Healthcare Industry Actions to Protect Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic – May 29, 2020

The Healthcare Leadership Council is comprised of leading companies from every sector of American healthcare.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be sharing examples of actions these companies are taking to protect and assist the public and combat the virus’s spread.  If you would like assistance in reaching a representative for any of these companies, please contact Kelly Fernandez at kfernandez@hlc.org. 

• Scientists at City of Hope are working on a novel DNA-based approach to developing a coronavirus vaccine. The effort involves fusing genetic material with encoded proteins from the coronavirus with a type of immune molecule.  The small proteins in this creation would attract immune cells to the point of infection.  The scientists involved in this project said the effort is promising because it offers speed of development and safety of delivery.

• Marshfield Clinic’s Occupational Health Services division is playing a key role in helping Wisconsin employers re-open safely. The Clinic is providing a variety of services to employers including on-site COVID-19 testing and temperature checks as well as training on sanitation, social distancing, and personal protective equipment use and storage.

• Mayo Clinic researchers have published findings in the journal Gastroenterology that managing levels of calcium in the blood as well as the protein albumin early in COVID-19 cases can prevent patients from progressing to severe illness and death. Supplementing calcium and albumin can prevent unsaturated fatty acids from injuring vital organs in coronavirus cases.

• Merck is collaborating with the nonprofit organization IAVI to develop a COVID-19 vaccine utilizing the same platform that was successful in creating the first U.S-approved vaccine for Ebola. The company said the vaccine should be ready to begin human clinical trials in 2020 and, if successful, the drug will be made available globally.

• Premier has taken an important step in addressing supply chain issues that have had an impact on coronavirus patient care. The company signed a multi-year agreement to purchase masks from manufacturer Prestige Ameritech, an action that should reduce reliance on critical supplies from China and the likelihood of shortages.

• Vizient conducted a webinar panel discussion to link patients and family advisors with hospital leaders to discuss what patients expect when they begin to assume elective surgeries and other procedures in a COVID environment. The webinar emphasized the importance of transparency regarding hospital infection rates, personal protective equipment inventory, and availability of COVID-19 testing.