BELLEVUE, WA — Healthcare Management Administrators, Inc. (HMA) announced April 21st that it is donating $10,000 to support Bloodworks Northwest COVID-19 convalescent plasma efforts now underway in conjunction with local healthcare leaders at University of Washington and federal health authorities. The administrator of several hundred self-funded health plans in the Pacific Northwest, HMA is on the frontlines of helping employers navigate the extraordinary challenges presented by COVID-19.
Bloodworks Northwest is seeking adult volunteers who have recovered from the COVID-19 infection and who are willing to donate their plasma. At the first epicenter of the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, Bloodworks Northwest is uniquely situated to lead efforts to collect convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. The plasma may be used for transfusion to treat severe COVID-19 patients and/or for research into diagnostics, vaccines, and other treatments. Bloodworks Northwest is one of several blood centers in the United States who will be assessing whether antibodies in plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 can help those who are currently ill with the virus.
“Bloodworks Northwest is thrilled with this show of community support in an attempt to fight this virus,” said Bloodworks Northwest President & CEO Curt Bailey. “Steve Suter and members of his HMA team have shown up time again to donate blood. Now they’re showing up when it really counts during a pandemic where we have the opportunity to help deliver plasma-derived medicine, providing a ray of hope for the sickest patients.”
Corporate matching: In addition to the $10,000 corporate donation, HMA has launched an internal fundraising campaign to increase the company’s total donation impact committing to a one-to-one corporate match of employee donated funds. “We are working feverishly on solutions to enable employers to safely get their employees back to work. The critical work being done by Bloodworks Northwest and University of Washington on this antibody study is meaningful to so many stakeholders in the Puget Sound region. We’re delighted to be able to support this effort,” stated HMA President & CEO, Steve Suter.
Participation information: If you are in general good health and have recovered from a COVID-19 infection, you might be able to help. Start by visiting the Bloodworks Northwest COVID-19 Donor Project to see if you qualify: https://www.bloodworksnw.org/covid19study. Depending on the results, you may be invited to make an appointment at Bloodworks Northwest.
About HMA: HMA (Healthcare Management Administrators, Inc., https://www.accesshma.com/) headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, is a leading provider of data-driven health benefit services for self-funded organizations. HMA partners with brokers and clients to build and deliver health plans designed to protect our clients’ employees and plan dollars, striving for healthier outcomes at the best possible value.
About Bloodworks Northwest: Bloodworks Northwest is backed by 75 years of Northwest history and 250,000 donors. It is local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based. A recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Bloodworks serves patients at hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska — partnering closely with local hospitals to deliver the highest level of patient care. Bloodworks Research Institute performs leading-edge research in blood biology, transfusion medicine, blood storage and treatment of blood disorders. Patients with traumatic injuries, undergoing surgeries or organ transplantation, or receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders all depend on our services, expertise, laboratories and research. Blood donation appointments can be scheduled at bloodworksnw.org.
– Healthcare Management Administrators, Inc
