MOMENT OF RECKONING
WORKFORCE IN PROGRESS THROUGH THE TRAINING OF COVID-19 CONTACT TRACERS AND CASE INVESTIGATORS, THE FIELDING SCHOOL IS HELPING TO PREPARE THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL MEET A CRITICAL NEED IN REDUCING THE VIRUS’ SPREAD.
22
AS
EASE
recent graduates have been hired to serve as
RESTRICTIONS and emerge as safely as pos-
CALIFORNIA
PREPARED
TO
training facilitators, including in such key roles
sible from shelter-in-place orders imposed
as program coordinator and training manager.
early in the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the
“The threat of COVID-19 remains high. If
major unmet needs was for more personnel
we want to safely begin reopening our society,
trained to perform the tasks fundamental to
we need to have certain public health mea-
infectious disease control, including contact
sures in place, including a significant increase
tracing, case investigation, and administra-
in our ability to trace new infections,” says
tion. To effectively relax California’s stay-at-
Ron Brookmeyer, dean of the Fielding School.
home orders, it was estimated that 10,000 to
“This large-scale training program with our
20,000 new contact tracers and case inves-
colleagues here at UCLA, and at UCSF and
tigators would need to be trained — individ-
the CADPH, will allow us to begin that effort to
uals to help to ensure that, as newly infected
expand and strengthen our public health work-
people are identified, their close contacts are
force.” Alina Dorian, FSPH associate dean for
traced and quarantined to reduce the spread
public health practice and for equity, diversity,
of COVID-19 and prevent major outbreaks.
and inclusion, is leading the team with Michael
The Fielding School is helping to meet this
Prelip, professor and chair of FSPH’s Depart-
critical need through its role in the California
ment of Community Health Sciences, and Eric
Connected COVID-19 Virtual Training Acad-
A. Bullard, dean of continuing education and
emy, co-led by the California Department of
UCLA Extension.
Public Health (CADPH), UCLA, and UC San
The training academy is a central part
Francisco (UCSF), which is training thousands
of California Connected, the state’s con-
of individuals in multiple counties through-
tact tracing program and public awareness
out the state. The comprehensive pandemic-
campaign, which aims to ensure that trained
response training program at UCLA is being
individuals are working with people who test
managed
positive for COVID-19 and their close con-
through
a
strong
partnership
between FSPH and UCLA Extension, and
tacts to secure access to confidential testing,
involves faculty and staff from both campus
health care, and other services designed to
units. Approximately 35 FSPH students and
prevent the virus’ spread.
U C L A F I E L D I N G S C H O O L O F P U B L I C H E A LT H M AG A Z I N E