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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The administration, faculty, staff, and students of |
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the Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Texas A&M School of |
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Public Health have distinguished themselves in their response to |
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the COVID-19 pandemic, including the efforts they have undertaken |
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to track and combat the disease, to measure its impact on health |
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care systems, and to provide guidance to local and state |
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authorities on safety issues; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past year, the Texas A&M Health Science |
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Center has played a key role in the statewide fight against COVID-19 |
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through such measures as therapeutic research, contact tracing and |
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investigation, testing, modeling and spread prediction, |
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telemedicine services, emergency dental care, and vaccine |
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development and distribution; and |
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WHEREAS, Faculty from the Texas A&M School of Public Health |
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directed the activities of the university's COVID Investigation |
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Operations Center, an interagency partnership between the Texas A&M |
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Health Science Center and the Brazos County Health Department |
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designed to select, train, and manage contact tracers, case |
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investigators, and epidemiologists in order to better monitor the |
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situation on campus; in addition, faculty members shared vital |
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information about the pandemic with the public through the media, |
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and they worked with students to analyze previous disaster |
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responses, develop reports on their findings, and provide local and |
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state decision makers with weekly updates and predictions about the |
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trajectory of the pandemic; and |
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WHEREAS, As volunteers for the Department of State Health |
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Services Vulnerable Population Task Force, students at the School |
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of Public Health were responsible for gathering and analyzing data |
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on populations at highest risk of contracting COVID-19, including |
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nursing home residents and inmates; they were also charged with |
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communicating their data in a format easily understood by various |
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audiences; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Texas |
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A&M School of Public Health performed admirable work to help our |
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state meet the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving health |
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crisis, and all those who were involved with these efforts are |
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deserving of our lasting gratitude for their ingenuity, resilience, |
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and commitment to protecting public health in and beyond their |
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community; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend the administration, faculty, staff, and |
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students of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Texas A&M |
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School of Public Health for their service to the state during the |
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COVID-19 pandemic and extend to them sincere best wishes for |
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continued success with their important work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for each institution as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |