Regenstrief and COVID-19: Research and Responses to the Coronavirus

Regenstrief President and CEO Peter Embí, M.D., M.S., appeared on WTIU Indiana Newsdesk to elaborate on the impact of a third COVID-19 vaccine.

WATCH THE NEWSDESK SEGMENT

Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, Regenstrief director of public health informatics, discusses the recent surge in COVID-19 cases as schools and college campuses begin to reopen.

READ THE INDYSTAR ARTICLE

Regenstrief research scientists Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH, and Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, discussed the current state of COVID-19 in Indiana and the government’s data-driven response to the pandemic on All In Indiana.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

Regenstrief Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, explained the importance of contact tracing in the effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

WATCH THE CBS4 INTERVIEW

Regenstrief research scientist Shelley Johns, PsyD, spoke to WISH-TV about dealing with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ THE INTERVIEW

Regenstrief Vice President for Faculty Development Aaron Carroll, M.D., a nationally recognized public health expert, is urging exploration of different COVID-19 testing methods to speed up results.

READ HIS OPINION IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Case reporting is a big area of focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regenstrief Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, has helped to explain the process and the current data.

READ THE INDYSTAR ARTICLE

READ THE POLITICO ARTICLE

Results from a Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health and Indiana State Department of Health study on COVID-19 in Indiana were included in a CDC report. Regenstrief and Fairbanks research scientist Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH, the study leader, explained the implications.

READ THE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE

READ THE WRTV-6 ARTICLE

READ THE CBS4 ARTICLE

Regenstrief Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, M.D., provided perspective on the COVID-19 trends in Indiana as well as the importance of the Regenstrief COVID-19 dashboard.

READ THE FOX59 STORY

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH WISH-TV

Sending COVID-19 patients to nursing homes or rehabilitative facilities could lead to major issues. Regenstrief research scientist Kathleen Unroe, M.D., MHA, spoke about the key role of testing in an interview with MedPage Today.

READ THE ARTICLE

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are starting to increase in Indiana. Regenstrief Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, discussed the latest trends with CBS4/FOX59.

WATCH THE STORY

LOINC® recently released its new update, which includes a number of codes related to COVID-19. Content developer David Baorto, MD, PhD, explained — in the Indianapolis Business Journal — why LOINC codes are so important.

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The Marion County (Indiana) Fair is opening July 11 after being delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regenstrief Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, urged people to take precautions if they plan to attend.

WATCH THE STORY

Regenstrief research scientist Shelley Johns, PsyD, explained ways in which health practitioners can monitor for signs of anxiety and depression in their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WATCH HER INTERVIEW WITH CONTEMPORARY CLINIC®

As many people spend more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are doing some extra spring cleaning. Regenstrief research scientist NiCole Keith, PhD, spoke about the benefits of house cleaning on CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.

WATCH THE STORY

COVID-19 has made telehealth very common. Regenstrief research scientist Joy L. Lee, PhD, spoke about the benefits and drawbacks with WISH-TV.

Read the article

The COVID-19 dashboard on the Regenstrief Institute website now shows data trends from across Indiana in an easy-to-understand, interactive display.

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Results from the second phase of the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI/Indiana State Department of Health study of statewide random testing aimed at measuring the spread of the novel coronavirus in Indiana show fewer active infections and a greater number of people testing positive for antibodies. Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH, a Regenstrief research scientist and Fairbanks School of Public Health professor, is the lead scientist.

READ THE RESULTS 

New zip code-level data shows that Indiana’s poorest neighborhoods have significantly more cases of COVID-19 than richer counterparts. Regenstrief Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, explained some of the possible reasons for the disparity to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

READ THE ARTICLE

Associate director of the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Babar Khan, M.D., was interviewed on WFYI’s All IN about the impact a stay in the ICU could have on survivors of COVID-19.

LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSION*

*interview begins at 31 minutes

Diabetes is one of the greatest risk factors for complications from COVID-19. Associate Director of the Regenstrief Center for Health Services Research Michael Weiner, MD, provided insight to WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Dr. Weiner is also associated with the Indianapolis VA Medical Center and Indiana University School of Medicine.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, MS, and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and The Pew Charitable Trusts wrote a commentary in npj Digital Medicine on how better patient identification could help fight the coronavirus.

Read their commentary

READ BECKER’S HOSPITAL REVIEW ARTICLE

READ MEDPAGE TODAY’S ARTICLE

READ EHR INTELLIGENCE’S ARTICLE

Regenstrief and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI faculty member Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH, was interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered about the project he is leading to study population prevalence of COVID-19 in Indiana.

Listen to the interview

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the use of telehealth. Regenstrief research scientist Joy L. Lee, PhD, spoke to Health Leaders about fostering a positive patient-provider relationship.

Read her advice

COVID-19 survivors who were treated in the intensive care unit may face other challenges after leaving the hospital. Associate director of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Babar Khan, MD, spoke about the potential impact of post-intensive care syndrome.

RTV6 interview

Fox59 interview

Indystar story

How should summer camps operate during the COVID-19 outbreak? Regenstrief Vice President for Faculty Development Aaron Carroll, M.D., wrote about reducing the risks in a New York Times opinion piece.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief research scientist and head of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH, discussed the key findings of the first phase of the Fairbanks School of Public Health and Indiana State Department of Health study on the prevalence of COVID-19 in Indiana on Inside Indiana Business.

Watch the interview

During Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s press conference, State Health Commissioner Kristina Box presented the latest numbers from the Regenstrief COVID-19 dashboard.

The City of Indianapolis announced its plans to begin reopening restaurants and businesses, which is different from Indiana’s plan. Regenstrief Institute and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health expert Joshua Vest explained to the IndyStar how data is playing a role in these decisions.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief research scientist and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health faculty member Nir Menachemi, PhD, MPH, announced the findings from the first round of testing to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in Indiana during Governor Holcomb’s press conference.

Hospital systems across the country are sharing data during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regenstrief President and CEO Peter Embí, MD, spoke to Becker’s Hospital Review about the effort to gather information in Indiana and Regenstrief’s role in the collaboration.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, explains how Regenstrief plans to use AI in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ THE HEALIO ARTICLE

Regenstrief research scientist and geriatrician Kathleen Unroe, M.D., MHA, was interviewed live on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio about the impact of COVID-19 on people living in nursing homes.

LISTEN to the may 11 interview HERE

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for those with substance use disorder. Regenstrief and IU research scientist Debra Litzelman, M.D., explained how the CARE Plus program has adapted.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief research scientist Joshua Vest, PhD, was a panelist on the Indiana Public Broadcasting podcast All IN. He spoke about Governor Holcomb’s plan to reopen Indiana.

LISTEN HERE

Regenstrief, Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) and Indiana University have partnered to create a dashboard to support public health professionals, health systems and other partners as they address the COVID-19 outbreak.

The combination of data from private and public sectors helps provide a more complete picture of the pandemic in Indiana.

VIEW THE DASHBOARD.

During Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s daily press conference, the State’s chief medical officer, Lindsay Weaver, MD, referred people to the Regenstrief COVID-19 dashboard for more information related to the virus in Indiana.

View the dashboard

As Indiana begins to gradually lift restrictions, Regenstrief VP for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, spoke to FOX59/CBS4 about the trends in the data.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW

Regenstrief researcher Shelley Johns, PsyD, says the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new sources of anxiety and stress for cancer patients and survivors. Dr. Johns spoke to the National Cancer Institute about the challenges.

READ THE ARTICLE

Clear communication is crucial for safe and effective transitions of care from the nursing home to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, Regenstrief research scientist Kathleen Unroe, MD, MPA, told McKnight’s Long-term Care News.

READ HER RECOMMENDATIONS

To help nursing homes and emergency departments handle patient transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, and colleagues developed advice for safe care transitions.

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Probari, a company in which Regenstrief holds a stake, is working with the Indiana State Department of Health to help assisted living facilities train staff in infectious disease control and prevention. Probari founder and Regenstrief researcher Kathleen Unroe, MD, spoke to Inside Indiana Business about the partnership with the State.

Regenstrief and IU Fairbanks School of Public Health Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, spoke to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic and its challenges.

READ THE ARTICLE

Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box used data from the Regenstrief COVID-19 dashboard to provide an update on Indiana COVID-19 hospitalization rates during the governor’s daily press conference.

The Indiana State Department of Health and the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI are partnering to measure the spread of COVID-19 throughout Indiana. Regenstrief and Fairbanks researcher Nir Menachemi, PhD, is leading the project, which will test 20,000 Hoosiers across the state.

Read about the research

Seniors with COVID-19 may not have the typical symptoms of COVID-19. Regenstrief researcher Kathleen Unroe, M.D., was one of several experts interviewed by Kaiser Health News who helped explain why symptoms of the virus present differently in older people.

READ THE ARTICLE

Regenstrief Institute’s COVID-19 dashboard provides data on hospitalization rates, comorbidity and other statistics to provide a more complete picture of the outbreak in Indiana. Regenstrief President and CEO Peter Embí, MD, spoke to the IndyStar about the project.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Regenstrief research scientist Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, and affiliate scientist Paul Halverson, DrPH, presented during an American Medical Informatics Association COVID-19 webinar on public health. They and other experts spoke about maximizing health IT and other public health tools during the COVID-19 outbreak. Dr. Dixon is the director of public health informatics for Regenstrief and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI. Dr. Halverson leads Fairbanks School of Public Health as its founding dean.

WATCH THE WEBINAR

Regenstrief President and CEO Peter EmbÍ, MD, provided insight to local media into the COVID-19 dashboard created by Regenstrief, Indiana Health Information Exchange, IU and state government partners. The dashboard provides new information on the virus outbreak in Indiana.

FOX59

WRTV6

WISH-TV

Regenstrief Institute research scientist Shelley Johns, PsyD, spoke to Healio about the chronic stress that many are feeling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She addressed the important role clinicians play in mitigating the impact of that stress.

Read the interview here.

The Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University are launching a survey to conduct research about COVID-19 symptoms. The anonymous survey data generated by the project could be used to help state, federal and international health agencies monitor trends and anticipate outbreaks. The survey is being shared via Microsoft News.

READ MORE

In an interview with ABC News, Regenstrief Vice President for Faculty Development Aaron Carroll, M.D., said the nation cannot rush back to normal. Dr. Carroll was one of several national experts who spoke about the challenges of reopening in the country.

READ THE ARTICLE.

The Indiana State Department of Health released statistics showing minorities in the state represent a disproportionate share of COVID-19 patients. In an interview with Indianapolis Fox affiliate, FOX59, Regenstrief Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, MD, explained the push to gather data to better understand the characteristics of individuals who are contracting the virus.

Read the interview here.

In an Indiana Business Journal Forefront article, Regenstrief President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Embí, M.D., and Vice President for Data and Analytics Shaun Grannis, M.D., explained perquisites that are necessary before COVID-19 community-mitigation measures such as social distancing and business closures can be ended. They provided insights on the data that is needed to make informed decisions that protect the health of the public.

Read the column.

Shaun Grannis, MD, Regenstrief’s vice president for data and analytics, was a presenter in the American Medical Informatics Association’s COVID-19 webinar series. The presentation included experts from various places in the U.S. Dr. Grannis spoke about leveraging health information exchanges to support response to the virus.

WATCH IT HERE.

Regenstrief and Indiana University of Medicine geriatrician Kathleen Unroe, MD, MPA, was live on FOX59 in Indianapolis to talk about challenges related to caring for older adults during the COVID-19 crisis. She spoke about how the symptoms in seniors can present differently and how social distancing presents new complications.

Watch the interview.

Brian Dixon, PhD, MPA, director of public health informatics at Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, provided insight into how the COVID-19 situation in Indianapolis compares to other Midwestern cities. In an interview with the IndyStar, he explained factors that may be influencing the numbers and why it is so difficult to make comparisons.

READ NOW

Shaun Grannis, MD, MS, Regenstrief Vice President, Data and Analytics, and Research Scientist, Center for Biomedical Informatics, spoke to local affiliate FOX59 about statistical modeling that projects the impact COVID-19 is likely to have in Indiana.

READ THE STORY

At a governor’s press briefing about COVID-19, Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box mentioned Regenstrief Institute among the “greatest minds in the state” working to make data publicly available.

Nationally recognized health expert Aaron Carroll, M.D., from Regenstrief Institute vice president for faculty development, has been a major voice on policy. Before many social distancing orders were issued, Dr. Carroll was recommending exactly that action. He’s written articles for, and been interviewed by The New York Times, CNBC, MSNBC, Vox, The Atlantic, Slate and other media outlets.

Regenstrief VP highlights dangerous potential of coronavirus in national news outlets

Regenstrief VP proposes solutions to beat the COVID-19 outbreak

LOINC®, a universal medical coding system maintained at Regenstrief Institute, has been a leader in fostering communication during the global COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus was first identified, the LOINC team created universal codes to identify lab tests and results related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. These codes are crucial to helping public health leaders track cases around the world. LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) coordinated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and reference labs, and in vitro diagnostic manufacturers to create standardized terms to allow health organizations to collect and share results from testing for the virus.

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As part of the global effort to manage and contain the COVID-19 pandemic, two global health standards organizations, Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International, are doing their part to support care teams globally to code and track SARS-CoV-2 testing and COVID-19 cases, and by extension support clinicians and researchers in their efforts to address its containment.