From the HSC News Office on August 12, 2022
Dear HSC Faculty, Staff and Students,
As of this writing, monkeypox infections in the United States have exceeded 10,000, Texas nearly 800. HSC Health has worked diligently with the Tarrant County Public Health Department to establish mitigation guidelines: Prevention is KEY. As a health science center, many of us are likely to care for individuals suffering from monkeypox at some point. Your safety is priority and as such, I wanted to share a few initiatives that have been implemented at HSC:
- HSC Health has begun screening anyone coming to the clinics to be seen for exposures through Phressia.
- HSC Health is able to test for monkeypox.
- HSC Health is working with Tarrant County Public Health to provide vaccine.
- Monkeypox Rapid Resources and Evidence-based Advisory Program (Monkeypox RREAP) is a newly-formed, interprofessional student interest group addressing all aspects of interprofessional practice research and education on monkeypox.
Should you have an unprotected exposure either personally or professionally, follow these guidelines provided by the CDC, contact your primary care practitioner (or HSC Health Priority Care X2273 or Student Health X5051) and your local health department for further instructions. Current data suggest people can spread monkeypox from the time symptoms start until all symptoms have resolved, including full healing of the rash with formation of a fresh layer of skin, typically two to four weeks. Proper PPE, excellent hand hygiene and prevention are KEY.
I am immensely proud of the HSC students who created a video with the latest information on Monkeypox to provide additional education for all. It can be found here: https://f.io/L7t_mFQH. Stay tuned for more updates soon and as always, stay safe!
Jessica Maack Rangel, MS, RN, FNAP
Executive Vice President of Health Systems