Last Updated 1/21/2021
COVID-19: Premier Response And Resources
Premier COVID-19 Response and Resources
For more than two decades, Premier has been a trusted connection point for healthcare providers, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and the government. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve set aside competitive boundaries and leveraged our relationships at every level of the supply chain to enable access to supplies, intelligence and technology.
Our efforts are helping to stabilize the supply chain, provide an early warning of COVID-19 hotspots, bridge the public and private sectors, shape the public’s understanding and promote industrywide problem-solving. Here’s a peek into what we’ve been able to accomplish.opens in a new tab
While SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 are new, preparing for responses to disasters is not, especially for the seasoned experts at Premier. We are committed to meeting the needs of our member hospitals and health systems and the patients they serve.
Premier healthcare alliance: Disaster Preparedness and Response Resourcesopens in a new tab are available to help guide the Premier membership in its preparation and potential response activities for emergencies, disasters and disruptions, such as hurricanes and outbreaks. Members will find preparation checklists, proposed disaster playbooks, monthly tips, supplier, regulatory and support offerings and real-time updates during and immediately following a disaster (member login required).
Supply Chain
- During times of crisis capacity and/or resource shortages, the leadership of the organization must prepare efficiently and communicate effectively throughout the organization. Clinicians and supply chain must collaborate and coordinate.
- In brief, the organization must:
- Assess current inventory and supply chain capacity/capabilities.
- Understand use and utilization patterns; PPE Burn Rate calculatorsopens in a new tab are indispensable.
- Identify opportunities appropriate for substitution or other conservation strategies. For glove conservation, there may be situations in which shortage gloves are being used currently that could safely transition to use of gloves made of alternate materials (i.e., vinyl for nitrile).
- Document rationale for interim strategies and tactics and incorporate contingency plans.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate.
- The United States is currently in a declared “Public Health Emergency” (PHE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Excess demand coupled with national and international disruptions to the supply chain have resulted in a looming shortage of certain categories of non-sterile, disposable medical gloves, also known as “exam gloves”. Premier has compiled an array of resources to help guide our members. Download individual documents or a comprehensive “Glove Conservation Toolkitopens in a new tab”. (Member login required.)
- Premier members are encouraged to work with their supply chain to ensure adequate inventory of all needed personal protection equipment (PPE), i.e., N95 respirators, masks and other supplies (member login required)opens in a new tab. A recent surveyopens in a new tab of Premier members found 86 percent are concerned about PPE shortages due to COVID-19.
- Pandemic and PHE notwithstanding, appropriate and effective hand hygiene remains essential. Clean hands protect both patients and healthcare personnel from life-threatening infections. Clean hands are equally important for patients’ loved ones and visitors.
- On Jan. 5, 2021, CDC COCA provided additional clarifications to clinicians in its posted newsletter, “Strategies for Optimizing PPE Supplies during Shortages.”opens in a new tab
- CDC – Optimizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)opens in a new tab (updated Jul. 16)
- CDC – Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Disposable Medical Glovesopens in a new tab (updated Oct. 27). During periods of known glove shortages, glove conservation strategies may be needed. One such strategy is “extended use” of disposable medical gloves. This means to wear gloves without changing them between patients or tasks. This is most easily implemented when patients are cohorted, such as when caring for a group of patients with the same confirmed infectious disease diagnosis (e.g., patients with confirmed COVID-19) in a shared or adjacent location. Another temporary strategy is to perform hand hygiene on gloved hands using alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS). Although soap and water are acceptable, ABHS is preferred. Once removed, gloves should not be re-donned; disposable glove “re-use” should not be done. After removing gloves for any reason, hand hygiene should be performed with ABHS or soap and water.
- FDA – Medical gloves for COVID-19opens in a new tab (current as of Sep. 3)
- FDA – Medical Glove Conservation Strategies: Letter to Health Care Providersopens in a new tab (Apr. 27)
- Hospitals and other healthcare settings follow external regulations and professional standards of care for patient safety. In addition to the CDC, other examples of such organizations include the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)opens in a new tab and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)opens in a new tab. Each of these organizations has guidelines pertaining to the specific type of PPE that should be worn in specific situations, such as during immunizations.
Advisor Live® Webinars
Free educational and informational webinars covering timely topics.
- Medical Exam Glove Optimization (Jan. 13, 2021)
- COVID-19: Break the Wave with Predictive Surveillance & Decision Support (May 2)
- COVID-19 has already disrupted modern society on a scale that most living people have never witnessed. What can we do now to mitigate future waves and better prepare for the next crisis?
- Listen to this on-demand webinar opens in a new tab where Premier experts share a showcase of Predictive Surveillance and Decision Support technology that can:
- Alert infection preventionists of suspected and confirmed cases.
- Translate national guidelines into decision support for clinicians, embedded in the EMR workflow.
- Use natural language processing and machine learning to mine clinical notes for early warning signs.
- Predict surge, and forecast necessary supplies, staffing and beds 7-14 days in advance.
- Share daily, enterprise-level COVID-19 insights based on integrated data sources.
- SPEAKERS:
- Ryan Nellis, Chief Commercial Operations Officer, Premier
- Robin Carver, RN, MSN, CIC, Vice President Member Engagement, Premier
- COVID-19: Implications for Clinicians (March 18):
- The World Health Organization has deemed COVID-19 a global pandemic, which has raised fears and confirmed what many clinicians have suspected – we need to be prepared now!
- This webinar was designed specifically for clinicians and infection preventionists, who are the front lines in managing and mitigating the current crisis. The webinar provided the latest updates on the impact COVID-19 is having in the U.S. and specific strategies and tactics supporting early identification and mitigation of the clinical risks associated with COVID-19. Listen to the recording and download the presentation on demand here opens in a new tab.
- Topics covered included:
- Review of key points of knowledge needed for healthcare professionals and support staff.
- Discussion of the most updated guidelines and guidance for prevention and control of COVID-19.
- Overview of supply chain updates.
- Executive Briefing: State of Supply Chain and COVID-19 (Feb. 19):
- This webinar provides an update on the impact of this disease in the U.S., covers specifics on the risks to our supply chain of PPE products, including N95 respirators, and makes recommendations for limiting risk for our nation’s healthcare systems and their patient populations. View the recording on demand opens in a new tab at your convenience.
Following introductory remarks by Leslie Schultz, Director of the Premier Safety Institute®, Dr. Lee Greenawald presents on a framework for PPE optimization strategies and the continuum of options available during various scenarios, such as times of “crisis capacity” or supply shortages. Dr. Greenawald is a physical scientist with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL). Click here opens in a new tab to access the recording.
Advocacy
- Regulatory Flexibilities Available to Address COVID-19 opens in a new tab To help you keep abreast of the daily announcements coming from HHS, Premier’s Public Affairs office has compiled a comprehensive resource on the regulatory flexibilities granted by HHS to date. They will continue to update this resource as new developments unfold (member login required opens in a new tab). The current public health emergency due to COVID-19 has exposed a blind spot in the U.S. supply chain; America’s patients are vulnerable to shortages of critical, life-saving drugs. Premier applauds the representatives who introduced the Preventing Drug Shortages Act opens in a new tab. Read Premier’s statement here opens in a new tab.
- On demand webinar: Reviewing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act opens in a new tab
Premier Newsroom
COVID-19 related information and recent announcements from Premier opens in a new tab:
- Providers’ Take on the First Week of the COVID-19 Vaccine (Dec. 18) opens in a new tab
- 10 Ways Premier Members Led Innovation Amid the Pandemic (Dec. 8) opens in a new tab
- How Health Systems Are Preparing for a COVID-19 Vaccine (Nov. 20) opens in a new tab
- Four Key Considerations for a Successful COVID-19 Vaccination Program (Sept. 4) opens in a new tab
- Premier Healthcare Database Being Used by National Institutes of Health to Evaluate Impact of COVID-19 on Patients Across the U.S. (July 30) opens in a new tab
- Premier – Statement for the Record on the Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Medical Supply Chain During COVID-19 (July 30) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Technology Predicts Number of COVID-19 Cases in U.S. Hospitals in Near Real Time (July 29) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Recommends FDA, DEA Reforms to Prevent Drug Shortages (July 23) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Calls for National Stockpiling Standards to Prevent Redundant Efforts, Next Wave of Product Shortages (June 30) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Survey: Hospitals’ COVID-19 Testing Capacity Must at Least Triple Before Elective Surgeries Can Fully Resume (May 7) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Data: As COVID-19 Cases Spike, Demand for Drugs Used to Treat Related, Co-Morbid Conditions Also Soars (April 30) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Real-Time Technology Solution Tracks, Manages and Supports Treatment of COVID-19 Patients Across the Country (April 20) opens in a new tab
- Premier Inc. Survey: Isolation Gowns Replace N95 Masks as the Top Shortage Concern Among Hospitals and Health Systems Treating COVID-19 Patients (April 17) opens in a new tab
TheraDoc®
Premier’s Clinical Surveillance technology and services opens in a new tab, powered by TheraDoc, gives infection preventionists back precious time they need to stem the spread of COVID-19.