Illinois Medicine

t HE STRENGTH OF A COMMUNITY seems to invariably shine brightest in times of crisis. Leading the College of Medicine through the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Dean Mark Rosenblatt, MD, PhD, MBA, MHA, knew early on that the COM community would rise to overcome the challenges ahead. "Experiencing a once-in-a-generation pandemic is unpredictable, but what has been entirely predictable is the dedication of our students, faculty and staff: They care about each other and the College," says Rosenblatt, Illinois Lions/Charles I. Young Chair. "The virus has taken a human toll. I appreciate what everyone has done and continues to do to achieve our missions." In late February 2020, Rosenblatt began to realize—like many around the globe—that the United States would not be immune from the impact of COVID-19. By March, Rosenblatt had marshaled top leaders from every sector and campus of the College of Medicine for virtual meetings at 8 a.m. daily— weekends included. Under normal circumstances, this leadership group, with its depth and breadth of experience, typically meets only once a month or every couple of months. But these were far from normal times, and Rosenblatt convened this high-level task force to problem-solve and take swift actions to protect the health of the COM community. Achieving this aim required tweaking "business as usual" from every corner of the academic medical center: clinical settings, research laboratories, classrooms and community outreach activities (see stories throughout this special COVID-19 issue for more details on all of the above). Rosenblatt and his team made up-to-the-hour adjustments to the school's operations as the pandemic progressed. The safety and operational priorities were many, and so were the changes, from social distancing in COM physical spaces, to work-from-home strategies for staff when possible to accommodate them. Faculty members, residents and fellows at the front lines of care needed support, including proper PPE. Research groups worked in staggered shifts so that mission-critical studies weren't compromised. Medical students transitioned from in-person to remote learning. Planning for the unknown, the College accelerated the graduation of 100 members of the Class of 2020 in the event the city's or nation's health systems urgently needed more doctors. "Despite the upheaval, our College never closed because UI Health is a place where we fully embrace our social responsibilities," says Rosenblatt, who has come into his office most days, seen patients in clinic, and conducted research in his laboratory throughout the public health crisis. "We were here B Y C H E R Y L S O O H O O TRIAL BY PANDEMIC After becoming executive dean in 2019, Mark Rosenblatt pilots COM through public health crisis P H O T O : D I A N E S M U T N Y Illinois Medicine | 7

• Cover