October/November, 2020 Working@Duke

THANK YOU, DUKE HEALTH 8

‘THE BEST OF DUKE’ 10

NE W S YOU CA N USE • O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2020

Surviving COVID-19:

A Duke Employee’s Journey

SMALL PRICE FOR PEACE OF MIND 11

Editor’s Note

CONTENTS

LEANORA MINAI

Stay Connected During COVID-19 In early March, campus life, including the Working@Duke editorial team, was operating with its regular rhythms and routines. We were writing about the kaleidoscope of color in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and celebrating women’s history month.

The April-May publication, featuring a story about how colleagues implement well-being techniques in their lives, was days away from printing.

And then suddenly, 2020 became a year unlike any we’ve seen.

Most university staff and faculty left campus offices and set up workstations at home, while Duke health care professionals and colleagues elsewhere responded to the front lines of the emerging pandemic to keep vital operations running.

On March 12, we decided not to print the AprilMay issue, but you can read it on the archive site at hr.duke.edu/workingatduke/archive. We quickly shifted our focus to the online news site, the Working@Duke section of Duke Today. Since then, we’ve produced over 150 stories covering everything from the reopening of 150 campus buildings and distribution of 150,000 face masks, to technology tips and wellbeing resources to help you through trying times.

We temporarily suspended the “Blue Devil of the Week” profile and created the weekly “Dedicated Devils” series highlighting staff and faculty nominated by colleagues for rising to the challenge of the pandemic.

This issue of Working@Duke marks a return of the publication, sent to you at home because a significant portion of our workforce continues to work remotely.

Through stories shared here, we offer a reminder that we’re all in this together.

“Now that many of us aren’t coming in and seeing each other face-to-face, that sense of community is hard to grasp on to,” said Senior Writer Stephen Schramm. “But in some small way, Working@Duke – both online and in the magazine – represents that connection.”

In this issue, you’ll learn about Duke colleague and COVID-19 survivor Harvey Fletcher, and the team charged with keeping Duke’s workforce healthy.

You’ll read about a faculty member who kept a virtual poetry class engaging. And you’ll see pictures featuring the work and appreciation for Duke Health professionals.

As we navigate the uncharted path ahead, stay connected daily to Working@Duke online at [working.duke.edu], read the e-newsletter “Working@ Duke This Week,” and join the conversation on Facebook [facebook.com/workingatduke] and Twitter [twitter.com/workingatduke]. We hope to bring you the next publication early next year. Until then, please take care and write us at working@duke.edu with your questions and story ideas.

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4 Surviving COVID-19

Like others infected with COVID-19, Duke employee Harvey Fletcher’s response to coronavirus was unique. But he experienced something in common with other employees who’ve fallen ill with the virus – the specialized support from a team charged with keeping Duke’s workforce healthy.

8 Thank You, Duke Health

A pictorial tribute to COVID-19 front-line professionals who demonstrate Duke Health’s values of excellence, integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation.

10 Showcase of Dedication

University staff – from financial services to housekeepers – take special pride in keeping Duke’s essential operations running 24/7.

11 Open enrollment for medical benefits begins Oct. 19 12 Whether faculty or physical therapists, colleagues make a difference from a distance

14 Learn new skills with free or low-cost online options 15 By the numbers: Keeping Duke wired Contact us Editor/Executive Director of Communications: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu

Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado (919) 684-2107 paul.figuerado@duke.edu

Jonathan Black Writer (919) 681-9965 jonathan.c.black@duke.edu

Stephen Schramm Senior Writer (919) 684-4639 stephen.schramm@duke.edu

Working@Duke is published every other month by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and story ideas. Send email to working@duke.edu or call (919) 681-4533.

Visit Working@Duke daily on Duke Today: working.duke.edu

Cover: Duke employee Harvey Fletcher stands on Duke’s medical campus in August 2020.

Photo by Justin Cook.

2017, 2014 Gold, 2019, 2015, 2013, Silver, 2016, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications and 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing

BRIEFLY Get moving with online fitness classes During physical distancing, Duke staff and faculty can find ways to stay and get fit with free and discounted virtual resources. 



or $5 per month, enjoy F unlimited access to nearly 500 online classes on Wellbeats, an on-demand fitness provider. Sign up through LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, at hr.duke.edu/wellbeats. he Duke Health & Fitness Center will help you set up a workout T routine with a new virtual training program that is open to members and non-members. Purchase a single session or up to 12 personal training appointments. Virtual group sessions are also available. Prices start at $27. Enroll at dukefitness.org/personal-training/training-sessions.

 Access

dozens of free workouts on Duke Recreation & Physical Education’s YouTube page. Duke Rec staff members regularly upload videos of group fitness instructors performing at-home workouts you can do with minimal equipment. Sessions include Zumba, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, kickboxing and more. Start working out at bit.ly/DukeRecVideos.

“Working out is essential to our health,” said Felicia Tittle, executive director of Duke Recreation & Physical Education and physical activity and movement co-convener for Healthy Duke. “Getting outside and feeling the sun, smelling fresh air or moving inside can all help you cope with the challenges we’re facing.”

Join the fight against flu To better protect the Duke community from COVID-19, vaccinations against the annual influenza virus are required for Duke University staff and faculty who work on-site.

Duke University Health System has required annual vaccinations against the influenza virus for health care workers since 2013.

The School of Medicine and School of Nursing added the requirement in 2014 for employees who interact with patients. In 2019, the School of Medicine and School of Nursing extended the requirement to all faculty and staff.

Through Nov. 10, appointments for Duke employees are available at vaccination clinic locations on-and-off campus, including at Duke’s Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW) clinic in Duke South. Unlike previous years, appointments are required due to physical distancing. Vaccinations can also be obtained at Duke Primary Care providers, area pharmacies and other locations, but documentation must be provided.

While influenza and COVID-19 are caused by different viruses, they have similar symptoms and can be extremely contagious and dangerous. Because some symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. An outbreak of influenza due to low community vaccination

rates could result in emergency rooms and clinics being overwhelmed during COVID-19 response and an increased chance of spreading both respiratory illnesses in the community.

“It behooves us as an employer to do everything we can to keep our employees safe from viral infections,” said Dr. Carol Epling, director of Duke’s EOHW. “It’s going to get confusing for us this flu season when we have a flu circulating alongside COVID. So, the more we can do to lessen the chances that an individual experiences influenza illness, the better.”

Schedule a free vaccination at flu.duke.edu.

End 2020 on a professional high note Duke Learning & Organization Development (L&OD) has rounded out its 2020 schedule of virtual professional development courses with 17 additional sessions focused on building leadership, communication and productivity skills through the end of the year.

Among the offerings through December are Fundamentals of Coaching, Online Facilitation Skills and Managing Multiple Priorities. The lineup also features a session on resilience and classes on tools such as Excel and PowerPoint.

Last year, Jessica Stukes, education and training manager for the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, took the Train the Trainer course and Online Jessica Stukes Facilitation Skills course, which helped her hone her ability to bring colleagues up to speed with department policies through online learning.

“As trainers, we’re always looking for ways to engage different types of learners,” Stukes said. “Some people just learn by reading, or seeing, or hearing. So to be able to create something virtual that can engage all of people’s senses, it gives you comfort as a trainer that people are actually getting it.”

Prices for courses range from $49 for Excel training to up to $600 for multi-day courses. See what fits your needs and sign up: hr.duke.edu/training/course-offerings.

New Executive Vice President begins Dec. 1 Daniel Ennis, chief financial and operating officer at The Johns Hopkins University, will begin at Duke as the next executive vice president on Dec. 1. He follows Tallman Trask III, who is stepping down on Nov. 30 after 25 years in the role and will continue to serve in an advisory capacity to the university.

“Daniel Ennis will be a visionary and transformative leader for Duke,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “He brings extraordinarily strong experience at a great research university and a great medical school, along with a deep commitment to the core Daniel Ennis values that are so important to us.

“It will be difficult enough to succeed Tallman Trask, but in Daniel, the Duke community will have an executive vice president whose great skills will be matched by an equally great passion for excellence and inclusion.”

Learn more about Ennis at bit.ly/NewDukeEVP.

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Surviving COVID-19: Harvey Fletcher’s experience highlights a robust effort to care for the workforce

Harvey Fletcher.

Photo by Justin Cook.

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hen Harvey Fletcher arrived home in Durham after work one day in June, he had a mild headache and felt tired but didn’t think much of it. He ate dinner with his wife of 36 years and watched his favorite TV news programs in the living room.

But as the evening wore on, the dull headache grew worse.

Worried, he took his temperature before going to bed.

“I didn’t have a temperature at that time, but in the morning when I woke up, I felt like I’d been slammed by a bulldozer,” said Fletcher, a financial care counselor in the Duke Clinic blood lab.

He stayed home from work, called his manager and reported the symptoms to Duke Employee Occupational Health &

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Wellness. Soon after, he was at a COVID-19 drive-thru site, where a Duke Health team member inserted a long swab up his nose and twisted it five times to collect secretions for analysis.

With that, Fletcher officially joined the roughly 612,000 other North Carolinians who had been tested for COVID-19 by around mid-June.

The next day, he received his test result: positive for novel coronavirus.

While Fletcher’s story is his own, one thing he shares with other Duke employees who have fallen ill with COVID-19 is the specialized support from the dedicated colleagues charged with keeping Duke’s workforce healthy.

A Duke Employee’s Journey Fletcher’s case also illustrates the multi-pronged response quickly established by Duke to care for its workforce and stay a step ahead of the contagious and deadly respiratory disease.

As with all positive cases, a contact-tracing team in Employee Occupational Health & Wellness quickly investigated whether other colleagues who came in close contact with Fletcher needed to be monitored or tested. And a caring neonatal nurse practitioner redeployed for the response, Tonya Howell, who lost her grandfather to COVID-19 in August, called and spoke with Fletcher at home for 14 consecutive days.

“People ask me all the time, ‘How is this going to go for me? How have you seen it go for everybody else?’” said Howell, who managed Fletcher’s case as a member of the Employee Occupational Health & Wellness team. “And I tell people all the time, ‘No two people are the same.’”

At 62, Fletcher will tell you he’s a “blessed” man. In addition to his age, he has conditions that put him at higher risk for complications. He is a diabetic, has high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and sleeps with a machine to help him breathe more easily. He’s seen the grim national reports since the outbreak, highlighting at least 196,000 deaths in the United States and horrific stories of perfectly healthy people with no known underlying medical conditions dying alone from COVID-19.

“I am very, very thankful, because I keep up with what's going on around the country, and there are folk who are much younger than I am, that have passed away from it, or had to be hospitalized or put on ventilators,” said Fletcher, who has worked at Duke for 30 years. “And so, I am extremely, extremely thankful to God that I made it through.”

Staying on the Virus Trail Fletcher’s journey began in early June after a routine preventive care appointment at a provider outside of Duke. He said the office did everything right. No one was permitted in the waiting room. He sat in his car until his appointment. During the check-up, the provider and technician each wore gloves, a mask and face shield.

About a week later, Fletcher received a text message from the provider, informing him that someone on their team tested positive for COVID-19. Fletcher felt fine. He was not experiencing any symptoms, but he quickly alerted Employee Occupational Health & Wellness, which reviewed his symptoms and told him to continue monitoring his condition.

Suddenly, after work several days later, Fletcher started feeling sick, prompting him to stay home. He reported his

A sign on Duke’s campus represents a requirement of The Duke Compact: to wear a mask or face covering. Photo by University Communications.

headache and fatigue to Employee Occupational Health & Wellness, which recommended the COVID-19 test and removed him from work. Employee Occupational Health & Wellness reviews symptoms all employees report before they come onsite to work as part of a specially developed daily symptom monitoring process and system at Duke.

“We have had hundreds and hundreds of people across Duke who have stepped up in unimaginable ways to help us successfully manage our way through a global pandemic, and the level of teamwork, collaboration and cooperation has just been phenomenal across the enterprise,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, emergency coordinator and vice president for Administration.

Dr. Carol Epling, director of Employee Occupational Health & Wellness, said the source of exposure for the great majority Dr. Carol Epling of positive COVID-19 cases among members of Duke’s workforce is either unknown or from community exposure outside of work. Because of community >> continued on page 6 working.duke.edu

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Tonya Howell, one of at least eight employee health case managers and a neonatal nurse practitioner at Duke. Photo by Justin Cook.

spread, Epling asks employees to not grow tired of public health practices: wear a mask, maintain your physical distance and wash your hands.

“We just have to live this way until we have a vaccination, so that we can gain immunity and live our lives differently again,” Epling said.

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When an employee at Duke such as Fletcher tests positive for COVID-19, contact tracers – led

by LIVE FOR LIFE, the team that usually manages employee wellness programs – start their detective work.

The 27-member LIVE FOR LIFE team and roughly 120 volunteers work two shifts covering 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, to help stop the spread of the virus. Their investigation generally begins with a call to the infected member of the workforce to gather as much information as possible.

“We need to find out your 14-day history and activities since your symptoms started. Where you've been, who you've been in contact with,” said Julie Joyner, project coordinator for Duke Contact Tracing and LIVE FOR LIFE director. “We re-create your last two weeks.”

A list of people in close contact with the ill employee is reviewed with the infection prevention team. Tracers reach out to those people, ask about symptoms, collect data and provide information about testing and daily symptom monitoring.

“You just have to be on your toes because you never know what's coming,” Joyner said. “You may get a case that may have 90 people that need to be traced, or you may get cases with very few that need to be traced. Every case is unique and different.”

Brandon Harper, a Duke grad and former Duke Football offensive guard, recently joined LIVE FOR LIFE as a health promotion manager. He’s now running plays as a lead tracer. He said tracers collect as many details as they can about the 48 hours prior to an employee’s illness onset. That’s the highly infectious period along with each day the employee has had symptoms.

And while tracers gather clues, he said, they offer information about services, everything from how to get a thermometer to childcare and counseling.

“We really want to make sure that they know about that because it's tough,” Harper said. “You get tested one day, test positive the next day, and you're out of work for a significant amount of time. It's just sudden.”

Finding a Lifeline During the first five days of Fletcher’s illness, chills and extreme fatigue kept him in bed 20 hours a day. He did not lose his sense of smell and taste and did not experience shortness of breath. His wife stayed in another room, as did his son. His daughter slept at a hotel. They all tested negative for COVID-19.

“The only difference between this and the flu is this seems like it was the flu on steroids,” Fletcher said. “I was just completely drained of energy. All I literally could do was go to the bathroom, and just come back, and lay in the bed. I was just like a zombie.”

When his 100-degree fever came on the third day of illness, Tylenol reduced it.

“I started getting a little nervous when I got that fever,” Fletcher said. “I started going over in my mind, ‘Okay, do I have my insurance? Does my wife know this, my kids know that?’”

But every day, Fletcher’s phone rang with a friendly voice on the line.

Harvey Fletcher, at right, with wife Meta, son Christopher and daughter Kimberly.

Photo courtesy of Harvey Fletcher.

“Hey, it’s me,” said Tonya Howell, the neonatal nurse practitioner who typically works in Duke’s intensive care unit on the fifth floor of Duke University Hospital.

Howell was redeployed to the contact tracing effort in June to help support employees like Fletcher with COVID-19. One

Stay informed about updates related to Duke’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at coronavirus.duke.edu.

of at least eight case managers, Howell is a nurse practitioner, reviewing respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, asking whether the county health department has been in touch, and striving to be a friend, too.

She and Fletcher talked about kids, their yards and cracked jokes.

“People are isolated. COVID can be hard for people. It's an emotional time,” Howell said. “I'm one of the main people that they get to talk to, so I want to know how you're doing. I want to hear about life.”

Even after Fletcher and other employees under Howell’s care recover, they call her.

“They call to say hello and ask me how I’m doing,” Howell said. “I say, ‘that’s great to hear you asking me how I’m doing.

I asked you that every day for two weeks.’”

Shelby Hill-McCray, a senior occupational health nurse in Employee Occupational Health & Wellness, said the department has relied on health care workers from across Duke in their response to keep employees healthy or help them recover.

“We've had so many people coming in as redeployed employees, and they have just all been wonderful,” said HillMcCray, who has worked at Duke more than 40 years. “We’ve had doctors and nurses and just a whole host of people come who have really been tremendous, helping us try to manage this situation.”

Fletcher, who checks in patients for blood tests, was out of work for at least 14 days. His appetite was cut in half, and he lost 12 pounds but reports no lingering effects from COVID-19.

Covered by Duke Select, one of Duke’s employee medical plans, he still followed up with his doctor.

On Aug. 4, Fletcher celebrated his 62nd birthday. His wife, Meta, fixed him chicken pot pie and picked up strawberry cake from a favorite restaurant. He’s resumed a relaxing pastime, mowing his and his neighbors’ lawns.

“I like being outside and being one with nature,” Fletcher said. “I like helping people too.” 

By Leanora Minai

Share Your Story How has COVID-19 affected you? Has your school, department or unit accomplished something special during these trying times? Send an email with your idea, story or shout-out to working@duke.edu.

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d Athletics team create s Landscape Services Duke University Facilitie ne Circle Lawn. dici Me e Duk the on il ge in Apr an appreciation messa

Duke Urgent Care South employee s Dawn Williams Jones, Angela Jo , Anthony nes, Liz Donohue and Gina Moore Duke ambulatory stand at a COVID-19 site in Ma rch. “While many are trying to figure of us out how to stay aw ay as much as po to avoid illness, ou ssible r urgent care tea ms are gearing up morning to be on every the front lines,” sa id Ka ren director of opera Pulido, regional tions for Duke Urg ent Care.

Thank You, Duke Health When Duke University Health System discharged its 1,000th COVID-19 patient in August, the milestone encompassed the work of all Duke Health team members on the front lines since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

In addition to caring for the critically ill, the team has processed at least 100,000 tests for COVID-19 and made rapid changes to the protocols and the workplace environment to reduce the spread of the deadly virus – all while continuing to provide regular patient care. This unprecedented effort demonstrates Duke Health’s values

Maury Turner of Fayetteville heads home on Aug. 14 after spending 32 days in Duke University Hospital for COVID-19.

Turner represents the 1,000th COVID-19 patient discharged from Duke Health hospitals.

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of excellence, integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation.

“The response of our Duke Health team members has been above and beyond anything we could imagine,” said Katie Galbraith, president of Duke Regional Hospital and co-incident commander of the Duke Health COVID-19 Incident Command. “They work with dedication, professionalism and an incredible sense of care and compassion. They really are my heroes.” 

nancies gic Malig Hematolo orts. ke ff u e D r ic m e er fo elp pand ractition h p to e h rs u rc n ren, a od in Ma Peggy E nates blo erapy, do & Cell Th

e University uding this team in Duk dical professionals, incl me lth’s medical Hea our e all Duk to l nks gratefu Duke University tha on April 7. “Incredibly ter, on World Health Day ir tireless work to keep the for ide ldw wor Hospital’s Birthing Cen Health and port staff both at Duke professionals and sup d. ete twe ity vers Uni e us safe,” Duk

“This is what we have

been trained for, and it’s such a privilege to take care of our community at a time like this,” said Gia Bonis, a clinical nurse in Duke Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Ry Garcia-Sampson, left , and Kenzie Johnston do Duke Men’s Basket Krzyzewski’s hand/hear ball Coach Mike t gesture at a Duke Fam ily Medicine ambulato ry test site in April.

Anesthesiologist Paul Wischmeyer shares this self-portrait in April before checking on COVID-19 patients in Duke University Hospital’s intensive care unit.

The Bandit Flight Team, a formation flying team, flies over Duke Raleigh Hospital as part of its “Frontline Flyover” on May 14 to honor health care workers in North Carolina.

Compiled by Jonathan Black

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Paul Schuler, control room operator at Chiller Plant No. 2, keeps a close eye on displays showing real-time data from the many pumps, chillers and boilers that make up Duke’s chilled water and steam systems. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

Showcasing ‘The Best of Duke’ Pride and dedication motivate staff in early days of the pandemic

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aul Schuler, a control room operator at Duke’s Chiller Plant No. 2, said he and his colleagues take pride in working nights, weekends and holidays. When bad weather threatens, they even stay in nearby hotels so as not to miss a shift.

They know running the plants that produce the steam and chilled water that heat and cool buildings on the university and medical campuses is a big responsibility. Putting in 12-hour shifts during the pandemic is just part of the job for this team in Utilities & Engineering Services.

“We’ve got a good group,” said Schuler, a 32-year veteran of the Facilities Management Department. “If somebody needs something covered, we’re there.”

COVID-19 showed that there are plenty of other Duke team members who share the same pride in their work.

While many university employees have worked remotely since mid-March, several hundred staff members in police, housekeeping, dining, financial services

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and other areas continue to report to campus, keeping essential operations running.

“I think they represent the best of Duke,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke’s vice president for Administration. “They took the right precautions of watching their symptoms on a daily basis, wearing masks and taking care of their own hygiene. That shows their commitment to the mission of keeping the essential operations of the institution working every single day.”

Housekeeper Erica Sanders is among the University Environmental Services team members who continue to serve campus.

Sanders, who works in the Bryan Center, recalled feeling a special concern for students who remained on campus after spring semester classes became virtual. She knew that, as long as she did her part to keep the center clean, her effort would help keep students who passed through the Bryan Center’s quiet corridors safe.

“Everybody had their guard up, but I just knew if I kept my disinfectant close, we were OK,” Sanders said.

Pattie Poston, a telecommunicator with the Duke University Police Department, said that the flow of emergency calls she fielded didn’t decrease. But the kinds of calls she got changed.

In addition to people locked out of cars or buildings and the regular flow of calls from Duke University Hospital, Poston heard from people who were lost on the university campus with no one around to ask for directions. She also heard from students and parents far from Durham who wanted to know if belongings they’d left on campus were OK. “We reassured people,” Poston said.

“We’re still here. We’ve always been here.

We’re still going to be here and we can still get you help no matter what else is going on. That’s one thing that’s always going to be there.” 

By Stephen Schramm

A Small Price for Peace of Mind Open Enrollment for medical benefits begins Oct.19

For six weeks after abdominal surgery last year, Shannon Robbins wasn’t able to drive. Being back behind the wheel is a special thrill. Photo by Alex Boerner.

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aying in a bed in Duke Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department, the past 24 hours felt like a whirlwind to Shannon Robbins.

In that span last March, Robbins, 54, went from having abdominal pains, to seeing her primary care doctor, and finally a hospital bed facing surgery for an intestinal blockage.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was,” said Robbins, staff assistant in the Office of Finance and Administration at Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.

There was at least one thing she felt ready for. In an uncertain time, Robbins’ Duke employee health coverage was there for her, just like it is for the roughly 74,000 other employees and dependents covered by Duke plans.

After her primary care visit, tests, surgery and three days recovering in the hospital, the total cost of Robbins’ care was $44,129. With her Duke Select coverage, she only paid $770.

“When you go to the emergency room, somebody comes around, takes your information and asks how you want to pay for your visit,” Robbins said. “It was nice to pull out my WageWorks card and say, ‘Put it on this.’”

With Open Enrollment for medical, dental and vision coverage running from October 19 through October 30, now is the time to enroll in or change medical, dental and/ or vision insurance plans, and enroll in health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, which save you money.

In 2021, the monthly premium increases for Duke plans will stay below projected national averages. For Duke Select, the most popular employee medical plan, the increase is $3 per month for individuals and $15 for families. Co-pays and deductibles for medical, dental and vision plans are unchanged.

With COVID-19 changing the way many people receive care, virtual office visits with regular health care providers, including behavioral health providers, are covered under Duke’s plans with the regular co-pay. And COVID-19 medical concerns can be addressed through telehealth with “Duke Health Anywhere.”

In the past fiscal year, Duke paid $261 million for plan participants’ health concerns, up $10 million from the previous year. With more than 90 percent of eligible employees enrolled, Duke’s plans are among the largest on the East Coast and as popular as ever.

Robbins started working at Duke 31 years ago, but had stints elsewhere. Each time, Duke’s health coverage, with its lower costs and easy access to care, helped draw her back.

“I heard other people’s stories, and I always knew we were doing well here,” Robbins said.

After last year’s scare, she has a story of her own that proves it.

“It just felt good not to worry,” Robbins said. 

By Stephen Schramm

Update medical plans and enroll in reimbursement accounts: hr.duke.edu/enrollment2021

working.duke.edu

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Personal Touch from a Distance

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Clockwise from top left: Colleagues Nathalia Davis, Katie McKittrick and Rhonda Brandon meet on Zoom.

Photo courtesy of Katie McKittrick.

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Working remotely means a drastic change to how jobs get done for staff and faculty

athalia Davis’ desk is steps from the office of Rhonda Brandon, Duke University Health System’s chief human resources officer and senior vice president.

As Brandon’s executive assistant, proximity matters to Davis, who manages Brandon’s busy-but-balanced schedule and anticipates her needs with quick face-to-face chats throughout the day.

“I need to know what’s in her head,” Davis said. “I need to understand where she’s coming from so I can stay ahead of things.”

Since mid-March, when COVID-19 forced many Duke employees like Davis to work from home, Davis has had to figure out how to do her job from farther away.

“Our days are still a lot like they were at the office – we’re just virtual,” Davis said.

From executive assistants and professors to physical therapists, here’s how some colleagues have adjusted to carrying out hands-on jobs from a distance.

Reaching Students in New Ways Thomas Pfau, the Alice Mary Baldwin Professor of English, was teaching a poetry seminar for first-year students last spring. He said students in the class embraced the material about the intersection of poetry and faith and had been a joy to teach.

When the pandemic forced the semester to go virtual, his connections with students suddenly had to travel through Zoom teleconference.

“In a class, you want to make sure everybody is fully engaged,” said Pfau, who has been teaching at Duke since 1991. “So when you have 14 little boxes 12

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Professor Thomas Pfau embraced online teaching when his spring poetry seminar went virtual in March. Photo courtesy of Thomas Pfau.

on a screen in front of you, the main challenge becomes making sure their attention is still holding and they’re not losing focus.”

While he never taught virtually before, Pfau kept students engaged. He prepared detailed notes for students prior to class.

He figured having more background information and tangible material to reference would be beneficial. He also created more open discussion in each class by paring down introductory statements and posing more questions.

He missed teaching face-to-face, but the semester finished on a high note as the stimulating conversations continued online.

“We had already built a good rapport in class,” Pfau said. “So switching to this new format did not seem quite as alienating as it might otherwise have seemed.”

Virtually Hands-On In February, Caroline Garrett, then a senior at Bradford Academy in Mebane, tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in her right knee playing basketball.

She had surgery at Duke and faced months of physical therapy to ensure her reconstructed knee healed properly.

Duke Sports Medicine Clinic’s Kristina Wulff speaks with patient Caroline Garrett during a virtual visit. Photo courtesy of Kristina Wulff.

When COVID-19 curtailed most in-person functions at the Duke Sports Medicine Clinic, she wondered what would happen next.

“I thought, ‘How is physical therapy supposed to work when the therapists can’t actually feel my knee?’” Garrett said.

Physical therapy, which relies on therapists watching patient movements closely and often manipulating bodies with their own hands, seems uniquely challenging to be done virtually. But with the clinic only seeing in-person patients with urgent needs during the pandemic, the therapists and patients have found ways to deliver effective care virtually.

This spring, roughly 40 percent of Duke Sports Medicine Clinic’s visits were virtual, said clinical director Robert Bruzga.

By summer, around 8 percent were online.

Across Duke Health, the use of telemedicine has grown dramatically. In March, April and May, Duke Health had 53,230 virtual visits, up from a total of 302 over the previous three months.

And telemedicine is in the clinic’s future plans as physical distancing limits the number of people who can be in the clinic.

“It started out as being nice to have in our back pocket if we needed it, but now we do need it because we can’t all fit in the clinic at the same time,” Bruzga said.

For Kristina Wulff, Garrett’s physical therapist, virtual visits took some getting used to. During video visits, she’d often play the role of cinematographer, instructing patients how to move laptops and adjust lighting.

Wulff also got creative by incorporating exercises into the home environment, often getting patients, like the now mostly healed Garrett, to do exercises with the help of chairs, stairs and stationary bikes.

“It went smoother than I thought it would,” Wulff said.

“I think patients understand.”

Keeping Partnerships Close Brandon, Health System senior vice president, leans heavily on Davis, her executive assistant, and Chief of Staff Katie McKittrick to help manage priorities and keep the Health System’s vast human resources operations sound.

Brandon said the reason her team works well during the pandemic is simple.

“It starts with relationships,” Brandon said. “My relationship with Katie and Nathalia is very strong. We’d already established a good rhythm pre-COVID.” Communication is at the heart of those relationships. In addition to weekly virtual meetings with the three-person team, Davis and Brandon start days with a phone conversation, laying out that day’s plan. The same goes for McKittrick and Brandon.

Throughout the day, they communicate with each other by email and text message.

“There’s not as much of a need for me to be in the office as long as we can stay in contact,” Davis said.

And not every conversation is about work. Both Brandon and Davis said it’s important to check in on where each other is emotionally to better meet needs.

Meanwhile, Davis’ skillset has grown as she’s embraced technology such as Zoom, WebEx and Microsoft Teams.

“The assistants that I know have it in their heart to make sure their leaders are cared for,” Brandon said. “They are going to figure out what it’s going to take to care for their leader no matter what. I think it’s a testament to their ingenuity and genuine desire for their leaders to be successful.” 

By Stephen Schramm

Got a shout-out?

Know of special work being done by Duke community members during the pandemic? Send an email with ideas, shout-outs or photographs to working@duke.edu.

working.duke.edu

13

Using Extra Time to Learn New Skills From comprehensive courses to quick lessons, Duke offers a range of online options Digital Fabrication Architect Chip Bobbert tests a 3-D printed circuit this summer in the Innovation Co-Lab. Photo courtesy of Chip Bobbert.

W

hile working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke Assistant Professor of History Adam Mestyan wanted to tackle a project, but he faced a problem.

The scholarly part of building a comprehensive online database of early Arabic printed journals didn’t worry him. Instead, his limited understanding of computer programming did.

But after completing “Programming Foundations with Javascript, HTML and CSS,” an online course taught by Duke faculty through Coursera at Duke, he was off and running.

“They toned down the vocabulary of programming to the level of a general audience,” Mestyan said. “It was really useful.”

With the pandemic leaving many with more time at home, online learning options – often at no cost to Duke staff and faculty – offer opportunities to sharpen work skills or indulge curiosity about a range of subjects.

“This is a time to think about what you control, and that’s your development,” said Keisha Williams, assistant vice president for Duke Learning & Organization Development (L&OD).

“There are opportunities out there, and this is the time to commit and move things forward.”

Consider these resources for your ongoing professional development.

Coursera for Duke Coursera for Duke provides staff, faculty and students with free access to roughly 70 online courses taught by Duke faculty on subjects such as art, nanotechnology and dog emotion and cognition. Since Duke began partnering with Coursera, the Duke community has logged more than 100,000 learning hours on the platform.

Also, as part of Duke 2020 Access, a pilot program from Coursera, staff and faculty have free access through Dec. 31,

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WORKING@DUKE

2020, to the entire catalogue of 3,800 courses from partner institutions. The deadline to enroll in Duke 2020 Access is Oct. 31, 2020.

Learn more at online.duke.edu/coursera-for-duke.

Learning & Organization Development When COVID-19 nixed in-person workshops, Duke Learning & Organization Development, part of Duke Human Resources, began offering virtual courses. Through December, instructors are offering leadership, efficiency and technical training courses through WebEx. Sessions, which range in price from $49 for an Excel training workshop to $600 for the three-day Crucial Conversations course, feature limited class sizes, group exercises and plenty of take-home information.

“Our online platform has been very effective,” L&OD’s Williams said.

Learn more at hr.duke.edu/training.

LinkedIn Learning For Chip Bobbert, digital fabrication architect with the Office of Information Technology (OIT), staying current with the latest design software is imperative for him and students and faculty using cutting edge technology in the Innovation Co-Lab, which he oversees.

That’s why Bobbert trusts LinkedIn Learning, which offers roughly 13,000 video courses for business, technology and creative topics for no cost to Duke staff, faculty and students.

“Almost everyone on our team has learned the essential software packages with LinkedIn Learning,” Bobbert said.

Learn more at bit.ly/LinkedInLearningDuke. 

By Stephen Schramm

Do you have a professional development story to share? Write us at working@duke.edu

Keeping the Duke Community Wired

A

llison Spell was only using Microsoft Teams to message her supervisor, but in June, she attended one of the 77 free training webinars hosted by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders took effect.

Spell learned how to save messages, create group chats, share files and use the Microsoft Teams mobile app.

“OIT opened my eyes to how much I underutilized Microsoft Teams,” said Spell, senior clinical research coordinator for Duke Neurosurgery. “I walked away with information that made my job easier.”

From the start of the crisis, as many Duke employees shifted to remote work, OIT quickly adjusted, providing tools, training webinars and guidance for the Duke community.

“The scope and impact of technology tools that we needed to employ in the wake of the pandemic and to support remote working and learning have been far-reaching,” said Tracy Futhey, Duke vice president of information technology and chief information officer. “It’s especially gratifying that when we were forced to find a way to adapt to these challenging circumstances, everyone at Duke rose to the occasion and IT enabled so many activities at Duke.” 

4,064

5,651,835

Undergraduate and graduate fall classes delivered online or online/in-person

658,601

Videoconferencing meetings and classes on Zoom

Chat messages exchanged on Microsoft Teams

33,546

Video meetings in or using Microsoft Teams

77

Free OIT training webinars

22,742

OIT service desk tickets opened

2,215

Community members enrolled in OIT training webinars Compiled by Jonathan Black

Data represents Duke University and Duke University Health System between March-August 2020. Source: Office of Information Technology and University Registrar.

Access OIT’s live and recorded training webinars: keepworking.duke.edu/webinars

working.duke.edu

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Finding Balance at Home Habits for creating healthy boundaries while working remotely during COVID-19. bit.ly/HomeBalance

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