Treatment For COVID Goes Mobile

 Spectrum Health Expands Access to Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Treatment of COVID-19 Patients
Mobile clinic offering Monoclonal Antibody Therapy to be at Ludington Hospital November 1 – 19, 2021

LUDINGTON, Mich., Oct. 26, 2021 – Spectrum Health is expanding access to monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy in West Michigan and a mobile infusion clinic offering the COVID-19 treatment will be onsite at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital November 1 to 19, 2021. The mobile clinic will be stationed in the parking lot east of the Emergency Department during the two-week period.
Treatments are by appointment only because supplies and resources are limited.
 
If administered within 10 days of onset of COVID-19 symptoms, the one-time therapy may decrease disease progression and reduce the risk of requiring hospitalization. The treatment is administered through intravenous infusion, delivering medication directly into a patient’s bloodstream.
 
Patients can call the Spectrum Health COVID-19 Infusion Clinic at 616.391.0351 to schedule. The team will help navigate eligibility and supply, and when possible, schedule treatment at the mobile unit. The unit has three treatment areas and can accommodate up to 12 people per day.
 
“Spectrum Health Ludington Health is pleased to provide our monoclonal antibody program to communities in West Michigan, including in the Ludington area and Oceana County, and particularly to our most vulnerable populations,” Ludington Hospital President Drew Dostal said. “With our mobile clinic, Spectrum Health is bringing care directly to the patients who need it most. We are hopeful that the supply of antibodies will allow us to treat as many people as possible.”
 
Spectrum Health also is increasing efforts to inform underserved and disadvantaged communities about this treatment option through grassroots community outreach. This builds on Spectrum Health’s established efforts throughout the pandemic to reach the underserved with information about COVID-19 prevention, treatment and vaccine availability. Physicians also will be equipped with information to share with patients when they receive positive test results.
 
While Spectrum Health as a whole now has the capacity to treat up to 400 patients weekly, the number of patients treated is dependent on monoclonal antibody supply. Monoclonal antibodies are available under an emergency use authorization granted by the FDA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spectrum Health relies on federal and state supply distribution and is experiencing constraints from a national shortage. The ability to offer treatment can change from week-to-week.
 
The mobile clinic has been outfitted to provide monoclonal antibody infusion. It will travel to COVID-19 hot spots throughout West Michigan, as well as serve those in the community who may not be able to seek treatment at Blodgett Hospital, where Spectrum Health opened its COVID-19 Infusion Clinic for mAb treatment in December 2020. The mobile unit is expected to change locations on a regular basis to better reach underserved and disadvantaged communities.
 
The expansion is driven by a partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). On March 17, 2021, HHS announced it was investing $150 million to increase access to mAb therapy for high-risk patients in underserved and disadvantaged communities across the country. Spectrum Health was among the first health care partners to join this national effort to equitably expand access to monoclonal antibody therapy and has been a national leader in policy, education, and dissemination of this treatment.
 
Monoclonal antibody therapy is the first COVID-19 treatment granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for outpatient use. The therapy has been shown to help high-risk COVID-19 patients avoid hospitalization and recover at home.
The Blodgett Hospital monoclonal antibody clinic in Grand Rapids and Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph have treated more than 2,400 patients to date.
 
Spectrum Health is supported by KPMG and sponsored by HHS as part of the federal effort to help end COVID-19 and improve health equity in underserved and disadvantaged communities across the country. The Initiative now includes over 25 prototype models, supported by KPMG and sponsored by HHS, to increase access to mAb therapy at over 80 infusion locations in 16 states.
 
How to Access mAb Treatment at Spectrum Health
All patients who test positive for COVID-19 and are interested in learning more about mAb treatment at Spectrum Health, can call 616.391.0351 for expedited referral to the most appropriate Spectrum Health treatment location.