Morehouse School of Medicine & UnitedHealth Group Collaborate to Help Expand COVID-19 Research & Health Equity for Individual...
August 20 2020 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Study will assess COVID-19 risk and severity
among individuals with sickle cell trait
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH) have joined forces to determine if people with sickle cell
trait are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and if the trait
results in more severe cases of the disease.
While the effects of COVID-19 have global implications, national
mortality rates due to COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted
African Americans and other communities of color compared to the
overall population. Sickle cell trait involves a genetic blood
disorder estimated to be present in 1 in 12 African Americans.
There is little information to date on how COVID-19 infections
affect individuals with sickle cell trait.
MSM researchers plan to enroll at least 300 adults who have
sickle cell trait and are hospitalized at Grady Memorial Hospital
for COVID-19. Individuals who agree to join the study will be asked
to complete a survey, share their medical history and provide blood
samples. Researchers will evaluate participants and monitor
progress through a series of medical visits, including a follow-up
visit 30 days after discharge from the hospital. UnitedHealth Group
Research & Development will serve as the co-principal
investigators of the study; analyzing findings in collaboration
with MSM researchers. Planning for this study commenced in early
April and opened for participation in May. The research will
continue for one year and preliminary results could be available
within six months.
“We are honored to continue our long-standing relationship with
UnitedHealth Group in an effort to combat COVID-19 in underserved
communities,” said Dr. Herman Taylor, professor of medicine and
director of MSM’s Cardiovascular Research Institute. “Results from
the study will help us understand the impact sickle cell trait has
on the likelihood of a positive diagnosis and the severity of a
COVID-19 infection and develop better monitoring and preventative
strategies for infected and at-risk individuals.”
The collaboration between MSM and UnitedHealth Group underscores
the organizations’ shared goal of promoting health equity and
advancing an inclusive response to the community spread of
COVID-19.
“We deeply appreciate our ongoing partnership with the Morehouse
School of Medicine and remain intensely focused on supporting
populations who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 through
innovative, practical, real-world research studies,” said Deneen
Vojta, executive vice president, UnitedHealth Group Research &
Development.
Since 2013, UnitedHealth Group has collaborated with MSM to
improve health outcomes, and identify, monitor and reduce health
disparities in underserved communities.
- In October 2019, the United Health Foundation announced a
three-year grant to MSM to improve access to and facilitate
increasing use of digital tools and technologies for primary care
providers and underserved patients across the Southeast, in order
to improve outcomes, lower costs and enable a better overall
patient experience.
- The United Health Foundation and Optum, a UnitedHealth Group
company, provided philanthropic support to help build health
systems and health technology for tracking patient history and
health outcomes for MSM’s Patient Centered Medical Home and
Neighborhood Project (2013-2018).
- In July 2019, UnitedHealth Group announced a partnership with
the Atlanta University Center Consortium, which includes MSM, to
train and prepare the next generation of data scientists.
About Morehouse School of Medicine
Morehouse School of Medicine, located in Atlanta, GA, exists to
improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities;
increase the diversity of the health professional and scientific
workforce; and address primary health care through programs in
education, research, and service, with emphasis on people of color
and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia, the
nation, and the world. MSM is among the nation's leading educators
of primary care physicians and has twice been recognized as the top
institution among U.S. medical schools for its dedication to the
social mission of education. The faculty and alumni are noted in
their fields for excellence in teaching, research, and public
policy, and are known in the community for exceptional, culturally
appropriate patient care. Morehouse School of Medicine is
accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctorate and master’s
degrees.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care
company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and
helping to make the health system work better for everyone.
UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services
through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides
health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which
provides information and technology-enabled health services. For
more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at
www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on
Twitter.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200820005008/en/
UnitedHealth Group Media Contact: Bryan Fisher,
202-292-1456, bryan.fisher@uhg.com
Morehouse School of Medicine Media Contact: William F.
(Bill) Doughty, APR, 404-752-1752, wdoughty@msm.edu
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