Title: Health Care Providers are Now the Frontline for COVID-19 Response: Are We Ready?

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve as the virus mutates to more contagious forms. With the new waves of new variants and continuing federal effort to address COVID-19, the pandemic response is shifting to state and local levels. We all need to recognize that health care providers are and will be playing an increasingly important role in COVID-19 control and treatment.  Measures to fight COVID-19 are widely available to healthcare providers, including tests, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and antiviral medications.  Our challenge is to help practitioners take advantage of the ample tools and guidance available to fight COVID-19.  Health care providers can prescribe anit-viral agents. Health care providers can offer protective monoclonal antibodies to immunocompromised patients. Health care providers can register as COVID-19 vaccine providers. It is recognized that the medical community has endured much during this pandemic. It is also recognized that we can continue to step up.

Biography:

Rivkees is a Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy, and Practice in the School of Public Health. He served as Florida's State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health from 2019 to 2021. Before moving to Florida, he served as a professor of pediatrics with tenure at Yale University. Dr. Rivkees has had more than 35 years of continuous research funding from the National Institutes of Health. He was responsible for the safety alert on liver toxicity caused by the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil. This led to major international treatment practice changes.