The state has opted to end its support of a monoclonal infusion site in Poplar Bluff, but local hospital officials say the treatment will still be available.
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center will begin offering the treatments to COVID-19 patients on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at its Oak Grove campus.
“I would like to personally thank the team that implemented Governor Parson’s vision and wisdom on the opening of the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Centers around the state,” PBRMC CEO Rick Naegler said. “We have been proud participants in this program and many people in our community have benefited greatly from this important treatment.”
PBRMC has managed the state-funded site at its Westwood Boulevard campus since it opened at the end of August. The state initially committed $15 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money to fund free treatments at all the mAB sites across Missouri.
The Westwood Boulevard mAB site closed Tuesday, but served more than 700 patients in the two months it was open.
PBRMC has recently seen a decrease in total volume of infusions over the last several weeks, but officials said COVID-19 remains unpredictable and the hospital’s goal is for continued support for the community.
“We are supporting our community to our fullest abilities,” Naegler said. “I am proud of our ability to stand up critical treatments and collaborate with other health officials for the safety and well-being of area residents.”
Monoclonal antibodies are administered to people who have COVID symptoms or who have tested positive for COVID and who have a high likelihood of being hospitalized, according to hospital officials.
The infusion is a one-time treatment and takes about three hours from start to finish. The treatment is administered within the first 10 days of onset of symptoms, health professionals have said.
The primary goal is to help those people avoid hospitalization. These infusions have helped keep hundreds of people out of the hospital, health officials report.
The antibody infusion is not for people who are already in the hospital because of their COVID-19 symptoms. In order to determine qualification, it must be prescribed and scheduled by a patient’s primary care physician or an infectious disease physician.
PBRMC encourages those who seek this treatment to partner with their local primary care physician to get it. More information is available at 573-776-9340.
Information was not available at press time concerning how costs for the treatment at PBRMC may be impacted with the withdrawal of state support.
Other health care systems statewide also provide the mAB treatments.