The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 has affected us all. The RSDM community is adapting daily to changes in the course of the virus and new policies enacted by the government and Rutgers University. During this vast public health crisis, we are working to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff while fulfilling our crucial clinical and educational mission. I am deeply grateful for all the hard work that our RSDM community has continued to do during these difficult times. We will face many challenges in the days ahead, but we will get through this together.
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Help Students Facing Hardship During Pandemic
RSDM Foresight Leaders, Class of 2020
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many RSDM students are struggling. They face transportation problems, housing issues, lost income, food insecurity, health insurance complications and more. To help relieve these strains, dental students have been applying directly to Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) student emergency funds, which provides immediate support for those facing serious problems. You can help RSDM students in need by donating. Make your contribution to the RBHS Student Emergency Fund specifically to reach our dental students. To give, click
here.
All Hands on Deck
Dean Feldman Urges Dentists to Fill Shortage of Hospital Staffs During Pandemic
Dean Cecile A. Feldman called upon New Jersey's 7,000 dentists and other oral health professionals to step up and fill the overwhelming need for providers during the the COVID-19 crisis. As hospitals around the state and nation are stretched thin by staff shortages, dentists can play a crucial role during the pandemic, she says. Read her NJ.Com op-ed.
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Expert Opinion
Faculty Shares Tragic History of Handwashing Pioneer
Ignaz Simmelweis
Dr. Daniel H. Fine, chair of RSDM's Department of Oral Biology, shares the fascinating story of Ignaz Simmelweis, the 19th-century doctor who discovered that handwashing can fight infection and illness. It was a radical notion at the time and Simmelweis was mocked and disgraced by the medical world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when hand washing has become our first line of defense against the virus, we owe him a debt of gratitude. Read Dr. Fine's NJ.com Perspective piece here. LEARN MORE
Discovery at Rutgers
University Establishes New COVID-19 Research Center
David Alland, director of Rutgers' Public Health Research Institute and chief of infectious diseases at New Jersey Medical School, will lead Rutgers' COVID-19 research center.
Rutgers has created a new center to coordinate the university's myriad research and public health and outreach efforts to combat COVID-19. The center's goal is to serve as an institutional hub for Rutgers' COVID-19 research activities and information dissemination."Given our expertise and the health needs at the state and national levels, we are excited to announce the establishment of the Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness to address SARS CoV-2, the causative pathogen of COVID-19, and other emerging pathogen threats," said Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) and executive vice president for Health Affairs.LEARN MORE
