Part of a national effort seeking plasma donations from recovered COVID-19 individuals
to potentially help critically ill patients
TAMPA, Florida – (April 24) – HCA Healthcare West Florida that announced today that its hospitals are participating in a national study to determine if plasma from convalescent, or recovered, COVID-19 patients may benefit individuals currently hospitalized with severe or life-threatening cases of the virus. As part of the effort, HCA West Florida hospitals are seeking eligible volunteers along Florida’s west coast to donate plasma to help current patients in need.
“We are proud to take part in this important study. We are asking for the help of our community to spread awareness about plasma donation for patients facing COVID-19 not only here, but also around the world,” says Dr. Larry Feinman, Chief Medical Officer, HCA West Florida.
Participating hospitals include Blake Medical Center, Brandon Regional Hospital, Citrus Memorial Hospital, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Englewood Community Hospital, Fawcett Memorial Hospital, Largo Medical Center, Medical Center of Trinity, Memorial Hospital of Tampa, Northside Hospital, Oak Hill Hospital, Palms of Pasadena Hospital, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, South Bay Hospital and St. Petersburg General Hospital.
To date, there is no proven therapy for individuals who are diagnosed with COVID-19, but there is a long history of successful viral infection treatment using convalescent plasma. After someone is infected with a virus like COVID-19 and recovers, their blood contains antibodies that their immune system produced to help them fight off the virus. By infusing this plasma into patients who are facing severe cases of COVID-19, their immune system might more effectively be able to fight the virus. Recent examples of this approach have occurred during outbreaks of coronaviruses like SARS-1, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but additional clinical data – and more plasma donations – are needed to determine efficacy in treating COVID-19.
The success of the study hinges on the continued collection of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. People who tested positive for COVID-19 and have since tested negative can help by donating plasma through One Blood or other blood bank service. To find out more about the donation process, eligibility and locations to donate along Florida’s west coast, please call our dedicated COVID-19 Plasma Phone Line at (833) 582-1971.
The 15 hospitals of HCA Healthcare West Florida are among the 172 hospitals participating from the HCA Healthcare network {link to HCA national press release}. HCA Healthcare, along with its Sarah Cannon Research Institute, is leveraging its clinical research capabilities and national hospital network to quickly expand collection and testing for this study, which is being led by the Mayo Clinic and supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is one of several research initiatives involving COVID-19 in which HCA Healthcare and Sarah Cannon are participating.
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About HCA West Florida
HCA West Florida provides a complete continuum of high quality programs and services to meet the healthcare needs of residents and businesses throughout west Florida, caring for more than 1.2 million patients. HCA West Florida includes 15 hospitals, 25 ER locations, 14 ambulatory surgery centers, numerous physician practices, graduate medical education programs, a regional lab, and consolidated service center. HCA West Florida is affiliated with HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine.
About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 185 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 21 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 35 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.
About Sarah Cannon
Sarah Cannon Research Institute is one of the world’s leading clinical research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. A leader in drug development, Sarah Cannon has led more than 400 first-in-human oncology clinical trials since its inception in 1993 and has been a clinical trial leader in the majority of approved cancer therapies over the last 10 years. Beyond cancer, Sarah Cannon has a dedicated team of experts leading HCA Healthcare’s clinical research platform in many other critical therapeutic areas. To learn more about Sarah Cannon, visit sarahcannon.com.