MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
The FHP Division provided the antiviral drug remdesivir to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 as a treatment option.
inquiry. FHP then exchanges all necessary documents with the group, such as medical licenses and agreements, to become a treatment site. Te sites are trained on the protocol and processes, and then documentation is submitted to the USAMRDC HQ IRB for approval. After FHP conducts a site-initiation visit and the product is in place, a patient can be enrolled into one of the treatment protocols.
An approved site can call FHP 24 hours a day, seven days a week in order to provide this treatment option to a patient. Before a patient can begin receiving treatment, the site must send FHP a signed consent form. FHP provides the patient with a special tracking number, which is specific for the protocol that is being activated. After this, the patient can begin treatment. Convales- cent plasma for COVID-19 treatment is provided through the Armed Services Blood Program to the active sites, and must also be notified when there is a new patient.
“It’s amazing how many sites we have,” said Erlichman. “We have land-based treatment facilities, on ships and even aircraft carri- ers, which is a first for us.”
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany was FHP’s flagship site for both the expanded access for remdesivir and convalescent plasma protocols. Landstuhl has seen a number of patients from numerous locations including the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It has been treating patients with COVID- 19 infections across the spectrum of disease severity.
“We have had very good outcomes thus far with the patients that we have treated,” said Army Lt. Col. Daniel Weinstein, Landstuhl's chief of internal medicine. “Tis is likely due to the combination of novel therapeutics, treatment strategies from other diseases that we have incorporated into our treatment plans, and the excellent care that our team provides to all patients that come to LRMC.”
A wide range of patients were able to be treated through the expanded access protocols. Tese patients include active duty military, dependents, retired personnel, contractors, and in some countries, host nationals.
CONCLUSION “We want to thank everyone involved in developing and imple- menting these and other treatments for COVID-19,” said Weinstein. “Tis is a momentous task that requires efforts from all scopes of practice, research and development. We appreciate it.”
Tere is one thing that the small yet resilient FHP team is in agreement with, aside from the increasing need for resilience— they are saving lives. Tey share a mutual satisfaction knowing that, among their efforts, they were able to provide treatment to 753 COVID-19 patients and counting. Tey have had direct involvement in making these critical treatments available, and in fulfilling their division’s mission.
“I couldn’t ask for a better team—more dedicated, more profes- sional. At two o’clock in the morning, they are taking phone calls, providing customer service, and getting patients enrolled,” said Parriott.
All this is taking place with a team of only seven. Parriott believes that after this experience, her team is ready to handle any future threat of this magnitude.
As Parriott said, “If everyone wasn’t working together as a team, and focused on getting the warfighter treated, we would have never gotten there.”
For more information on the Force Health Protection Division and other projects being developed or managed by the USAMMDA, please visit the USAMMDA website at
https://www.usammda.
army.mil/.
ASHLEY N. FORCE is functional analyst for the public affairs office at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, responsible for performing research and functional analysis on a variety of projects including event coordination, media coverage, article writing and social media management. She holds a B.A. in journalism from Rowan University. Her journalistic experience stems
reporter and desk anchor for the CBS-affiliated stations KPIC and KVAL News in Eugene, Oregon.
from working in television news as a general assignment
56
Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2021
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