however, we urge caution when traveling to countries with CDC Travel Health Notice Level 3 or 4 or “Level Unknown,” and International Travel Planning Policy requirements remain.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented and uniquely trying time for our community, particularly for providers on the front lines.

In response, the Department of Psychiatry has partnered with ColumbiaDoctors and NewYork-Presbyterian in developing CopeColumbia, which provides information and resources for the CUIMC community, including counseling sessions, peer support groups, guided meditations, suggested reading, and other resources for managing stress, fear and anxiety.

To access these resources, please visit CopeColumbia. For any questions about CopeColumbia, or if you have any unmet needs, please email CopeColumbia@cumc.columbia.edu. 

The Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics and its Division of Narrative Medicine is responding to CUIMC’s urgent needs for connection, stress-reduction, and remedy for isolation in the face COVID-19 and challenges to our health and safety. 

Narrative Medicine provides critical resources in response to the COVID crisis. Through Columbia Narrative Medicine, Columbia faculty, trainees, and staff can:

• Sign up for a private, small-group seminar with those you work with (Naturally Occurring Work Groups, or NOW groups) to meet with a trained facilitator for regularly-occurring narrative sessions.
• Join hour-long Zoom sessions with persons across the globe uniting for creative and reflective work. Through a blog discussion board, participants post their creative work and respond to one another’s postings.
• Listen in to Creative Director novelist Nellie Hermann reading aloud a short story each day.
• Join the NM Book Club
• Use NM’s web resources of literary texts and visual images for reflection and solace and pleasure on your own time. We invite you to join us in all these projects at www.narrativemedicine.blog. 

We encourage you to write directly to Rita Charon, chair of Medical Humanities and Ethics, at rac5@columbia.edu with questions and requests.