Healthcare Industry Actions to Protect Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic – March 31, 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. 

• AdventHealth, one of the nation’s largest health systems, is providing expectant mothers and families with vital information on safe childbirth and infant care during the coronavirus pandemic.

• Cleveland Clinic is providing a free online COVID-19 screening tool that can help users assess their health risk and provide appropriate care recommendations. The Clinic is also providing prioritized COVID-19 testing to first responders, including EMS and fire personnel, police, and federal law enforcement.

• HMS, a leading healthcare technology and analytics firm, has developed a coronavirus-specific rapid messaging tool to help health insurers get information to vulnerable populations quickly. The company is also working to reduce unnecessary emergency room utilization by providing steps to take if individuals are showing COVID-19 symptoms.

• Johnson & Johnson has announced it has selected a lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate and expects to initiate human clinical studies no later than September 2020 and anticipates the first batches of vaccine could be available for emergency use authorization in early 2021.

• The Medtronic Foundation is providing $10 million in contributions to global coronavirus relief efforts. These funds will be used for training and supervising frontline workers, acquiring personal protective equipment for those workers, and providing support to nonprofit organizations providing services to underserved communities.

• In response to the extreme need for personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare providers, particularly in the areas hardest hit by COVID-19, Merck announced it is donating 500,000 masks to New York City Emergency Management and 300,000 masks to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

• SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage insurer for seniors in California, informed its members they can seek medically-necessary services from Medicare-certified providers outside of the SCAN network with no changes in cost of care and no requirement for prior authorization.