What is the new UCLA Infectious Diseases Management Team (IDMT) and why is it needed? Administration Chief of Staff Michelle Sityar responds.
As we adjust to a new normal and living with COVID-19, it is evident that the virus persists and we must remain vigilant in preparation for new developments and what experts project will be a surge this winter season and beyond. This, coupled with emerging public health issues such as monkeypox, called for the formation of a unified team of experts who will replace the UCLA COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force (CRRTF), with an expanded scope that is relevant to current times and public health climate.
The new committee, known as the UCLA Infectious Diseases Management Team (IDMT), was appointed on September 1, 2022 and is led by Co-Chairs Michelle Sityar (Chief of Staff, Administration) and Tim Groeling (Professor, Department of Communication). The IDMT is charged with monitoring public health conditions and developing balanced response strategies that consider public health orders and UC systemwide policies while also attempting to minimize the burdens imposed on society and mental well-being as a result of those directives. IDMT is comprised of various stakeholders across campus and UCLA Health and will advise on policy matters relative to operational needs, impacts on the UCLA community, and compliance realities to inform decisions and the appropriate mitigation strategies. To learn more about the IDMT, please visit the UCLA IDMT website or contact covid19@ucla.edu.
