An Intermountain multidisciplinary team received high praise after presenting their work on COVID-19 testing to representatives from more than 300 organizations in a virtual meeting for the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition organized by the MITRE Corporation. The purpose of the event was to share leading innovations in the COVID-19 pandemic response, to grow and learn together, and to highlight cutting-edge developments.
MITRE invited Intermountain respresentatives to present about the powerful teamwork between our clinical operating lanes and the CTIS team, and about our efficient COVID-19 testing process. The Intermountain presentation featured work from teams led by Tamara Moores Todd, MD, CTIS medical director; Bert Lopansri, MD, Infectious Diseases Program associate medical director; Kathryn Kuttler, PhD, advanced decision support director; and Diane Rindlisbacher, RN, Strategy Office executive partner.
Dr. Moores Todd described how Intermountain develops and modifies testing criteria in a changing situation and how it facilitates sample collection throughout Utah. The presentation also discussed how Intermountain developed and deployed the SARS-CoV-2 test internally with a novel test prioritization algorithm, and agilely flexed to use regional labs and adjusting the testing strategy based on supply availability and changing epidemiology. These changing dynamics have been managed by the Intermountain team while keeping the iCentra workflow as simple and as stable as possible for the frontline providers, nurses, and staff involved.
Francis Campion, MD, of the MITRE Corporation and coalition facilitator commended Intermountain, saying, “You can probably hear the applause from all around the country. Congratulations on what you’ve accomplished. You obviously have a talented team.”
Intermountain participates in the coalition, which is a private-sector led response that brings together healthcare organizations, technology firms, nonprofits, academia, and startups to preserve the healthcare delivery system and help protect U.S. populations. Other organizations participating in the coalition include Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, and the Mayo Clinic.