HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

36 JUL / AUG 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs comprehensive testing plan that was submitted on May 30 to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which outlines how the state will increase testing across the state, especially in congregate settings where the risk of spread is high. As of May 28, 347,647 tests were reported to the State with an overall 11.1 percent positivity rate, which means 11.1 percent of total tests reported actually turned out positive for COVID-19. The federal goal is less than 10 percent positivity. The expectation that the 200,000 tests goal for the month of May will be met. The state’s comprehensive plan includes four goals for the months of May and June: • Increase baseline testing by 100,000 tests by the end of May • Achieve monthly statewide testing at 4 per- cent per capita • Achieve 2 percent per capita tested in all parishes by the end of May • Achieve positivity of 10 percent or less as a state and regionally Louisiana’s testing plan features a multipronged approach to test vulnerable populations, includ- ing congregate settings (such as nursing homes and correctional facilities), communities with insufficient access to testing (including African American and rural communities), and popula- tions that require specialized approaches to test- ing (including populations with special needs). The Governor’s Health Equity Taskforce provided feedback on this comprehensive plan to ensure that increased testing across the state addresses and reaches these communities. The State continues to expand overall test- ing capacity through the State Lab, partnerships across the state, and with contracts to meet any gaps in testing capacity. The State has recently executed contracts for laboratory services, com- munity testing, Congregate Facility Testing Teams (CFTT) and Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) teams. Laboratory services will work to quickly, effi- ciently, and correctly test and report COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) results. Com- munity testing teams will work within their com- munities to staff mobile and diagnostic testing sites. CFTTs will work in congregate settings as needed. ICAR teams will provide information, tools and resources to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings. Infec- tion control assessments will be conducted onsite at facilities and include review of safety and clean- ing practices, visitor restrictions, monitoring and screening of residents and staff, PPE use, and a plan for resident grouping based on positiv- ity rates. The state is partnering with 11 commercial pro- viders. They include: Provider, Omega Diagnos- tics, LLC, Premier Lab Services, Stone Clinical Laboratories, Tulane University Health Sciences Center (contract pending), LCMC Health, LSU Health Shreveport, New Orleans East Hospital, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Pafford Medical Ser- vices, Inc., Safety Management System, LLC, and Southwest LS AHAC. LDH’s Office of Public Health will deploy part- ners to communities and regions where needs are identified. Additionally, under the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Louisiana Medicaid will cover testing for coronavirus for Louisiana residents without health insurance. Coverage includes COVID-19 testing and testing-related services, like doctor’s office visits, when the test is performed. This coverage is available to people without insurance who are Louisiana residents until the end of the federal public health emergency. You must also be a U.S. citizen or meet immigration status requirements to qualify. The testing must be completed by a Medicaid provider. Chosen Diagnostics Awarded NSF SBIR Phase I Grant for Diagnostic Test for Fatal Neonatal Gut Disease Chosen Diagnostics has received a $224,758 Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for development and com- mercialization of its biomarker for noninvasive detection of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a dis- ease primarily seen in preterm infants. The test, invented by Sunyoung Kim, PhD, chief execu- tive officer of Chosen Diagnostics and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, aims to (through noninvasive measures) identify preterm infants most at risk for NEC, to then facilitate per- sonalized care and treatment including manage- ment of feeding and antibiotic regimens. Cho- sen Diagnostics Chief Operating Officer and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Depart- ment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, Rebecca Buckley, PhD, will lead research activi- ties at LSU Health. Necrotizing enterocolitis is a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease, which occurs when tis- sues in the large intestine are damaged or die as a result of inflammation. Bacteria from the intes- tinal tract can then leak into the abdomen caus- ing serious infections and/or death. Primarily occurring in preterm or medically fragile infants, NEC impacts more than 6,000 babies a year in the United States alone and has a fatality rate of up to 50 percent. “By substantially improving the diagnosis of this disease, our hope is that this biomarker will assist in a decreased mortality rate of infants impacted by necrotizing enterocolitis, and, allow us to reduce the life-long health complications for survivors,” said Kim. “Of note, the non-inva- sive format of our diagnostic test, necessary for fragile neonates, affords seamless integration into existing pathology lab workflows, ultimately enabling reduced hospital stays and decreased healthcare costs.” DCHCHosts Food Giveaway DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC), in collaboration with community partners Total Community Action and Second Harvest, hosted a food giveaway at the DCHC Warehouse on Short Street. “The adverse effects of the Coronavirus pan- demic will be felt for quite some time, and peo- ple in our community need continuous support. We are thankful to join forces in this initiative with Total Community Action and Second Harvest, two organizations that have generously served the cit- izens of New Orleans for several decades,” said Michael Griffin, DCHC’s president/CEO. Persons in need of additional food resources may contact DCHC’s Community Health Naviga- tors (CHNs) for assistance at community@dchcno. org or apply for the recently approved Pandemic- Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. n