Dear Sonoran University of Health Sciences community,
You may have noticed an increase in illness within our community. Like the rest of Arizona, we are experiencing a spike in infectious illness rates, which is affecting our students' ability to attend classes and impacting campus services, including patient care.
Our Infectious Illness Safety Taskforce is actively monitoring the situation and implementing health and safety protocols to protect our campus community. Sonoran remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of our students, employees, and patients—particularly those who are most vulnerable to severe illness.
In response to the current spike, we are implementing the following measures to mitigate risk:
- N95 masking is required for students and employees in all clinical locations. Masks are available at the front desk of each clinic.
- N95 masking is recommended in all other campus locations. Masks can be obtained at the front desk of the Lim Commons.
Additionally, we remind everyone that preventative measures remain our strongest defense against the spread of illness. Please stay home if you are feeling unwell, practice enhanced hygiene, and wash your hands frequently.
Please review and adhere to the notification protocol outlined below. Your cooperation and commitment to these efforts help ensure the safety of our entire community.
Infectious Illness Notification Protocol
All community members must stay home if they are ill and exhibiting any of the following acute infectious illness symptoms:
Fever (>100⁰F or >38⁰C) or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestions or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Community members may return to campus when they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and are symptom-free. Students present on campus with signs of infectious illness will be offered a mask and will be sent home. Clinical students not following the clinic masking policy or attending while ill will be sent home and receive an unexcused absence.
Per the Student Handbook, students must notify their faculty and submit the Absence Request Form if they will miss a graded assessment or clinical clerkship.
In cases of lingering symptoms, the Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Blyden-Taylor) can grant permission to return to campus if the person is no longer contagious. Community members with non-infectious illnesses who display the symptoms above may proactively contact the Chief Medical Officer who will issue a release to return to campus.
The Taskforce will continue to monitor the rates of infectious illness on our campus and adjust the protocols accordingly.
We appreciate your commitment to keeping our campus community safe and healthy. Wishing you wellness during this time, and thank you for your continued efforts to support one another.
Sincerely,
Infectious Illness Safety Taskforce