The Compass Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 COVID-19 Fighting a pandemic together he virus known as COVID-19 has presented all of us with many challenges. However, with an inspiring amount of support from our communities, Baylor Scott & White responded to this pandemic with immediate screening capabilities, enhanced telehealth encounters, heightened safety measures, and innovative research protocols to help keep both our patients and employees healthy. Fighting the Virus To address this crisis, our robust telehealth team developed a free online COVID-19 screening tool. Patients requiring further evaluation complete an eVisit or visit a drive-thru testing site. Since mid-March, Baylor Scott & White has conducted more than 153,000 digital screenings and 42,000 eVisits for COVID-19. In addition, generous donations from our community helped secure robots that use UV light to sanitize rooms by disinfecting counters, equipment, beds, and other hard to clean surfaces prior to standard cleaning procedures. Use of robotic technology helps keep our care providers safe and minimizes possible human error in the sterilization process. Working to Find a Solution In March, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute formed a special COVID- 19 Research Task Force with a collection of specialists from a variety of fields, including pulmonology, general and cardiothoracic surgery, and critical care. This group oversees two active clinical trials and the development of numerous sponsored and investigator-initiated trials. These trials range from testing the effectiveness of experimental drugs and fighting COVIDinstigated inflammation to investigating drugs to minimize the severity of exposure in frontline staff. When asked about his work, Robert L. Gottlieb, MD, PhD, principal investigator on the active trials says, “This virus is not just a threat to our patients; it is a threat to our family, peers, friends, coworkers, and ourselves. We are doing everything Inside this issue Industry News 11 The CARES Act Thank you to our community! 2 News, Projects & Campaigns 3 Tatum, the survivor 4 Digital Innovation 6 Child Life program expanded 7 Heart care just got better 8 A fighting chance 10 Up and running Continued on pg 2