The best medical treatment in the world isn’t much use if the patient can’t get to the treatment center. That’s why one Intermountain physician recently went out of her way to ensure a high-risk patient with COVID-19 had a ride to the hospital to receive a treatment that can prevent hospitalization and possibly death.
Thea Sakata, MD, is a family medicine and urgent care physician who has been redeployed as a member of Intermountain’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment team, the “MAb Squad.” She and other MAb Squad providers are working hard to identify high risk COVID-19 patients, contact them, and get them in to receive one of the very promising new monoclonal antibody treatments that have been shown to reduce the severity of COVID-19.
Dr. Sakata identified a patient with multiple chronic medical conditions including kidney failure, who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and was an excellent candidate for monoclonal antibody treatment. Unfortunately, the patient had no way of getting to the infusion site. Dr. Sakata worked with the dialysis center team, who arranged a ride for the patient to the dialysis center. She then she worked with RideShare to get the patient a ride from dialysis to the infusion center, and from there back home.
“This is a superb example of a caregiver going above and beyond to make sure we’re creating access to healthcare for patients whose social determinants of health put them at a disadvantage,” says Brandon Webb, MD, an infectious diseases specialist and leader of the MAb Squad. “This is exactly what we’re trying to achieve by adding equity as one of our Fundamentals of Care.
“Dr. Sakata’s efforts went well above what was required,” says Lanae Lewis, RN, infusion services coordinator and member of MAb Squad. “Even the RideShare person she was working with was so impressed that a doctor had called and was working so hard to ensure a patient had a way to get treatment. I think this story highlights exactly what we should all be striving for.”
“I was happy to do it and even happier when it all worked out,” Dr. Sakata says. “I’m a little embarrassed because I really don’t think this deserves that much attention. Basically, I just made phone calls. The fact that I helped this patient is a no-brainer. I would hope anyone would do the same. I’m passionate about setting up patients for success, and I believe this aligns well with Intermountain’s mission.”
Intermountain is focused on addressing social factors that influence people’s health, such as access to food, housing, and transportation. If you encounter a patient who needs help with these social determinants of health, you can encourage them to contact Utah 211 at 211utah.org or by calling 211. Utah 211 is a statewide service that connect Utahns with a wide range of services in their community, including food, housing, transportation, and employment. SelectHealth and some other insurers also have advocates who can help members find resources. And you can refer patients in need to Intermountain’s care management team.
“I think we as a healthcare organization have our work cut out for us,” Dr. Sakata says. “And I love that we as a healthcare organization care about these things.”