In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the GSA has partnered with Studentcare in order to keep students updated regarding the continued implementation of preventative measures as well as how they may impact the administration and operation of the student plans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Canada, and a number of other medical authorities, it is crucial to take steps to ‘flatten the curve’ so as to limit the spread and overall impact of the virus. One of the simplest ways to curb community spread is through implementing Social Distancing. Not only does social distancing avoid mass transmission, but it offsets peak loads on our health-care system, thus ensuring that services remain operational for those that truly need them.
Studentcare is taking the following steps in order to prevent the transmission of the virus:
Care Centre Operations & Member Services Impact: The Studentcare team is currently preparing for scenarios in which Care Centre staff may be impacted due to quarantine, isolation, or illness requiring staff to work from home. Although service delays are to be expected in these scenarios, Studentcare has put a robust Emergency Measures Plan that has is being implemented as the situation evolves. Further, the appropriate measures have been put into place to allow the majority of staff to work remotely from the safety of their homes. Our main goal is to limit the impact on services as much as possible while ensuring the safety of staff and surrounding communities.
Plan Management – In-Person Meetings and Daily Operations: Studentcare is currently paying close attention to campus protocols and travel restrictions to ensure the health and safety of staff and university communities while attending any in-person meetings and/or commitments. It should be noted that Studentcare has suspended all non-essential air travel. Due to their large remote workforce, Studentcare already has experience conducting business as usual with the help of teleconferencing and video-conferencing calls and will continue to update all partners via remote communication methods mentioned above.
Satellite, Regional & Campus Offices: Campus protocols and restrictions are being closely monitored in order to ensure that there is no risk to the well-being of staff, colleagues, or partner university communities, while taking the opportunity to positively impact the wider community. Given the continually evolving characteristics of this pandemic, Studentcare has enacted work-from-home protocols for staff to make certain they can operate from home in unexpected circumstances or as a proactive measure.
Empower Me: Studentcare has maintained close communication with Empower Me providers in order to discuss how students using the service may be impacted. While Empower Me providers are experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls, measures are being taken in order to limit any disruptions that may occur due to self-isolation or quarantine measures. For students, in-person sessions will fell the majority of the impact. Video and telephone counselling sessions can still be set up to continue to support students .
Please note that Studentcare’s Emergency Measures Plan continues to prioritize the privacy and security of student data and is designed to mitigate risks. Our goal is to ensure the overall safety of employees and communities while maintaining stability and continuity for all partners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COVID-19:
At Concordia University: https://www.concordia.ca/covid19info.html
From the World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus