Tracking COVID-19: WellSky & Qlik Power Provider and Patient Safety With Complimentary Data Analytics

By Bill Miller, WellSky CEO

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, healthcare workers across the U.S. are facing unprecedented shortages of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) that they need to keep themselves and their patients safe. Beyond acute healthcare providers and hospitals, PPE supply chain challenges are also affecting organizations across the care continuum, from home-based providers to homeless services organizations. With WellSky’s 40 years of experience collaborating with our post-acute and community care clients, we have a unique perspective on the many ways the pandemic is changing their operations. That’s why we know it’s vital for care providers to understand which locations are hot spots and where their staff and the people they care for could be at the greatest risk.

Recognizing this immediate need, WellSky and Qlik have partnered to deliver new, intelligent COVID-19 tracking technology — the WellSky COVID-19 Tracker — to support providers with data-driven insights donated by Qlik. With this technology, providers can easily leverage a heat map of coronavirus hot spots, anticipate locations with increasing infection rates, and distribute PPE resources based on the locations where clinical staff need it most. Because we know that care providers need this data now more than ever, WellSky and Qlik are delivering this solution to WellSky’s clients at no cost. Using this technology and analytics platform, our clients can better serve our vulnerable populations and protect our communities.

Historically, home-based and community care providers have not needed as much PPE, as compared to their acute-care counterparts. Today, some home health providers now need quadruple the amount of PPE they previously ordered in a pre-COVID-19 world. We’re also seeing that our clients providing aging and disability services and those supporting people experiencing homelessness are now facing enormous challenges and increased demand, all without adequate PPE supplies. As the disease continues to spread, more and more people risk exposure — leaving many care providers without the PPE inventories they need. To support our clients, WellSky is delivering this technology to multi-state care providers across the continuum, and they can start leveraging powerful data analytics today.


Here’s how the WellSky COVID-19 Tracker works:
WellSky and Qlik’s heat map technology harnesses clinical staff zip code data supplied by client agencies to compare staff locations against confirmed COVID-19 cases across the U.S. By layering and blending this data, home-based care agencies can gain new insight into the PPE supply chain and where staff may need increased access to PPE resources, which includes medical face masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns.


Now agencies can better manage their overall PPE supply and use data to adjust to changing conditions to deliver resources based on greatest need and highest concentration of cases.

One home-based care agency already using this powerful technology is WellSky client, Medical Services of America (MSA). MSA is a comprehensive home healthcare provider offering a wide range of services, including home health, hospice, home medical equipment, and more. MSA is using this technology at their home health and hospice agencies located across the U.S. Christina Smith, RN, BSN, MSN, MSA’s Corporate Staff Development Coordinator for home health and hospice, shared with us that COVID-19 is affecting all aspects of their business, and that PPE supplies and staff safety remain some of their biggest concerns. With technology that illustrates which geographic areas have outbreaks and whether their staff are located in those areas, organizations make better PPE allocation decisions.

Partnering with Qlik allows WellSky to be an even better technology partner for our clients. Together, we’re using data to empower better provider and patient outcomes during a harrowing situation. At WellSky, we know that our clients are depending on us to give them the right tools to make better, more informed decisions throughout this public health crisis. I look forward to continuing this ongoing effort to equip our clients with the technology they need to serve vulnerable populations today and well beyond.

To learn more about the WellSky-Qlik COVID-19 heat map, read the official press announcement here.

To get more information about how your organization can leverage this powerful technology, reach out to WellSky here.

@Qlik and @WellSkyHealth partner up to deliver new, intelligent #COVID-19 tracking technology to support providers with data-driven insights. Read the guest blog post by WellSky's CEO Bill Miller.

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