HCA Healthcare West Florida Hospitals Join Convalescent Plasma Study for COVID-19 Patients
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Part of a national effort seeking plasma donations
from recovered COVID-19 individuals
to potentially
help critically ill patients
TAMPA, Florida – (April 24) – HCA
Healthcare West Florida that announced today that its hospitals
are participating in a national study to determine if plasma from convalescent,
or recovered, COVID-19 patients may benefit individuals currently hospitalized
with severe or life-threatening cases of the virus. As part of the effort, HCA
West Florida hospitals are seeking eligible
volunteers along Florida’s west coast to donate plasma to help current
patients in need.
“We are proud to take part in this
important study. We are asking for the help of our community to spread
awareness about plasma donation for patients facing COVID-19 not only here, but
also around the world,” says Dr. Larry Feinman, Chief Medical Officer, HCA West
Florida.
Participating hospitals include Blake
Medical Center, Brandon Regional Hospital, Citrus Memorial Hospital, Doctors
Hospital of Sarasota, Englewood Community Hospital, Fawcett Memorial Hospital,
Largo Medical Center, Medical Center of Trinity, Memorial Hospital of Tampa,
Northside Hospital, Oak Hill Hospital, Palms of Pasadena Hospital, Regional
Medical Center Bayonet Point, South Bay Hospital and St. Petersburg General
Hospital.
To date, there is no proven therapy for
individuals who are diagnosed with COVID-19, but there is a long history of
successful viral infection treatment using convalescent plasma. After someone
is infected with a virus like COVID-19 and recovers, their blood contains
antibodies that their immune system produced to help them fight off the virus.
By infusing this plasma into patients who are facing severe cases of COVID-19,
their immune system might more effectively be able to fight the virus. Recent
examples of this approach have occurred during outbreaks of coronaviruses like
SARS-1, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but additional clinical
data – and more plasma donations – are needed to determine efficacy in treating
COVID-19.
The success of the study hinges on the
continued collection of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. People who
tested positive for COVID-19 and have since tested negative can help by
donating plasma through One Blood or other blood bank service. To find out more
about the donation process, eligibility and locations to donate along Florida’s
west coast, please call our dedicated COVID-19 Plasma Phone Line at (833)
582-1971.
The 15 hospitals of HCA Healthcare West
Florida are among the 172 hospitals participating from the HCA Healthcare
network {link to HCA national press release}. HCA Healthcare, along with its
Sarah Cannon Research Institute, is leveraging its clinical research
capabilities and national hospital network to quickly expand collection and
testing for this study, which is being led by the Mayo Clinic and supported by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is one of several research
initiatives involving COVID-19 in which HCA Healthcare and Sarah Cannon are
participating.
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About
HCA West Florida
HCA West Florida
provides a complete continuum of high quality programs and services to meet the
healthcare needs of residents and businesses throughout west Florida, caring
for more than 1.2 million patients. HCA West Florida includes 15
hospitals, 25 ER locations, 14 ambulatory surgery centers, numerous physician
practices, graduate medical education programs, a regional lab, and
consolidated service center. HCA West Florida is affiliated with HCA Healthcare,
one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services. With its
founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the
United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver
patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine.
About
HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based
HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services,
comprising 185 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including
surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in
21 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare
created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined
resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the
practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical
studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier
than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical
protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent.
HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 35 million
annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save
lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.
About
Sarah Cannon
Sarah
Cannon Research Institute is one of the world’s leading clinical research
organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. A leader in drug
development, Sarah Cannon has led more than 400 first-in-human oncology
clinical trials since its inception in 1993 and has been a clinical trial
leader in the majority of approved cancer therapies over the last 10 years.
Beyond cancer, Sarah Cannon has a dedicated team of experts leading HCA
Healthcare’s clinical research platform in many other critical therapeutic
areas. To learn more about Sarah Cannon, visit sarahcannon.com.
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