St. Luke’s opens COVID-19 clinic

St. Luke’s University Health Network recently opened an outpatient COVID-19 treatment clinic at St. Luke’s Warren Campus in Phillipsburg. The Warren Campus’ monoclonal antibody treatment program offers patients bamlanivimab, an experimental drug developed by Eli Lilly that is similar to a product President Donald Trump received after contracting the virus in October.

Granted emergency authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, monoclonal antibodies block the virus’ attachment and entry into human cells. Infusion has been found to be particularly effective in preventing the need for hospitalization in select, higher-risk patients including those who are 65 years of age or older and whose infection, identified early, does not yet require supplemental oxygen. Patients who wish to be treated with bamlanivimab may schedule an appointment after receiving a prescription from a St. Luke’s primary care physician or through a St. Luke’s CareNow walk-in center or emergency room. Monoclonal antibody infusion is one part of St. Luke’s two-pronged strategy for caring for COVID-19 patients at home.

St. Luke’s also is one of the first health systems worldwide to use Masimo SafetyNet, a cloud-based patient management platform, to help clinicians care for patients remotely. It works by using a wireless sensor to monitor patients’ vital signs and provide doctors with valuable clinical data that helps to inform difficult treatment decisions such as when to use a ventilator.