Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner recently announced that Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will support the district with a planning grant to guide the development of COVID-19 testing and community engagement program for schools.

The nation’s second-largest school district is embarking on a robust system of testing for all students and staff, as well as family members who may have been exposed to the virus, that will help determine when it is safe to return to school campuses. The LAUSD is working to ensure appropriate policies and practices are in place to share information with the school community and are fine-tuning details of the effort, such as making testing appointments, scheduling nurses to administer tests and ensuring laboratory operations and data are accurate and well-coordinated. Staff members are being trained in how to follow up with those who test positive for the virus. Additionally, university researchers and health industry partners are determining how to best incorporate the results with the latest information about the health impacts of COVID-19 on the community to inform the pattern of testing and the overall program. The goal is to have a solid foundation in place to start testing staff who are working at schools, and their children who will be in childcare. Tests will be provided in the coming weeks.

Los Angeles Unified is also collaborating with many partners in its testing effort, including UCLA, Stanford University and John Hopkins University, Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net, Microsoft, and the SummerBio and Clinical Research Laboratories.

“We have put together a group of extraordinary institutions to help, and I’m pleased Cedars-Sinai, a world-class medical organization, has joined the team and is providing funds to help plan the program,” Beutner said. “This program will help reduce the overall level of COVID-19 in the communities we serve, provide a baseline of information to prepare for a return to schools and help schools quickly isolate any individuals with the virus and test those who they may have come in contact with on a timely basis.”

The grant is part of a broader sustained effort by Cedars-Sinai to support LAUSD schools. Through its Healthy Habits, Share & Care and COACH for Kids programs, Cedars-Sinai provides mental health support, health and nutrition guidance, and pediatric care for students and their families.

“COVID-19 testing and engagement are an important part of safely bringing children back to the classroom,” said Jonathan Schreiber, vice president of community engagement for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “Education and social interaction are crucial components in the physical and mental wellbeing of children, and Cedars-Sinai is proud to partner with Los Angeles Unified to help achieve these goals.”

For information, visit lausd.net.