I shared why and how to link health systems together with physicians at Chicagoland hospitals.  Linking the health systems would help coordinate care between physicians at different locations and improve patient outcomes.

I contacted 23 and Me to increase the response to the pandemic, eliminate the spread of the virus and save PPE for healthcare workers by using pre-packaged kits with swabs ready to go for testing COVID-19.  Using pre-packaged kits with swabs ready to go from DNA testing companies (23 and Me) would pinpoint which genetics make people most susceptible to COVID-19.  This would help develop a more effective vaccine and treatment faster.

I contacted dozens of representatives, health and government officials.  If someone tests positive for COVID, have them sign a waiver to allow health departments to contact phone company and receive the locations that the individual have visited.  Mark that location as a hot spot, make the information available to the public so others are aware that they may have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19. 

I contacted dozens of representatives, health and government officials about how and why caregivers could help be the key to fighting the pandemic.  Allowing people to afford to be a caregiver would decrease the amount of money spent on patients who are readmitted to the hospital because of lack of support system.  It would help prevent health problems from worsening, which would decrease the amount of money spent on labs, tests, procedures and also medications.  A majority of caregivers (85%) care for a relative or other loved one.  It would decrease the amount of money spent on patients who would need a rehab facility or home health care after being discharged from the hospital.  All of these things would decrease risk of exposure and transmission of COVID.

I contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocating for immunocompromised and high-risk patients to receive a booster dose of the vaccine.  I asked why does the CDC expect the same vaccine to last 6 months in immunocompromised patients against newer strains of COVID that are more infectious when they know the vaccine is only good for about 3 months.  Immunocompromised patients are frequently going to appointments and hospitals where there are more and more unvaccinated COVID patients.  This is allowing COVID to easily mutate, grow stronger into newer variants and become more infectious faster than healthcare is adapting.

I contacted United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) about helping transplant patients achieve the best possible outcome since there are more transplants being done than ever before.  Transplant patients who are immunocompromised were required to keep going to hospitals for follow up visits when the hospital would be packed with sick COVID patients.

Click to view paper - Improve Diagnostic Testing for Transplant Patients

I contacted CareDX and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and suggested using the Photonic Resonator Absorption Microscopy (PRAM by Brian T. Cunningham) to help improve diagnostic testing for transplant patients.  Using the PRAM could allow for more transplant patients to be tested, eliminate the 90-minute window to get the specimen to the lab which only certain labs accept, allow faster detection of rejection and somatic mutations in transplant patients.  This could decrease hospital readmissions, improve hospital stats which will improve funding for the transplant programs to improve, adapt, and help more patients.  

I tried contacting 5,642 Health Systems, Hospitals and Medical Centers in America with 10 suggestions on how to improve healthcare quality. The list of places I contacted is 105 pages long.  Improving healthcare quality will positively influence patient outcomes and increase funding that will allow hospitals to improvise and adapt as the pandemic continues.  This will also help ease the strain on healthcare workers and prevent burnout.

1. Assign inpatients nurses/care team according to the patient’s language preference. It is imperative for patients to be able to understand their care team. Patients will have a better understanding of their health and be able to manage their conditions better.
2. Provide patients who need to monitor their INR with an at home INR kit. This will decrease the wait times for lab draws, prevent overcrowding at hospitals and minimize exposure and transmission of COVID.
3. Flag patient results that are considered abnormal and out of range for that patient. Notify the patient and the ordering physician when a lab result is dangerously out of range for that patient. Current systems flag patient results when it’s out of the basic reference range.
4. Notify the patient when an unacceptable amount of wait time has accumulated prior to that patient’s test/procedure to prevent overcrowding in hospitals (like ER wait times). This will prevent the mutation and spread of COVID.
5. Allow inpatients to have more access to their health records. Current health systems only allow patients access to certain tests and procedures while they are in the hospital.
6. Provide inpatients who are instructed to stay in bed with hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer is always by the door.
7. Provide inpatients with a notepad and pen so they can take notes.
8. Provide inpatients with the option of receiving physician cards when they round.
9. Provide inpatients starting new medications their insurance will cover. Prevent and treat any adverse side effects; this will decrease hospital readmissions.
10. Start a caregiver program. This will improve patient outcomes, improve stats which will increase funding.

I contacted the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with suggestions on how to improve healthcare quality for veterans.  Veterans are 30 percent more likely than nonveterans to have severe hearing impairments.  The majority of the VA sites only had a way to contact via phone.  Add in contact forms on the VA sites.  The easier it is for veterans to be able to get the care they need, the less likely their conditions become debilitating.