Tandem365 expands access to treatment in response to COVID-19 surge

Tandem365 expands access to treatment in response to COVID-19 surge
<strong> Courtesy Tandem365 </strong>

A 24/7 provider of home health care services has expanded its business model to provide COVID-19 treatment to high-risk patients wherever they are.

Over the past year, Tandem365 grew its services to provide monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy and treatment to high-risk patients throughout West Michigan. Staff members helped to save more than 300 lives in from Oceana to Kent and St. Joseph counties and also provided other health care facilities with staff training to administer the treatment to their own patients.

“I’m incredibly proud that our team quickly shifted to adopt a new workflow to timely treat the most vulnerable in our West Michigan community,” said Teresa Toland, CEO of Tandem365. “The critical infusions we are providing are almost exclusively for patients that wouldn’t receive treatment otherwise, because they can’t leave their setting. We are working with in-house facilities to train their staff to administer mAb therapy on the spot to rapidly improve symptoms, minimize risk, reduce costs, offer convenience and ultimately save lives.”

Tandem365 partnered with organizations such as Spectrum Health, University of Michigan Health-West, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities and the state of Michigan to provide mAb therapy and staff training for administering the therapy at in-home settings, neighboring infusion sights, skilled nursing facilities, retirement communities, homeless shelters and jails. According to Tandem365, the treatment also will help with cost savings, as the average cost of 300 patients transported by ambulance and admitted to the emergency room is $3 million.

“Providing a safe, healthy and nurturing environment is our top priority,” said Steve Fetyko, president and CEO of United Methodist Retirement Communities and Porter Hills Presbyterian Villages. “Tandem365 has been a valued partner in training our team to deliver these vital therapies to our residents in their own environment, increasing efficiencies and outcomes, while minimizing stress on residents and their families at a critical time.”

The FDA authorized the use of mAb therapy for high-risk COVID patients as soon as possible after testing positive for the virus and within 10 days of symptom onset. People who meet high-risk criteria include those who are over 65 years of age, obese, pregnant, diabetic and have chronic kidney disease. The treatment, typically administered through intravenous (IV) infusion, might improve symptoms and reduce hospitalization and death risks. If IV infusion is not possible, Regen-COV also might be administered through subcutaneous injection.

Tandem365 said those who test positive for the virus should talk to their doctor about whether they should get antibody treatment and where to get it the fastest. Providers or patients needing assistance to locate an infusion site or connecting with a clinical trial can call the Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Call Center.

English: (877) 332-6585
Spanish: (877) 366-0310

More information for long-term care facilities is at Michigan.gov/COVIDtherapy.

Skilled nursing facilities can contact MDHHS at mdhhs-covid-therapies@michigan.gov.

Those with training inquiries for mAb can contact Tandem365 at (616) 588-5290.

More information also is available on Tandem365’s website, or by contacting Kristie Burns at kristieburns@kbcommunicationsllc.com.