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UHS Quality and Chief Medical Officer: Providing the best possible care during unprecedented challenges
Editor’s note: In the following letter, Paul Stefanacci, MD, FACS, MBA, vice president, quality and chief medical officer, acute care division, Universal Health Services, Inc., shared with The Journal of Healthcare Contracting what UHS was doing at press time to leverage its resources and collaborate with federal, state and local health authorities.
As healthcare providers, we fulfill a critical mission in society. And as the novel coronavirus creates unprecedented challenges nationwide, we are continuing to provide the best possible healthcare across our served communities. Our hospitals are collaborating with each other for best-practice sharing and leveraging the resources we share as an organization.
We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with local health authorities. We are actively taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff members, and to help reduce the spread of the virus in our regions. Specifically: ʯ We are in daily communication with all clinical workers to share updated guidelines/protocols. Providing updated training to ensure we can ramp up quickly.
ʯ Taking temperatures daily; reporting symptoms, as appropriate. Using isolation, when warranted.
ʯ Alternate, external screening locations for the Coronavirus have been set up away from the main EDs to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors and allow for patient access for other emergency conditions. ʯ We have suspended visitation, with limited exceptions. We are screening all individuals upon entering the facility. We are monitoring patients for any symptoms and implementing isolation protocols, if needed. ʯ We are scaling telehealth to continue to provide care. ʯ All volunteers have been asked to temporarily suspend their scheduled times at the hospital, for their own safety as well as that of patients, as we mitigate the risks of community spread.
Our Supply Chain team is continuing to source for necessary supplies and equipment, including actively seeking alternate supplier channels. UHS Supply Chain is working daily with customers, distributors, and manufacturers to manage our supply needs across the organization. We have established tracking, reporting and have daily calls with our internal customers to ensure their needs are being met. We are redeploying supplies to facilities who are experiencing unusually high spikes in volumes. We are reminding our hospitals of the importance of conservation of supplies, especially PPE. We are utilizing corporate resources across the enterprise to manage consistency and information flow during this evolving situation. Paul Stefanacci
Paul Stefanacci, MD, FACS, MBA is Vice President, Quality and Chief Medical Officer for the Acute Care Division of Universal Health Services, Inc. Dr. Stefanacci provides UHS with the clinical leadership to face the challenges of the rapidly evolving healthcare environment and advance an ambitious quality and performance improvement agenda.
To those on the front lines,
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people and communities around the world, I appreciate the unimaginable minute-by-minute demands placed upon you and your teams. BD fully understands the sacrifice and commitment from all of the frontline healthcare workers who are risking their own health to help others. It is nothing short of heroic.
I want you to know that helping our longstanding partners respond to the COVID-19 crisis is BD’s sole focus right now. Because patients depend on you, BD teams around the world are working to fulfill our shared obligation to serve patients and society during this unprecedented time.
BD has deployed our capabilities, expertise and scale to address critical health needs related to coronavirus – from our diagnostic offerings to identify COVID-19, to real-time informatics and electronic surveillance technology, to essential medical devices to support patient care. We are committed to doing our part, and we’ve ramped up production and activated our business continuity plans, so we can make every effort to ensure you have the medical technologies you need to respond.
With the first reports of COVID-19 in January, BD took immediate action to prepare by activating our global crisis management team, and we wanted to provide you with an update on our efforts to ensure BD products and solutions are there to support you – and your patients.
Prioritizing the access to BD products – BD manufactures and sources products from multiple locations around the world. Each of our manufacturing and distribution centers that are critical to responding to COVID-19 are operational and have enacted business continuity plans to minimize the risk of disruption to you. In response to very high demand for our critical medical devices, we have ramped up production to the highest degree possible under the current circumstances, and we are closely monitoring inventory and customer ordering to ensure supply continuity. We are continuing to update the list of products on manual inventory allocation on a new website at bd.com/allocation.
Collaborating with government and industry – Consistent with BD’s long tradition of public-private partnerships, we’re proud to be working with government and industry partners to expand access to testing and bring new innovations to the market to aid in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. In addition to working with the FDA on new diagnostic tests that will increase the potential capacity to test for COVID-19 using the BD Max™ platform, we’re also exploring the development of a rapid point-of-care test for coronavirus by leveraging the BD Veritor™ system. At the same time, we are collaborating with peers from across the industry, HHS, FDA and private partners to identify and validate additional swab types as well as transport medium options in order to expand capacity and alternative collection methods.
Ensuring we’re there when you need us – Our sales and clinical associates have tools to support you remotely, including FaceTime and Microsoft Teams among others. Where our on-site support is needed to ensure immediate patient care, such as technology installation/service and clinical support, we will be there at your request. We are taking precautions to protect our associates, customers and patients by following guidance from the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and each of our customers’ guidelines on access to their facilities.
Protecting our employees – As part of our preventative actions, we have taken a number of steps to ensure the health and safety of our team. In our manufacturing facilities and distribution centers, we have increased our deep cleaning protocols, implemented temperature screening for on-site employees, and are changing work practices where possible to facilitate social distancing. Around the world, we are regularly educating employees about good hygiene and health practices, including social distancing, self-quarantining and handwashing.
Supporting response efforts – BD is deploying more than $1 million in cash and product donations to seven non-profit organizations – Direct Relief, the International Medical Corps, Americares, the World Health Organization-United Nations Foundation COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Project HOPE, the CDC Foundation and the Wuhan Red Cross – to advance their work to contain COVID-19, support healthcare workers and treat patients in countries throughout the world.
We will continue to communicate regularly on our website — bd.com/COVID-19 — to keep you informed as we move forward.
On behalf of the 65,000 employees at BD, I want to express our deep appreciation to you and the hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers across the country who have answered the call to respond to this truly unprecedented situation. We consider it a privilege to support you as a trusted partner.
For the tireless, the selfless, the brave You mean the world
Whether you are working on the frontlines or are the last line of defense in the fight against COVID-19, you are making a world of difference for so many. Thank you.
Come together
Supply chain leaders met with the president at the White House as part of the COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force
President Trump held a meeting at the White House on Sunday, March 29, with the leaders of several supply chain distributors and shipping companies as part of the COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force.
Med/surg supply chain leaders who participated were: ʯ Brad Connett, president, U.S. Medical Group, Henry Schein ʯ Mike Kaufmann, CEO of Cardinal Health ʯ Charlie Mills, CEO of Medline Industries Inc. ʯ Ed Pesicka, president and CEO of Owens & Minor ʯ Brian Tyler, CEO of McKesson
“We’re waging a war against an invisible enemy,” said Trump. “We are grateful for your tremendous partnership – it’s been incredible – and the work you’ve done so far.”
Each supply chain representative was given an opportunity to provide an update. The following were comments made by the med/surg leaders at the press conference.
Henry Schein Connett thanked President Trump and his administration for working with Henry Schein on a number of collaborative fronts. “No. 1, we’ve all talked about PPE products – that’s critical, and it’s not just to the hospitals,” Connett said. “It’s a must to the hospitals, but it’s really to all healthcare providers that are working on the front line. Our commitment is to get it to the hot spots, and get it to the care providers who are taking care of those patients. It’s absolutely key.”
Second, Connett said the task force talked about the importance of buying American-made products, and getting manufacturing and resources back in America. “It’s a lesson to be learned from where we are.”
Connett also spoke about the importance of more rapid tests to detect COVID-19. As of press time, Henry
Schein helped bring two products into the market. The first is an antibody rapid blood test, known as Standard Q COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test, intended to be administered at the point of care. According to the healthcare company, the test delivers results within 15 minutes from a pinprick with no instrumentation required.
Henry Schein will also serve as the exclusive distributor in the United States of a second point-of-care rapid test kit that can detect antibodies associated with COVID-19 in as few as 15 minutes. Working with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and BioMedomics, a North Carolina-based clinical diagnostics company, Henry Schein will make the test kits available to health care professionals as part of the company’s broad offering of point-of-care rapid tests.
McKesson Tyler said collaboration between the government agencies and medical suppliers has been key. “I’d certainly like to echo my colleagues’ comments that the collaboration amongst many of the government agencies and the private market, including the distributors represented here today, has been incredible, and has been increasing and ramping up over the past few weeks.”
During his remarks, Tyler referenced an innovative public-private partnership called Project Airbridge, where FEMA and other government agencies will coordinate 50-plus air cargo flights in a span of two to three weeks. Each flight will bring tons of medical supplies to the U.S., directly to the cities where it is most needed. “Today the first delivery of Project Airbridge is evidence that it’s working.
The 51 flights the president referenced, we’re excited about. We look to build upon that. So, I would echo my thanks for your leadership, and certainly to the staffs for the terrific partnership and the commitment to protect the people we think about most often, which are the people on the front lines providing care.” masks a week is now using 200,000 to 300,000 masks a week. So you multiply that times the entire U.S., let alone the same demand outside of the U.S., and that’s part of the issue we are running into. Even with a significant ramp up in supply, there is still a demand that is much greater.”
“The supply chain is working, it’s resilient, and though supply is a challenge, we’re tackling that.” – Brian Tyler, CEO of McKesson
Tyler also offered a word of thanks on behalf of all the CEOs present at the task force meeting to the teams of each organization “that continue to show up in warehouses across the country, in pharmacies across the country, and do their jobs to keep the supply chain going. The supply chain is working, it’s resilient, and though supply is a challenge, we’re tackling that.”
Owens & Minor Pesicka said Owens & Minor is leveraging its manufacturing capabilities in America, specifically in North Carolina, to ramp up production. “We did hear the challenge, and starting in January we’ve ramped up our production in the Americas, including our facility in North Carolina where we are now manufacturing an additional 40 to 50 million masks per month to get into the U.S. healthcare system.”
Pesicka said the task force talked about the massive demand increase in PPE supplies. “I used an anecdotal example of one hospital in New York that traditional uses roughly 10,000 to 20,000
Cardinal Health Kaufmann thanked the president for his leadership. “Because of that leadership, we’ve seen the government agencies working with industry like no time before,” Kaufmann said. “We’ve seen HHS, FEMA, and the CDC work effectively with all of the distributors. And all of the distributors are working together for the good of the people. All of us have been so focused on making sure we take care of our customers because our customers are the ones taking care of the patients every day. We need to do everything we can to make things good for them.”
Medline Industries In his remarks at the press conference, Mills said the demand for supplies has skyrocketed. “We’re doing a lot of things to bring in more masks and other protective apparel,” he said. “We are involved in reprocessing masks. We’ve already started reprocessing about 100,000 masks per day. We hope to expand from there, so we’re quite optimistic about it.”
A Message from MedPro Associates:
To Our Distributor and Manufacturer Partners, The past several weeks have certainly tested us all. As we continue to monitor ongoing developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19), please know that MedPro will not compromise our commitment to you and the customers we collectively serve. We will always be here when you need us most, and you can count on us to continue providing the same high level of service you have come to expect.
As COVID-19 continues to impact our customers and supply chain needs, we are committed to doing what is best for our customers, our reps and the public. We have been closely monitoring the situation and making changes along the way. Based on customer requests and CDC recommendations, we have implemented social distancing sales protocols, but continue to actively communicate via phone, webinar and Zoom technology, both with our distribution channel and healthcare providers to support your customers for product in-services, demos, and other needs. Furthermore, we have heightened our sales and product training to stay sharp and be prepared to be stronger than ever when the crisis is under control, while keeping active and prospective sales moving forward. We take our responsibility very seriously and will continue to do our part as representatives of our distributor and manufacturer partners, as well as the customers we serve. MedPro has not taken a pass during this healthcare fight against COVID 19. We are operational and available. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our management team and your local reps. There can never be enough communication during this time when our customers need us most. As always, we appreciate our business partnership and your confidence in MedPro. Sincerely, Bill Sparks, CEO Manny Losada, President & our entire Executive Management Team A Message from MedPro Associates: To Our Distributor and Manufacturer Partners, The past several weeks have certainly tested us all. As we continue to monitor ongoing developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19), please know that MedPro will not compromise our commitment to you and the customers we collectively serve. We will always be here when you need us most, and you can count on us to continue providing the same high level of service you have come to expect. As COVID-19 continues to impact our customers and supply chain needs, we are committed to doing what is best for our customers, our reps and the public. We have been closely monitoring and making changes along the way. Based on customer requests and CDC recommendations, we have implemented social distancing sales protocols, but continue to actively communicate via phone, webinar and Zoom technology, both with our distribution channel and healthcare providers to support your customers for product in-services, demos, and other needs. Furthermore, we have heightened our sales and product training to stay sharp and be prepared to be stronger than ever when the crisis is under control, while keeping active and prospective sales moving forward. We take our responsibility very seriously and will continue to do our part as representatives of our distributor and manufacture partners, as well as the customers we serve. MedPro has not taken a pass during this healthcare fight against COVID 19. We are operational and available. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our management team and your local reps. never be enough communication during this time when our customers need us most.
WE’RE HERE FOR YOU.
Committed to the well-being of our customers, reps, and the public, through our continued support of distribution.
CALL AND LET US HELP.
