Academic Pathology (Sep 2020)
A How-to Guide to Building a Robust SARS-CoV-2 Testing Program at a University-Based Health System
- Stephen D. Nimer MD,
- Jennifer Chapman MD,
- Lisa Reidy PhD,
- Alvaro Alencar MD,
- YanYun Wu MD, PhD,
- Sion Williams PhD,
- Lazara Pagan MSN,
- Lauren Gjolaj MBA,
- Jessica MacIntyre MSN,
- Melissa Triana MBA,
- Barbara Vance PhD,
- David Andrews MD,
- Yao-Shan Fan MD, PhD,
- Yi Zhou MD, PhD,
- Octavio Martinez MD,
- Monica Garcia-Buitrago MD,
- Carolyn Cray PhD,
- Mustafa Tekin MD,
- Jacob L. McCauley PhD,
- Philip Ruiz MD, PhD,
- Paola Pagan MBA,
- Walter Lamar PhD,
- Maritza Alencar DNP,
- Daniel Bilbao PhD,
- Silvia Prieto MBA,
- Maritza Polania MBA,
- Maritza Suarez MD,
- Melissa Lujardo BSIE,
- Gloria Campos MSIE,
- Michele Morris MD,
- Bhavarth Shukla MD,
- Alberto Caban-Martinez PhD, DO,
- Erin Kobetz PhD,
- Dipen J. Parekh MD,
- Merce Jorda MD, PhD, MBA
Affiliations
- Stephen D. Nimer MD
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Jennifer Chapman MD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Lisa Reidy PhD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Alvaro Alencar MD
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- YanYun Wu MD, PhD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Sion Williams PhD
- Department of Neurology, , Miami, FL, USA
- Lazara Pagan MSN
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Lauren Gjolaj MBA
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Jessica MacIntyre MSN
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Melissa Triana MBA
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Barbara Vance PhD
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- David Andrews MD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Yao-Shan Fan MD, PhD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Yi Zhou MD, PhD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Octavio Martinez MD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Monica Garcia-Buitrago MD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Carolyn Cray PhD
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Mustafa Tekin MD
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and the Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, , Miami, FL, USA
- Jacob L. McCauley PhD
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and the Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, , Miami, FL, USA
- Philip Ruiz MD, PhD
- Department of Surgery, , Miami, FL, USA
- Paola Pagan MBA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Walter Lamar PhD
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Maritza Alencar DNP
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Daniel Bilbao PhD
- , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Silvia Prieto MBA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Maritza Polania MBA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Maritza Suarez MD
- Department of Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Melissa Lujardo BSIE
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Gloria Campos MSIE
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Michele Morris MD
- Department of Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Bhavarth Shukla MD
- Department of Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- Alberto Caban-Martinez PhD, DO
- Department of Public Health Sciences, , Miami, FL, USA
- Erin Kobetz PhD
- Department of Public Health Sciences, , Miami, FL, USA
- Dipen J. Parekh MD
- Department of Urology, , Miami, FL, USA
- Merce Jorda MD, PhD, MBA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, , Miami, FL, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/2374289520958200
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 7
Abstract
When South Florida became a hot spot for COVID-19 disease in March 2020, we faced an urgent need to develop test capability to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assembled a transdisciplinary team of knowledgeable and dedicated physicians, scientists, technologists, and administrators who rapidly built a multiplatform, polymerase chain reaction- and serology-based detection program, established drive-through facilities, and drafted and implemented guidelines that enabled efficient testing of our patients and employees. This process was extremely complex, due to the limited availability of needed reagents, but outreach to our research scientists and multiple diagnostic laboratory companies, and government officials enabled us to implement both Food and Drug Administration authorized and laboratory-developed testing–based testing protocols. We analyzed our workforce needs and created teams of appropriately skilled and certified workers to safely process patient samples and conduct SARS-CoV-2 testing and contact tracing. We initiated smart test ordering, interfaced all testing platforms with our electronic medical record, and went from zero testing capacity to testing hundreds of health care workers and patients daily, within 3 weeks. We believe our experience can inform the efforts of others when faced with a crisis situation.
