Today, we are faced with an unprecedented situation. The effects of COVID-19 present a challenging time for everyone, personally and professionally. The pandemic has affected our communities, businesses and way of life.^1,2 As a member of the healthcare community, we’d like to offer our support so we can help navigate through these complicated times together.

As you know, the CDC issued statements explaining that patients living with diabetes face a higher chance of experiencing severe complications from COVID-19. This is, in part, because increases in blood glucose levels can challenge an individual's immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to poor outcomes from infections.³ Glytec is publishing observational data in the next week that provides data on COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes and the impact hyperglycemia appears to have on length of stay and mortality rates.

For the past 14 years, the Glytec team has focused on helping improve the lives of patients hospitalized with diabetes and elevated sugars, and those who administer their care. Amid this public health crisis, Glytec feels a deep duty to support hospitals and clinicians on the front lines by publishing analyses from our large database and by providing additional support and services which will help providers deliver the best care possible to their patients - particularly those that require insulin.

To our customers: We have seen an increase in demand to add EMR units (e.g., ICUs, EDs) to allow for increased capacity in the event there is an influx of emergent and critical care patients. If this is a strategy you are considering, we'd like to help you by adding your temporary units in Glucommander as soon as possible. To support these efforts, we will waive all fees for bed additions to accommodate the potential increase in demand. You should have received a letter from our CEO on this initiative. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to support@glytecsystems.com.

To members of the healthcare community: We have a team of dedicated doctors, nurses, and diabetes educators at Glytec who are available to answer questions on managing glucose levels for patients with COVID-19. To get in contact with our team, please email info@glytecsystems.com.

For Resources, Data, and Guidance: We have created a landing page for healthcare providers designed to deliver guidance and best practices for supporting insulin management for COVID-19 patients. This page will share up-to-date research about how COVID-19 impacts patients with diabetes and includes evidence-based guidance on best practices for glycemic management hospitalized patients. For more information, please visit https://glytecsystems.com/resource/insulin-management-and-covid-19-resources/.

In this historic time full of uncertainties and healthcare delivery challenges, we at Glytec will continue to seek opportunities to support health systems in new and innovative ways.  The response and action from nurses, doctors, first responders, health care providers and other essential staff have been truly inspiring. We thank you for the vital work that you are doing to keep our families and communities safe and healthy.

On behalf of the entire Glytec team, I wish for safe passage through the COVID-19 epidemic for our caregivers and our patients. If there is anything we can do to support your work, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Stay safe,

Valerie Garrett, MD, MPH

Valerie Garrett, MD, MPH is the Executive Director of Quality Initiatives. Dr. Garrett graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1993. She completed internal medicine residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1996 before joining the CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer from 1999 to 2001. She obtained a masters of public health fellowship from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2015.

Dr. Garrett has worked as a hospitalist since 2008, joining the Mission Health System in Asheville, NC in 2010. She quickly became involved in quality initiatives for patients with diabetes and in 2012 assumed the role of medical director, overseeing inpatient and outpatient care at the Mission Health Diabetes Center. During this period, she led an interdisciplinary team to standardize and improve glycemic management in Mission Health hospitals, developed a highly skilled diabetes advanced practitioner team and introduced Mission Hospital to Glucommander for use in cardiac surgery patients. From 2016 to 2018, Dr. Garrett focused exclusively on inpatient care when she assumed the role of medical director for a 75-person hospitalist group.

Dr. Garrett joined Glytec in 2018. Her strong and enduring professional interest is in the intersection between clinical medicine and population health, especially in the hospital setting. She is drawn to the needs of patients with diabetes and works to build system solutions to ensure safe and effective inpatient glycemic management while engaging patients to achieve long term glycemic control for best health outcomes.

Citations:

1. Nguyen, H. (2020, April 1). What have people changed about their lives in the COVID-19 world? Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/04/01/what-have-people-changed-about-their-lives-covid-1
2. Quick Take: Coronavirus' Economic Impact. (2020, April 3). Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.uschamber.com/series/above-the-fold/quick-take-coronavirus-economic-impact
3. Muller, L. M. A. J., Gorter, K. J., Hak, E., Goudzwaard, W. L., Schellevis, F. G., Hoepelman, A. I. M., & Rutten, G. E. H. M. (2005). Increased Risk of Common Infections in Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 41(3), 281–288. doi: 10.1086/431587

ECO #0793-A