First Nursing Home in WNY to offer Monoclonal Antibodies

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. - Dec. 29, 2020 - PRLog -- Harris Hill Nursing Facility, a five-star rated skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility operated by The McGuire Group, was the first nursing home in Western New York to offer monoclonal antibody infusions for the treatment of high-risk Covid-19 patients.

In November 2020, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued EUA (emergency use authorization) for the use of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of high-risk patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms at risk for progression to severe illness and hospitalization. This is the same treatment that was given to the US President.

Harris Hill Nursing Facility has a temporary designation as a COVID-only facility that admits patients who tested positive from area nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals who require care and isolation. "Harris Hill has the advanced clinical setting equipped for these infusions, a skilled nursing staff and very engaged medical providers on-site," stated Dr. Zerline Snyderman, a medical director for The McGuire Group. "We know during this pandemic that the vulnerable elderly are the most at-risk for serious outcomes from Covid-19. Western New York is in a second surge and hospital capacity is a concern. We moved swiftly and collaboratively to bring monoclonal antibody infusions onsite as an intervention to treat high-risk patients with recently diagnosed Covid-19 infection."

The drug is available to residents through a partnership with DeGraff Medical Park Infusion Center, which received the state's allocation of the monoclonal antibodies. The team at Harris Hill Nursing Facility has been working closely with Dr. Jamie N. Nadler, assistant professor of medicine and medical director of quality and patient safety at Buffalo General Medical Center and Gate's Vascular Institute on developing protocols for administration and aftercare in concert with those specified in the EUA.

The antibodies are made with proteins created in a laboratory and are designed to mimic the antibodies created in the body's immune system to ward off the virus and fight infection. Harris Hill will receive the compounded medication from PharMerica on a per-patient basis. PharMerica has also obtained a supply of Bamlanivimab.

The trained staff at Harris Hill can administer the intravenous drug to residents who tested positive for Covid-19 and within 10 days of symptoms onset with any of the following risks: age 65 years or older, body mass index of 35 and above, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, immunosuppressive disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension or chronic respiratory disease.

www.mcguiregroup.com.