Person having their temperature taken.

The daunting challenge seemingly happened overnight: Stop what you’re doing, rethink how you’re doing it, and adapt – now. With each day delivering a flurry of new and often confusing information about the COVID-19 pandemic, UCI Health and the campus community mobilized to figure out how to combat this invisible yet deadly enemy. Health and safety changes were made at the hospital, while elective surgeries were canceled in preparation for a potential springtime surge of coronavirus patients. Medical personnel dove in to care for a smaller-than-anticipated – but growing – number of people seriously ill with COVID-19 and, through acts of compassion, sought to ease the anxieties engendered by the unpredictable disease. With no proven treatment, clinicians launched trials of possible therapies, and public health faculty reached out globally to exchange best practices. “This is the true power of an academic medical center where taking care of others, especially the most vulnerable among us, is bolstered by the innovative inquiry and nimble responsiveness of a modern research university,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, UCI vice chancellor for health affairs.

Link to the full magazine: https://issuu.com/ucimagazine/docs/uci_magazine_online_version-rev?fr=sMDQzMzEzNjA1MTU