Gallagher announces health advisory group to help plan fall term

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced Monday that he had formed a new committee to offer health care guidance on Pitt’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chancellor’s Healthcare Advisory Group is chaired by Anantha Shekhar, the senior vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of Pitt’s School of Medicine. University spokesperson Pat McMahon said the group’s responsibilities will include recommending standards for the supply and use of personal protective equipment to students and staff, personal hygiene, social distancing and density in certain student spaces and considerations for vulnerable populations.

“As the University faces the complex set of issues raised by restarting on-campus activity, the chancellor has convened this group formally to ensure that decisions remain grounded in rigorous science and thoughtful analysis,” McMahon said.

McMahon added that the group will work with Pitt’s Emergency Operations Center to advise University leadership if changing conditions require a shift of operational status.

The group’s members are:

• John Williams, chair in pediatric immunology, professor of pediatrics, School of Medicine; an infectious diseases expert.
• Mark Roberts, professor and chair, health policy and management, Graduate School of Public Health; a public health modeling expert.
• Anne Newman, chair in population health sciences, professor and chair, epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health; a public health epidemiology expert.
• Sally Wenzel, chair of environmental health, professor and chair, environmental and occupational health, Graduate School of Public Health; an environmental health expert.
• Jay Frerotte, assistant vice chancellor for environmental health and safety, an emergency preparedness expert.
• Kimberly Moses, senior associate legal counsel.
• Maggie McDonald, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and international programs, health sciences; associate professor of epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, HCAG coordinator.
• Tyler Tenney, a policy specialist, will help facilitate and support the work of the group.