CVS Health Works with UCLA Health and Other Hospitals to Help Create Bed Capacity

CVS Health is working closely with hospitals and healthcare providers, including UCLA Health. The goal is to support methods for expanding much-needed hospital bed capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coram is the company’s infusion care business, helping move eligible IV-therapy patients out of the hospital and other healthcare facilities by providing in-home nursing services.

Coram has recently increased its existing home infusion capabilities to transition IV-therapy patients to home-based care. The enhanced services include better clinical monitoring, virtual support, and monitoring through telehealth services to complement Coram’s already personalized in-home support. The enhancements also include the coordination and administration of medications and nursing supplies.

 Clearing the Way for COVID-19 Patients

The state of California is working to increase its capacity by 50,000 beds, to make room for COVID-19 patients.

“We were able to implement a clinically proper and safe in-home setting for care. In this way, hospitals can focus on treating COVID-19 patients,” commented Sree Chaguturu, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty. “During this unprecedented public health crisis, home can provide the safest place for patients recovering from a wide range of illnesses. Home health care can also minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19.”

Working with UCLA

Coram is working closely with UCLA Health, to both identify and transition medically stable patients to home-based nursing care.

Patients with a wide range of medical conditions that require infusion therapy will be considered. These conditions can include hydration and nutritional support, and well as IV anti-infection medication and specialty medications for the management of chronic conditions. Once back home, Coram’s specially trained nurses will coordinate and provide a wide range of care. The services Coram nurses will provide include daily visits and monitoring, IV catheter line care, medication administration, lab draws as well as educational support through tele-health.

Coram is scaling this innovative approach on a nationwide basis, as well as in other markets with high rates of COVID-19. The company is also working with home health agencies, enabling care for patients with highly acute needs that could require additional clinical monitoring and oversight.

“Unprecedented challenges need innovative thinking. Likewise, it requires partnership and swift action,” observed Prem Shah, Pharm.D., Executive Vice President of CVS Specialty and Product Innovation. “We have deployed our clinical teams where they’re needed most. Moreover, our Coram nurses are doing a fantastic job of alleviating the pressure on hospital bed capacity the hardest-hit areas, such as Los Angeles.”

You can find out more about the steps that CVS Health has taken to handle the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s constantly updated COVID-19 resource center.

About CVS Health

The folks at CVS Health stand united around the common goal of being the most consumer-centric global health company.

The Leadership of CVS Health says the company is working overtime to ramp up its ability to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, CVS was the first retailer to offer drive-up testing locations for the coronavirus. CVS opened these drive-up facilities on March 19.

Also, Aetna, CVS’s health insurance division, waived co-pays for all testing related to the coronavirus for its commercial, as well as Medicare and Medicaid members. Aetna also waives co-pays for telemedicine visits for any reason, to help limit potential exposure to the virus in the physicians’ offices.

In response to the current needs of distribution warehouse workers and front-line healthcare workers, CVS is planning to hire 50,000 part-time full-time, and temporary employees across the country.

CVS is constantly evolving based on the ever-changing needs of our consumers. CVS meets people where they are, whether that’s in the community or at one of our 10,000 local touch-points. We also meet our consumers in the home, or through our popular smartphone apps.

CVS’ newest offerings include their innovative HealthHUB® locations that redefine what a pharmacy truly is, to our groundbreaking programs that help consumers manage chronic conditions; these are designed for a high-quality, simple, and affordable experience. Learn more about how CVS is transforming your health at https://www.cvshealth.com.