Updated: Friday, September 13 at 9 a.m.
The downtown campus buildings are open today, except for the Tidewater Building.
Classes in the building are suspended until Monday, and we want to limit the number of people in the building, but faculty and staff have access to their spaces. We ask that any damage to workspaces be reported ASAP to the facilities team.
Although the New Orleans area fared well overall in Hurricane Francine, many people are dealing with power outages and flooding this morning. Here’s a brief update on our operations, and we’ll have more to come later today.
Campus buildings remain open to essential personnel only and all non-essential personnel should work remotely if possible. The buildings are expected to be fully open at noon today.
People parked in the LaSalle or Saratoga garages can leave their cars until 4 p.m. on Friday, September 13. You do not have to move your car today and will not be charged for leaving your car in the garage until after 4 p.m. Friday.
Most clinics have reopened with the following known exceptions:
LCMC Health
- The Tulane Transplant Clinic at East Jefferson General Hospital is closed today due to a water issue.
- The Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine opened at 11.
- The uptown Multispecialty Clinic, Lakeside MOB, and Pulmonary Clinic at EJGH are closed due to no power.
TUMG
- The Louisiana Center for Bleeding & Clotting Disorders clinic in Metairie, and Tulane Total Health (Fertel clinic) and Tulane Doctors Specialty Psychiatry Clinic in Mid-City are still without power.
- All other TUMG locations are okay.
- All clinics are planning to return to in-office visits tomorrow, Friday, September 13, unless they are still without power.
Medical students received an update from Dr. Chakraborti late last night, and that information can be found below.
Please continue to check your Tulane.edu email and the School of Medicine website for the latest information.
We want to take a moment to thank everyone for your flexibility as we work through the aftermath of Hurricane Francine. Your efforts are appreciated, and together we’ll support each other in getting back to normal as quickly as possible.
Lee
We continue to monitor Hurricane Francine as the storm approaches Louisiana. The current forecast has the worst of the storm coming through New Orleans around midnight, with 50 to 60 mph winds and potentially higher gusts. Whether this is your first hurricane or your fifth, I know this causes some anxiety. The previous storms have taught us valuable lessons, and we’re better prepared than ever to weather Francine.
Any scheduled classes should be held virtually today, Wednesday, September 11, and tomorrow, Thursday, September 12. The downtown campus is open to essential personnel only and is expected to remain that way through Thursday. We’re encouraging very limited activities in research during this time. If someone needs to come to the campus, please exercise caution and arrive either before or after the strongest winds impact New Orleans. We expect the strongest winds to arrive after 7 p.m. tonight.
To see the National Weather Service hourly forecast for your neighborhood, enter your zip code here.
LCMC and TUMG anticipate opening facilities tomorrow, possibly later than usual in the morning, unless there are facility specific issues overnight. TUMG clinics will be coordinated individually.
We will keep you updated if any changes to the current plan occur, so please check your Tulane.edu email and the School of Medicine website for the latest updates. We don’t anticipate a major loss of communications, but we will send information by text should it be necessary. Please make sure your supervisor and colleagues have your cell phone number.
Stay safe,
Lee
L. Lee Hamm, Sr. Vice President & Dean
As Francine approaches, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of all Tulane School of Medicine community members. We are closely monitoring the situation and want to ensure everyone is informed about the necessary precautions and operational changes over the next few days. Please carefully review the following instructions for faculty, staff, students, residents, and fellows, as well as the latest updates from our clinical partners.
Downtown Campus Tulane buildings will be open to essential personnel only on Wednesday, September 11, and people who can work from home should do so at the direction of their supervisors. We will continue to send out updates via email, and they will also be posted here on the School of Medicine website.
Staff should consult with their supervisor and/or refer to their department’s emergency plan to determine if they are considered essential storm personnel. We ask that supervisors remain flexible in allowing staff time to leave work to prepare their homes for the storm.
Should there be a need for LN2, there are supply tanks on the second floor of Hutchinson near room 2728, hoses are attached. Please use eye protection and cryogloves.
Everyone should continue their personal hurricane preparations. For more information on preparing for a hurricane, including food, water, and other resources, please click here.
The shuttle from Hutchinson to EJGH will not run on Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12. Information for Residents, Fellows, and Students is below, but has also been sent to individual groups.
Parking: Tulane personnel with permits for the Hutchinson or Murphy garages can park in the garages based on availability. Please do not park in reserved spaces. The LaSalle and Saratoga Garages will offer free parking to Tulane affiliates without parking permits starting today, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m. through Thursday, Sept. 12, at 4 p.m. Anyone parked in the garage after 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, will need to pay to exit the garage. The LaSalle Garage is located across from the Tulane Emergency Room, Saratoga is on S. Saratoga Street between Cleveland Ave. and Canal Street.
LCMC Hospitals
East Jefferson General Hospital, University Medical Center, and CHNOLA LCMC will operate on Code Grey: Level II – Short Notice Event. A lockdown of all LCMC hospitals will begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, September 11, through 7 a.m. on Thursday, September 12. Clinics and elective procedures will be canceled for Wednesday of this week. Normal operations will resume at 7 am on Thursday, September 12. LCMC will continue to send updates via email and text. Should you lose power, LCMC has an emergency information line you can call to listen to the latest updates - 504-702-3700.
TUMG Clinics
TUMG clinics will be closed on Wednesday, September 11. Physicians’ offices will contact patients to reschedule appointments or change them to a televisit format. If needed, patients will be contacted Wednesday to reschedule appointments for Thursday.
We understand this is a stressful time for many, and we appreciate your continued hard work and dedication as we navigate this storm together. We will continue to send updates as the situation evolves, so please monitor your Tulane.edu email and this page for the latest information. LCMC hospitals will be on Code Gray: Level II beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11, and only approved personnel will be allowed in the facilities. Each program will have a list of residents/fellows who volunteer for the Code Gray Activation Team. Communication to residents and fellows will be sent via Tulane.edu email and posted on the School of Medicine website.
Please note that School of Medicine faculty, residents, and fellows may have different roles and responsibilities than other Tulane schools and must follow the guidance of their departments and the GME Office. This guidance may differ substantially from announcements directed to the public or the undergraduate university.
Medical Students
Phase 1 and Phase 2 - all sessions (Wednesday and Thursday) will be remote. Please refer to instructions from Dr. Rae and course directors. T3 and T4 Clinical rotations - you are excused from clinical duties for Wednesday, as our clinical partners are locking down for Code Grey. Didactics scheduled for Wednesday can continue via Zoom at the discretion of the respective course/clerkship directors. The respective clerkship directors should contact students not in the New Orleans metro area.
BMS students
BMS classes on Wednesday and Thursday will be remote. In case of power outages, please communicate with your course instructors. First and Second-year PhD students should remain off campus on Wednesday. Third-year and beyond PhD students should communicate with their Research Mentors regarding research plans and expectations over the next few days. When possible, we encourage students to stay off the roads and shelter at home on Wednesday.
Nursing Students
The Program of Nursing will not be meeting for in-person activities or synchronous sessions on Wednesday or Thursday, September 11 and 12. All activities and sessions (Wednesday and Thursday) will be remote.
