Healthcare Industry Actions to Protect Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic – June 12, 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. 

• Working with Harvard, MIT and Partners Healthcare, Biogen is creating a COVID-19 “biobank” that will include a large inventory of de-identified biological and medical data which scientists will be able to use to research treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus.

• IQVIA has developed a COVID-19 Active Cases Curve Simulator. This tool can help public health officials make informed decisions based on the level and trajectory of active cases in a particular region or state.  The simulator provides data on the number of active cases in a designated area, the shape and increase of the curve, and the timing of the curve’s apex and its decline.

• Research conducted by the US Oncology Network, a McKesson organization, has found that patients acutely ill with COVID-19 have seen rapid improvements when treated with the cancer drug acalabrutinib. A high percentage of patients requiring supplemental oxygen were able to be discharged from the hospital after receiving the drug and no longer required oxygen assistance.

• Physicians with New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine have published a clinical practice guide on how to handle severe COVID-19 cases in the New England Journal of Medicine. The guide lays out best practices for patient management and treatment including the use of experimental drugs and ventilator breathing support.

• A hospital in the Texas Health Resources system has created one of the region’s only inpatient units for individuals in need of psychiatric care who have also tested positive for COVID-19. The unit provides protection against infection and meets all COVID-19 guidelines while still providing a safe communal space for counseling and group therapy sessions.

• Data provided to the U.S. Senate Aging Committee by Tivity Health shows that three times as many senior citizens feel isolated and lonely today compared to before the coronavirus pandemic began. Tivity’s Silver Sneakers program is providing live exercise classes to seniors via Facebook.