JHF Delivers Webinar on COVID-19 Therapeutics to Statewide Audience

Outpatient COVID-19 treatment and preventive therapies can improve patient outcomes and save lives. Oral antivirals and monoclonal antibodies for pre-exposure prophylaxis are now widely available in Pennsylvania, but the Commonwealth identified need to improve awareness, access, and equity in their use, particularly in long-term care settings.

To address this knowledge deficit, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation was approached and agreed to coordinate and host a webinar on July 12, 2022, entitled "Providing COVID-19 Therapeutics: Your Questions, Answered." This webinar was delivered on behalf of Pennsylvania's Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Emergency Management Agency to more than 130 staff from long-term care facilities. This webinar focused on why, when, and how to prescribe and access outpatient COVID-19 treatment and preventive therapies to promote better outcomes for those most vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19. The webinar recording and materials were further distributed to the hundreds of long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania.

Nancy Zionts, COO and Chief Program Officer at Jewish Healthcare Foundation, and David Kelley, MD, chief medical officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services' Office of Medical Assistance Programs, delivered opening remarks. Deborah Milito, RPh, PharmD, BCGP, director of vaccines and therapeutics at Diamond Pharmacy, provided an overview of available COVID-19 therapeutics. Dan Haimowitz, MD, FACP, CMD, medical director at Living Branches and Arden Courts Yardley, discussed preparing facilities to educate, communicate about, and administer therapeutics.Steve Alles, MD, MS, MFA, public health physician and member of the COVID-19 Long Term Care Taskforce with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, presented on outbreak and pandemic preparedness in congregate care facilities. Andy Pickett, director of the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response, discussed access to COVID-19 therapeutics and opportunities for long-term care stakeholders to support efforts to provide therapeutics to their residents. Zionts further led the Q&A session for participants, who had the opportunity to pose questions to the expert speakers at the end of the webinar.