“We are thrilled to have a diverse group of accomplished and experienced professionals leading SmartSteward’s efforts into the future,” said Guy LaTorre, CEO of SmartSteward. “This is an exciting time for SmartSteward, as we begin to truly make a noticeable difference in how skilled nursing facilities detect and manage infectious diseases. SmartSteward makes a difference not only for their medical teams but also for every patient in their care.”

SmartSteward has been validated in nursing facilities for more than a year, but in response to COVID-19, the company has developed a new algorithm for early detection of respiratory illnesses like the coronavirus and plans to launch the system nationwide in April 2020.

In response to the current COVID-19 global outbreak, the company has modified its existing surveillance system, which was focused on identifying multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), to include new algorithms for the early detection of respiratory viruses. This new surveillance system will track laboratory testing as well as patient symptoms and clinical observations to detect potentially dangerous bacterial and viral outbreaks in real-time. The system will send alerts to local healthcare teams to help them limit the spread of these infections throughout the facility. In addition, a heat map will display the location and movement of potential outbreaks within the facility.

“Implementing an effective antibiotic stewardship program in nursing homes is tough because most facilities don’t have access to infectious diseases expertise,” says Guy LaTorre, CEO of SmartSteward. “SmartSteward analyzes the lab data and provides confidential physician feedback so doctors can improve their antibiotic prescribing habits.”