BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Maryland Department of Health is partnering with on-demand healthcare service Ready Responders to bring COVID-19 screening and medical care directly to vulnerable populations. Ready Responders is sending its Responders, who are trained EMTs, paramedics and nurses along with a team of social workers to mass test some of the hardest hit areas in three Maryland counties – Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Montgomery County.
After three weeks of operations, over 1,000 high risk individuals have been screened and nearly 500 have been tested – with thousands more scheduled in the coming weeks.
In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 on a broader scale, Ready Responders will support mass-testing among the state’s most vulnerable, like those in elderly congregate housing such as assisted living and homeless facilities, and those with limited healthcare access. Ready Responders will also test staff who are working with these vulnerable populations and are often the infection vectors to other facilities and to their families. The integrated team of Responders and social workers will perform general health screening, social needs assessment, temperature checks, and COVID-19 screening and testing where needed. Ready Responders is also available to the general public and can set up evaluations for other non-emergent health conditions with clinicians, typically doctors and advanced care providers, via telehealth.
“With the stay-at-home order and limited access to doctors, 9-1-1 and the emergency department is a first resort for a lot of people. That’s why Ready Responders is so critical – they come to you, wherever you are,” said Dr. Howard Haft, Executive Director at the Maryland Department of Health. “They offer COVID testing on a mass scale by targeting hotspots and vulnerable communities, bringing medical care to the hardest hit populations.”
“We created Ready Responders to keep patients healthy and at home. When the COVID pandemic struck, we raised our hand and told the State of Maryland we wanted to help play a role in keeping the Maryland community healthy,” said Justin Dangel, CEO and Co-Founder of Ready Responders.
Ready Responders is fully staffed to respond to non-emergency calls received, keeping residents away from doctor’s offices and emergency rooms. It is prepared to treat a full range of medical issues including cold and flu symptoms; ear, nose and throat issues; skin issues; and gastrointestinal issues.
Today, Ready Responders is live in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and open to the public. The Company is also providing urgent care and at-home COVID-19 tests in New York City; New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houma and Shreveport, LA; Las Vegas and Reno, NV; and expanding its services to Los Angeles in May and major urban centers in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas in the near future.
Ready Responders, which recently secured $48 million in Series B financing led by Deerfield Management Company and GV is working under the guidance of the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and local public health authorities to continue updating its protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Responders have received COVID-19 specific training and are equipped with the appropriate protective gear (including gowns, N95 masks, goggles and gloves). The company accepts all types of insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, and will deliver testing as well as urgent care home visits for residents during the COVID-19 crisis even if they do not have insurance.
For more information about how Ready Responders is responding to COVID-19, visit www.getready.com or call (504) 370-9966.
To learn more about the company, visit www.getready.com or follow Ready Responders on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About Ready Responders
Ready Responders is an on-demand health service that delivers care directly to its patients. It accomplishes this with a team of highly trained Responders that include paramedics, EMTs and nurses who visit the patient in the safety of their home or community. If necessary, the Responder connects the patient to a doctor or nurse practitioner using telehealth or other technologies to give them immediate, additional treatment. Ready Responders’ multidisciplinary team addresses the physical, mental and social health needs of their patients. Accepting all insurance types – including Medicare and Medicaid – Ready Responders’ platform serves as a convenient, fast and affordable solution that reduces overall health costs and delivers more positive health outcomes. To learn more, visit www.getready.com
