Pandemic clinic and head doctor recognized by St. Peters

St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) recently recognized Dr. Melissa Fiorini for her efforts in helping to establish the health system’s Monoclonal Antibody Clinic. The clinic opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and served thousands of Capital Region residents before closing in February 2023.

During the month of December 2020, more than 77,000 Americans lost their lives to COVID-19. The highly infectious alpha variant was on the rise and vaccinations were not yet widely available. Only monoclonal antibodies were in use, being the only drug so far to show promise in controlling the disease.

St. Peter’s Health Partners recognized early on the potential benefits these treatments could have and on December 3, 2020, opened its Monoclonal Antibody Clinic on the Albany Memorial Campus of Samaritan Hospital. Under the direction Fiorini, a critical care and emergency medicine physician, the clinic began administering the Capital Region’s first doses of the treatment to ill and at-risk patients.

Under her leadership, SPHP was able to expand treatment capabilities throughout its three emergency departments, as well as its long-term facilities and in-home care services. Combined, these efforts resulted in nearly 9,000 patients treated and hundreds of deaths prevented in the Capital Region.

At a ceremony on Thursday, Dr. Steven Hanks, president & CEO of SPHP and St. Joseph’s Health, dedicated a plaque honoring Dr. Fiorini and clinic staff for the critical role they played in the delivery of life-saving treatment to their patients and the community.