COVID-19 Employee Update

Covid-19 Response

March 16, 2020

COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) is a rapidly evolving situation; given that, we want to keep you, our UMMS employees and medical staff, as informed as possible. We will continue to send regular updates, as necessary. We thank you in advance for your continued hard work and support of our patients, visitors and one another.

General Update

  • Maryland Governor Larry Hogan held a press briefing and announced additional state-wide efforts to combat COVID-19:
    • Social Distancing
      • All bars and restaurants in the state, as well as fitness centers, spas and theaters, will be closed effective at 5:00 pm on March 16.
      • Restaurants will be available to offer carry-out, drive-thru, and delivery services. Food service locations in health care facilities may remain open. 
      • All public and private gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited – including social, community, spiritual, religious, recreational, leisure, and sporting gatherings.
    • Public Health Surge Planning
      • The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is working to increase health care capacity by 6,000 beds by working with providers to reopen closed hospital facilities and take other measures necessary.
      • The Maryland Secretary of Health has activated the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps.
      • Other measures as necessary, including management of necessary health care resources, interstate health care licenses reciprocity and the ability of practitioners to practice under an inactive license.
    • Other Relief Measures
      • Emergency order that prohibits utility providers from shutting off any residential service or charging late fees.
      • Emergency order that prohibits Maryland courts from ordering eviction as a result of COVID-19.
      • Maryland State Department of Education has the ability to provide three meals a day to students impacted by school closures.

Elective Surgery Policy

  • UMMS/UMB, in coordination with the Johns Hopkins Health System, announced an elective surgery policy, with frequently asked questions. Starting March 18, all elective surgeries at all UMMS medical facilities will be canceled through April 1. 

Telework and Special Leave Policies

Important IT Updates

Help Desk Requests

  • As many of us are starting to work remotely, the IS&T Help Desk is experiencing record call volumes. If you are experiencing a non-urgent issue not related to patient care, please email the Help Desk at helpdesk@umm.edu. This will help the Help Desk more efficiently route your incident to the team best able to resolve your issue and leave phone lines open for urgent clinical issues.
  • If your issue is related to remote access, including MyRemote, Email, VPN, Remote Desktop and Dual Factor Authentication, please see the UMMS Telework Toolkit Guide.
  • If this does not help resolve your issue, email remoteaccesssupport@umm.edu.
  • Be sure to include your contact information in all emails to the IS&T Help Desk.

Cyber Threats

  • While we adjust to the changes and challenges brought on by COVID-19, it is important to remain vigilant against an increased risk of cyber threats. As is true with every global event, the disruptions to personal and professional routines, increased demand for information and heightened public anxiety create opportunities to capitalize on the confusion and fear with cyberattacks, phishing and scams. A few simple precautions can go a long way in protecting ourselves from these threats:
    • Ask yourself important questions – Is someone asking me to break protocol? Am I sure I know who is asking? Is this too good to be true? Some of us may find ourselves in a moment of urgency, when someone is asking us to act quickly and decisively, and we want to make sure that we do our best to respond correctly in these situations. Unfortunately, cyber attackers can try to take advantage of this. Remember Cyber attackers may try to rush you into making a mistake!
      • If you receive a phone call or an email from an “authority figure” and you don’t typically communicate with them, take a moment to ensure everything checks out. Make sure you know why it’s you being contacted, and think carefully about what they are asking you to do. Be particularly cautious of people claiming to be from IT, a government authority or a leadership figure that normally doesn’t communicate with you.
      • If someone calls or emails you and tells you to go to a website, open an attachment or provide information, this should be a red flag! They may be trying to trick you into downloading malware or giving away sensitive information. Reach out to the Helpdesk or ITS-SecurityTeam@umm.edu to verify.
      • Beware of people claiming to have special knowledge! There have already been numerous websites and email scams trying to use enticing, in-demand information like virus maps to lure people to click. The best information is coming from the CDC, WHO, and other official sources, and UMMS is sending them out in official bulletins. Sites claiming to have sensational news stories and special information about COVID-19 usually have ulterior motives.
    • Follow Procedures -- If you’re not doing it the official way, you could be causing a breach. UMMS is working around the clock to equip everyone with the technology they need to meet the demands of their job.
      • DO NOT SEND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL – If you need remote access, work with your manager and the Helpdesk to get the UMMS-approved tools.
      • USE UMMS-PROVIDED DEVICES – PHI should only be accessed, stored and saved using properly secured devices and applications.
    • Look Out for Scams – We are naturally attracted to gripping headlines, emotional pleas, and the “inside scoop”. Fake news stories and fake fundraising abound in the wake of natural disasters. There isn’t going to be a secret “miracle cure,” and you are best off donating your money to a person or organization you know and trust. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  • If you are concerned about a particular issue, or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact ITS-SecurityTeam@umm.edu or email the Helpdesk. We are committed to supporting the UMMS community!

   Resources for More Information


Thank you for your commitment to our patients and to each other. Know that our System-wide incident commanders and chiefs and the local affiliate incident commanders are working in partnership to respond to any developments and we will continue to provide timely updates as the situation warrants.

This content is for Internal Use only.