COVID-19 Information & Resources

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Dear MCCN Community:

Thank you for continuing to remain vigilant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As we approach the two-year mark of changing our College’s operations, we are now hopeful that we can begin returning to a more normal level of operation.

One of those changes will include an update to the College’s masking requirements. We closely follow guidance from the CDC as it relates to the higher education setting. We have also followed the requirements of other central Ohio area colleges and universities and the City of Columbus’s ordinance on the requirement of masks indoors.

Yesterday, the Columbus City Council rescinded the city’s masking ordinance, therefore we will do the same at our Columbus campus and transition to a mask-optional campus. This does not affect our clinical sites that still may have masking requirements in a healthcare setting. Masks will be optional for each individual and available at the Marian Hall front desk for those that choose to wear one.

Beginning immediately, masks will not be required indoors, including classroom spaces, at the Columbus campus. Our Lancaster campus holds classes within Fairfield Medical Center, students and colleagues are still required to wear masks as required by FMC. Again, our clinical partners, including Mount Carmel Health System, will also continue to require students to wear masks. Those masks, and other required PPE, should be continued to be provided on each unit/site.

As a reminder, our best protection remains vaccination. If you have not received your COVID booster, we encourage you to get it as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about MCCN’s COVID-19 response, please contact me directly.

Best of luck as you begin the second half of this Spring semester!

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director of Compliance and Safety

Dear MCCN Community,

As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to remember key strategies to keep our college community safe.

Masks are to be worn at all times when in classrooms and public areas on our Columbus campus and throughout Fairfield Medical Center. Non-medical grade masks are sufficient for the Columbus campus, and we ask that you bring your own mask due to needed usage throughout the health system.

Get your COVID-19 Booster when you’re eligible. We are not requiring students and colleagues to get a COVID-19 booster at this time. However, it is highly recommended. Data is showing that the boosters provide a much stronger defense against severe disease with the Omicron variant. Vaccination sites can be found at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Stay home if you’re sick. This Quick Guide can help you navigate what to do if you’re not feeling well or have been around others who are COVID positive.

If you have COVID Symptoms:

• Students and Colleagues with COVID-19 symptoms should not report to campus and seek testing. Report this information to the Director of Compliance and Safety directly.
  • Use of a home test is acceptable to report to MCCN and MCHS Employee Health.
  • We will follow updated CDC guidance related to quarantine.

Students and Colleagues who have a “Close Contact Exposure”:

• If you are symptomatic, do not report to campus and seek testing.
  • Report exposure, symptoms, and test results where required.
• If you are asymptomatic, you should report to class and work, regardless of vaccination status.
  • The student and colleague need to report their exposure to the Director of Compliance and Safety (and Employee Health for Colleagues).
  • Please note you may experience a delay in receiving a response.

Final Reminders

• Changes to these guidelines may occur as more is discovered about COVID-19.
• The goal is always to maintain our Mission and operations without sacrificing student, colleague, or patient safety.
• Contact the Director of Compliance and Safety or Employee Health (for Colleagues) with questions.

Help do your part to keep our MCCN Nightingale community safe! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Stay healthy,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety

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Dear MCCN Students:

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is receiving $971,925 in federal coronavirus stimulus funding, which is to be provided to students as an emergency cash grant. The funding is available through the second Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The funding allocation is available to those students who meet the below criteria:

• Enrolled for Fall 2021
• Degree-seeking
• U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as determined by the FAFSA, and
• Filed a 2021–22 FAFSA with a valid Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as of September 30, 2021.

MCCN is using the data from student 2021-2022 FAFSA to determine the amount of funding each student will receive. The guidance provided by the Department of Education established a priority to those students with the greatest amount of financial need. The EFC is calculated from the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which ultimately reflects the ability to pay. MCCN is using a tiered approach to award the grant.

• Students with an EFC of 0–5,847 will receive $2,250.
• Students with an EFC of 5,848 – 9,999 will receive $1,625.
• Students with a valid EFC above 10,000 will receive $1,100.

We will be using E-refunds to disburse the funds to eligible students.

MCCN fully spent the amount of $971,925 student aid portion as of October 26th, 2021 for a total of 554 students.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@mccn.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Todd Everett, PhD, MBA
Associate Dean - Student Services
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear Students:

We are sending this email to you to let you know that the third round of pandemic funding will be allocated to MCCN by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III by the end of the month. If you did file the FAFSA and received an award for fall 2021/spring 2022, then you will be considered for additional funding. If you have not done the 2021-22 FAFSA and applied for financial aid with our office, then you need to complete this FAFSA as soon as possible. The deadline for filing the FAFSA is Thurs., Sept. 30, 2021 for consideration of this funding.

The 2021-2022 FAFSA can be completed at this site: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

If you have never done a FAFSA before, then you will need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) username and password. The site for that is: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

Once you have created the username and password, you can then access the site for completing the 2021-2022 FAFSA. Our school code is 030719.

Our office would also like you to know that students can submit special circumstance appeals in order to describe the effect the pandemic has had on their finances. We understand that many students and families were affected by quarantine, job losses, emergency medical bills, upgrades in technology and more. As the 2021-2022 FAFSA is considering 2019 income figures, filing special circumstance forms will allow us to assess financial aid based on more current 2020 or 2021 information. The special circumstance forms can be found at this site: https://www.mccn.edu/tuition-and-financial-aid/financial-aid/financial-aid-process-and-eligibility-requirements/change-in-circumstances

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Our email is financialaid@mccn.edu or you can call at 614-234-1842.

Dear Students:

As a healthcare enterprise that puts patient and colleague safety at the center of every decision, Trinity Health has announcing plans as of July 8, 2021 to move forward with a new, ministry-wide COVID-19 vaccine requirement. This means that all colleagues and healthcare personnel - including Mount Carmel College of Nursing Students, Faculty, and Staff - will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and any subsequent booster vaccinations if needed, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

We know there are many feelings and emotions around the decision to require the vaccine. But as a trusted provider to care for our community, it is our responsibility to create the safest environment possible. Safety is rooted in everything we do. including our Core Values on which we stand.

All MCCN students are required to receive their last dose of vaccine and submit documentation by November 30. This includes ALL on-site and online students. You will be able to upload your proof of vaccination to CastleBranch within the coming week. All MCCN Lancaster students must be vaccinated by August 16, 2021 according to Fairfield Medical Center policies. MCCN faculty and staff should follow protocols outlined by MCHS human resources.

A process is in place to grant medical and religious exemptions. Exemption requests for medical reasons must include a form completed by a physician available through the Director of Compliance and Safety. Exemption requests will be reviewed and your submission will be approved or denied following defined criteria from Mount Carmel Health System and Trinity Health. Any existing approved vaccination exemption request will not apply to the COVID-19 vaccine; a separate exemption request is required. Students may obtain exemption requests below (you must be logged in to your MCCN Nightingmail account for access).Exemption requests must be submitted by October 22, 2021 for consideration. This exemption process applies to students only; faculty and staff are to follow procedures in their HR4U portal.

• Religious Exemption Form
• Medical Exemption Form

If you have any questions, please contact Mitch Joseph-Kemplin, Director of Compliance and Safety, at mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Williamson, PhD, MSN, RN
President and Academic Dean
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear Students,

As a healthcare enterprise that puts patient and colleague safety at the center of every decision, Trinity Health is announcing plans today to move forward with a new, ministry-wide COVID-19 vaccine requirement. This means that all colleagues and healthcare personnel - including Mount Carmel College of Nursing Students - will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and any subsequent booster vaccinations if needed, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

We know there are many feelings and emotions around the decision to require the vaccine. But as a trusted provider to care for our community, it is our responsibility to create the safest environment possible. Safety is rooted in everything we do. including our Core Values on which we stand.

Please see the message below from Mount Carmel Health System and Trinity Health regarding MCCN COVID-19 vaccination requirements. All MCCN students are required to receive their last dose of vaccine and submit documentation by November 30. You will be able to upload your proof of vaccination to CastleBranch within the coming week. Additionally, we will host an MCCN Student Hear to Listen event on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at Noon EST. A separate email with a link to that event will be sent in the coming days.

A process is in place to grant medical and religious exemptions. Exemption requests for medical reasons must include a form completed by a physician available through the Director of Compliance and Safety. Exemption requests will be reviewed and your submission will be approved or denied following defined criteria from Mount Carmel Health System and Trinity Health. Any existing approved vaccination exemption request will not apply to the COVID-19 vaccine; a separate exemption request is required.

For more information and to obtain exemption request forms, please contact Mitch Joseph-Kemplin, Director of Compliance and Safety, at mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Williamson, PhD, MSN, RN
President and Academic Dean
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students, Faculty and Staff,

With recent changes in COVID-related guidance from the CDC, as well as from the state, Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) will be making the following changes to our COVID management within College facilities. This new guidance is also in line with peer colleges of similar size and nature to MCCN and reflects the evolving best-practices for higher education.

Starting June 2, 2021:

• MCCN will officially implement the CDC guidance that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask or physically (socially) distance, except where specified by faculty or administration within a particular academic or co-curricular context.
• Individuals who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
• MCCN is not collecting vaccination status at this time. Students, faculty, and staff should exercise personal judgement and personal accountability.
• MCCN will continue self-screening requirement. Students, faculty and staff who are on-site must continue to self-screen and stay home if they are sick.
• Please note that this guidance may not apply outside of College facilities and some clinical sites, including our Lancaster regional campus and clinical sites, may have more stringent policies in place. We will defer to the individual sites for management of their facilities, and students and colleagues in clinical sites must follow all PPE and distancing requirements.

As a reminder, starting on Tuesday, June 1:

• Colleagues working on-site will transition from three (3) days on site to four (4) days on site per week. Work with you departmental managers on specific area scheduling.
• The College’s business hours will be 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and, except for lunches in one-person departments/offices, offices must be staffed during those hours.

Additional notes:

• MCCN is not requiring students, faculty, or staff to have the COVID-19 vaccine at this time. However, vaccinations are highly recommended and this guidance may change in the coming months.
• Mount Carmel’s FREE vaccination clinics are offering walk-in appointments at Mount Carmel East’s Siegel Center (6001 E. Broad St, Columbus).
• Times and additional details are available at https://www.mountcarmelhealth.com/health-and-wellness/covid-19/vaccine
• Clinical environments will likely maintain different requirements for some time to come.

Sincerely,
Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director of Compliance and Safety

Dear MCCN Colleagues:

We are excited to welcome you back to campus. Our team has been busy preparing for you and our students to return safely. We have consulted with our partners at MCHS to ensure that we are following all of the most up-to-date health guidelines from the CDC and state. This includes environmental and custodial procedures, classroom distancing and other return to work guidance.

The following tips can help as you prepare to return next week. Additionally, we are planning some safe celebrations throughout the summer to reconnect with our students and one another.

I look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Sincerely,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students:

As we await for additional guidance regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, I wanted to share with you an opportunity to be vaccinated through MCHS's public vaccination clinic.

This clinic uses the Pfizer two-dose vaccine.

As of this morning (4/15), thousands of appointments were available at Mount Carmel East's vaccination clinic for next week. Visit https://www.mountcarmelhealth.com/health-and-wellness/covid-19/vaccine-scheduling to schedule an appointment.

While a COVID-19 vaccine is currently not required, it is strongly encouraged.

To dispel some of the myths around COVID-19 vaccines, visit https://www.mountcarmelhealth.com/health-and-wellness/covid-19/vaccine-myths.

Sincerely,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students,

Out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) have recommended a temporary pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine. With that, we will be pausing sign-ups for the vaccination clinic schedule for April 17.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet tomorrow to review safety data. We will have further details following their review. At that time, we will work with our partners at Mount Carmel to determine next steps for the student clinic.

Vaccination is one of the most important things we can do to end this pandemic, and Mount Carmel continues to safely provide more than 7,000 doses of vaccine every week.

Sincerely,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Colleagues:

MCCN faculty and staff are eligible to be on the MCCN student vaccination no waste standby list. This list ensures that we are able to utilize all doses of the vaccine once a vial has been opened.

If you are interested in receiving a vaccine, please complete this registration.

You must be able to be at Mount Carmel East hospital within a half hour of getting a confirmation phone call.

• Completing the form is not a guarantee the individual will receive a call for vaccination.
• Individuals will be notified via telephone if they will receive a vaccine.
• MCCN Student Vaccine Clinics are held on Saturday, April 10 (8:15 a.m. - noon) and Saturday, April 17 (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.). You must be available to around noon on the 10th or 1 p.m. on the 17th.
• MCCN Student Vaccine Clinics utilize the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a follow-up vaccination appointment is not necessary for this brand of vaccine.

If you have any questions about the MCCN Student Vaccine Clinic or the no waste list, please contact me directly at mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu.

Sincerely,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear Students:

Today we write to share some exciting news. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has made COVID-19 vaccinations available to all College students through their colleges. This means MCCN is able to provide you with the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

MCCN student vaccinations will be available on:

• Saturday, April 10, 8:15 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.
• Saturday, April 17, 11:00 a.m. - 12:55 p.m.

All vaccine clinics will be held at Mount Carmel East hospital (6001 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43213)

Click this link to schedule your appointment

Help keep our campus community safe, and do your part to stay healthy. One of the most effective ways to do so is to get vaccinated when it’s your turn - and NOW is your turn! The vaccination may also mean an opportunity to return to a more robust in-person college experience this summer and fall.

While COVID-19 vaccination is not currently required for MCCN students - it is very highly recommended. Some clinical sites currently require vaccination for clinical, and we anticipate that many more will do so by the fall.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov/.

If you have any questions about MCCN’s COVID-19 response, please contact me directly at mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu.

Sincerely,

Mitch Joseph-Kemplin
Director - Compliance & Safety
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students, Faculty and Staff,

We are excited to announce that we will be welcoming all students, faculty and staff back on-site this summer!

For Students:

• We will resume in-person learning for SDAP and APP classes beginning on Monday, May 10, 2021. Your academic program leaders and faculty will be in contact with you about specific scheduling and guidance as you prepare your arrival to campus.
• We have worked to ensure our academic spaces meet Ohio guidance for higher education. You’ll see seating spaced out, smaller class sizes and other protective measures.
• All students must wear a mask when in classrooms and other public spaces, except when actively eating or drinking.
• Specific information for MCCN-Lancaster students will be distributed when available.

For Faculty and Staff:

• Beginning Monday, May 3, 2021 all faculty and staff will return to on-site work.
  • Until June 1, 2021, employees will work a minimum of three (3) days on site per week. Starting on June 1, 2021 through Friday, July 30, employees will work four (4) days per week on site.
    • Please work with your manager to determine staffing requirements for your individual departments.
    • Those who work in shared spaces should work to stagger schedules to cut down on shared space time.
  • Beginning June 1, college business hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and, except for lunches in one-person departments/offices, offices must be staffed during those hours.
• To keep our colleagues safe, we have made enhancements to our custodial service including the addition of a day-time porter for cleaning during business hours.
• Masks are to be worn when outside of private office spaces. Private office areas that have frequent, regular student and/or public interaction may have a Plexiglas partition to place on a desk.

For Everyone:

• State guidance for return to work environments and higher education are being followed.
• We will continue our symptom-based testing strategy for the summer semester.
• Masks/face coverings are required in public spaces unless actively eating or drinking.
• Library and lounge spaces will be open during set hours.
• Covid vaccinations are not currently required, but highly recommended.
• We will continue our weekly Covid self-screenings that are required prior to coming on-site. You can find that here.

We plan to share more details as they become available. We hope that you are excited to return to campus and share in the Nightingale community. As always, please feel free to reach out to myself or our Director of Compliance and Safety Mitch Joseph-Kemplin (mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu) if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Williamson, PhD, MSN, RN
President and Academic Dean
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students, Faculty and Staff,

We are excited to let you know that since the reopening e-mail was sent this morning, we have learned that we will be including traditional pre-licensure classes on-site on our Columbus campus this summer.

We will be sharing more details of our reopening in the coming days.

Again, please feel free to reach out to myself or our Director of Compliance and Safety Mitch Joseph-Kemplin (mjoseph-kemplin@mccn.edu) if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Williamson, PhD, MSN, RN
President and Academic Dean
Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Dear MCCN Students,

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is receiving $302,806 in federal coronavirus stimulus funding, which is to be provided to students as an emergency cash grant. The funding is available through the second Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The funding allocation is available to those students who meet the below criteria:

• Enrolled for Spring 2021
• Degree-seeking
• U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as determined by the FAFSA, and
• Filed a 2020–21 FAFSA with a valid Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as of March 1, 2021.

MCCN is using the data from student 2020-2021 FAFSA to determine the amount of funding each student will receive. The guidance provided by the Department of Education established a priority to those students with the greatest amount of financial need. The EFC is calculated from the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which ultimately reflects the ability to pay. MCCN is using a tiered approach to award the grant.

• Students with an EFC of 0–5,711 will receive $700 if enrolled full time. The award amount will prorate if the student is registered less than full-time ($525 three-fourths time/$350 half-time/$175 quarter-time).
• Students with an EFC of 5,712 – 20,000 will receive $415 if enrolled full time. The award amount will prorate if the student is registered less than full-time ($310 three-fourths time/$205 half-time/$110 quarter-time).
• Students with a valid EFC above 20,001 will receive $200 if enrolled full time. The award amount will prorate if the student is registered less than full-time ($150 three-fourths time/$100 half-time/$50 quarter-time).

We will be using E-refunds to disburse the funds to eligible students.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@mccn.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Todd Everett, PhD, MBA
Associate Dean - Student Services
Mount Carmel College of Nursing