COVID-19 Report

To Listen

We have compiled a playlist from all our shows and podcasts on our network that discuss the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Products and Technology

Arcadia Launches New COVID-19 Recovery Toolkit To Tackle Looming Challenges For Healthcare System
Arcadia (@ArcadiaHealthIT), a population health management company, announced that over a dozen health system customers have successfully leveraged Arcadia’s COVID-19 Surveillance and Engagement Toolkit and the Arcadia Analytics platform to enable their responses to the current pandemic. The company also announced the release of a COVID-19 Recovery Toolkit to support business continuity for its Accountable Care Organization (ACO) customers and other customers in value-based payment arrangements.

Enexor Ventilators Granted FDA Emergency Use Authorization
Enexor Health Systems (@enexorhealth) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Emergency Use Authorization for the immediate delivery and use of a new ventilator, the X-VENT. Enexor will start delivering ventilators to hospitals within a few days.

Nationwide COVID-19 Surveillance for Nursing Homes
Real Time Medical Systems (@myrealtimemed), an interventional analytics solution in healthcare company, is officially announcing its launch of DiseaseWatch, a data collection service providing nursing facilities and health entities a centralized infection surveillance system to immediately detect hotspots of potential infectious diseases – from COVID-19 to influenza – days in advance. In May, it was announced that DiseaseWatch would be providing data to inform the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s COVID-19 modeling.

News and Noted

Georgia Tests 100% of Nursing Home Residents
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) has reported that 100% of nursing home residents in facilities with 25 or more beds have now been tested for COVID-19. This key milestone marks a 12% improvement in one week. Additionally, staff testing in nursing homes is up 12% week-over-week.

Alexander: Make the Two Most Important COVID-19 Telehealth Policy Changes Permanent
Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that at least two of the most important temporary changes in federal policy made to help patients see doctors by phone or video during the COVID-19 pandemic should be extended permanently.

hc1® and Sonora Quest Laboratories Deliver Comprehensive COVID-19 Testing and Tracking Solution to Protect Arizona Long-Term-Care Staff and Residents
Sonora Quest Laboratories (SQL) and hc1 (@hc1dotcom) have announced the expansion of their long-standing strategic partnership with the launch of hc1 CV19 Command Center™ for Sonora Quest, a comprehensive solution that integrates with SQL’s world-class lab testing services to systematically coordinate testing and deliver health insights to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Revenue Associated with Healthcare Professional Services Declines Nearly 50 Percent across Nation during COVID-19 Pandemic
In April 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professional services declined 68 percent in utilization and 48 percent in revenue based on total estimated in-network amounts compared to April 2019 nationally. In the Northeast, the region hit hardest at that time by the pandemic, professionals experienced particularly sharp drops in utilization (80 percent) and revenue (79 percent) in April 2020. These are among the findings of FAIR Health’s (@fairhealth) third COVID-19 study, Healthcare Professionals and the Impact of COVID-19: A Comparative Study of Revenue and Utilization.

Tech Start-up Launches Contest, Enabling Scientists to Promote Their Research After the Cancelation of Key Medical Research Meetings this Year
BioRender (@biorender) donates $50K to science community to inspire the advancement of medical research, including the pathology of COVID-19, with their inaugural Graphical Abstract Contest

To Read

Arizona, Texas, Florida again report record-high COVID-19 cases
Arizona, Texas and Florida are all reporting record-high single-day increases in COVID-19 cases, surpassing previous records set just a few days ago.

How Hawaii Became a Rare Covid Success Story
Instead of a massive, uncontrolled outbreak, Hawaii has recorded the fewest Covid-19 cases per capita in the country. As of this writing, just one person per 100,000 has died (17 in total), and 54 per 100,000 have tested positive (762 in total).

Coronavirus pandemic accelerating with Americas worst, warns WHO
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, with Thursday’s 150,000 new cases the highest in a single day and nearly half of those in the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

European study links genes, blood type with risk of severe coronavirus infection
A team of European scientists say they have found two genetic variations that may show who is more likely to get very sick and die from coronavirus, and they say they have also found a link to blood type.

How — and When — Can the Coronavirus Vaccine Become a Reality?
It is likely we’ll eventually have a coronavirus vaccine — but perhaps not as quickly as some expect. From development, to clinical trials and distribution, ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen explains the tremendous challenges that lie ahead.

Health Experts Link Rise In Arizona COVID Cases To End Of Stay-At-Home Order
Arizona has emerged as one of the country’s newest coronavirus hot spots, with the weekly average of daily cases more than doubling from two weeks ago. The total number of people hospitalized is climbing, too. Over the past week, Arizona has seen an average of more than 1,300 new COVID-19 cases each day.

Rare Disease Therapy Development and Access Remain Top FDA Priorities During COVID-19
The FDA’s work on behalf of people with rare diseases is more important than ever as these patients are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, either directly or indirectly. Many rare disease patients also depend on reliable access to high quality, life-saving medications. While COVID-19 is a major public health priority, the FDA’s work to advance treatments for rare diseases and helping ensure continuity of care for people with rare diseases remain top priorities.

The Achilles’ Heel to COVID-19 Control: Asymptomatic Transmission
This rabbit hole found our own Roberta Mullin digging into Asymptomatic people and their transmission of COVID-19. But I would be amiss if I did not note the biggest news of this week, deaths top 100,000 Americans and 350,000 globally. Celebrating Memorial Day this week took on many meanings.

Events

Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers (PRI)
When: Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30 pm ET
No registration required – Join the Zoom Meeting
Twitter@PRI_Insurance

COVID-19 Group Support Virtual Meetings for All Medical Professionals and Healthcare Workers – Joseph Weiner MD, PhD will be facilitating complimentary Virtual Peer Support Groups. to all members of the healthcare team in New York and beyond during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They are not limiting this group to physicians and nurses – all healthcare workers are welcome. Dr. Weiner is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Medicine and Science Education in the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is an expert in crisis management with healthcare professionals.

CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the US. CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats.

The CDC is the front line for our safety and information on the Coronavirus. Keep informed about COVID-19. Sign up to get emails or text alerts from the CDC.

COVID-19 Resources
HealthcareNOW Radio rounded up some health IT resources being offered by companies to help healthcare professionals, American citizens and all of those affected in the fight against the coronavirus.

Canceled/Rescheduled Due to Coronavirus

Patient Experience Symposium
What: Patient Experience Symposium 2020
When: September 30 – October 2, 2020
Where: BOSTON, MA
Rescheduled