HealthTrackRx Announces the Formation of Clinical Advisory Board with Leading Experts in Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance

DENTON, Texas, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthTrackRx, the nation's premier PCR diagnostic testing laboratory, today announced the formation of its Clinical Advisory Board, comprising of leading clinical experts who specialize in infectious disease (ID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The Clinical Advisory Board will provide guidance that advances the company's PCR testing program. The team will facilitate clinical trials to demonstrate the utility of rapid molecular testing in improving outcomes for patients with infections and combating antibiotic resistance. 

"Molecular technology has advanced such that PCR results for many infectious diseases are routinely available within 24 hours, including for community-based providers," said Barbara Alexander, MD, FIDSA, HealthTrackRx Chief Medical Advisor and Chair of the Clinical Advisory Board. "Knowing the pathogen responsible for an infection early in a patient's course of treatment allows targeted therapy and potentially, reduces inappropriate antibiotic exposures. I am excited to work with this esteemed group of colleagues to design studies that help our industry understand more fully the value of strategically incorporating rapid PCR testing for infectious diseases into patient care."

Dr. Alexander is also a Past President of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and a Professor of Medicine and Pathology at Duke University where she serves as Director of Transplant / Immunocompromised Infectious Diseases Services.

Other members of the board include:

• Helen W Boucher MD, FACP, FIDSA, Interim Dean and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Boucher is also the Chief Academic Officer for Tufts Medicine. She serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
  
  
• Cornelius (Neil) J Clancy, MD, Associate Chief of the VA Pittsburgh Health System (VAPHS) and Chief of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Clancy is also the Director of the Mycology Program at the University of Pittsburgh where he is an Associate Professor of Medicine. He is a member of the IDSA Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and senior author of IDSA's recently published Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections.
  
  
• Elizabeth Dodds Ashley, PharmD, MHS, Professor of Medicine & Infectious Diseases at Duke University, and Director of Operations and Liaison Pharmacist for the Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network. She also is a Past President of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
  
  
• Thomas M File, Jr. MD, MSc, MACP, FIDSA, FCCP, Chair of the Infectious Disease Division and Co-Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for Summa Health (Akron, OH). Additionally, he is the Chair of the Infectious Disease Section at Northeast Ohio Medical University where he is a Professor of Medicine. Dr. File is also a Past President of IDSA and has particular expertise in community-acquired pneumonia.
  
  
• Kimberly E Hanson, MD, MHS, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine, Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases & Immunocompromised Host Service, and Section Head of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories. She served as the lead author for the IDSA Guidelines for COVID Diagnosis (Molecular and Antigen Testing).
  
  
• Robin Patel, MD, Elizabeth P. and Robert E. Allen Professor of Individualized Medicine, Professor of Microbiology and Medicine, Director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, and Co-Director of the Clinical Bacteriology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. She is also a Past President of the American Society of Microbiology and Director of the NIH-funded Antimicrobial Resistance Leadership Group Laboratory Center.
  
  
• Adriana E. Rosato, SM (ASCP), MSc, PhD, Director of the Center for Molecular Medicine at Maine Health Institute for Research. She also is a Visiting Professor of Medicine at Tufts University and an expert in molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and their detection.

"We are thrilled to have these world-renowned infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance experts on our Clinical Advisory Board. Their guidance will complement our expertise in molecular diagnostic test development and validation. It will also enhance our ability to provide rapid, clinically actionable diagnostic test results to providers and their patients," stated Martin Price, HealthTrackRx Executive Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer.

Price continued, "With the increasing spread of antimicrobial resistance and the identification of new multidrug-resistant pathogens, clinicians need faster test results to make accurate and timely treatment decisions. Insights from our Clinical Advisory Board members can help us transform infectious disease diagnostics to improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and combat the looming threat of antimicrobial resistance."

HealthTrackRx is the nation's leading PCR-based infectious disease laboratory, delivering industry-leading testing turnaround times to healthcare providers nationwide. For more than 20 years, the company has enabled accurate clinical decisions through its testing platform, advancement in pathogen detection and identification, antimicrobial stewardship leadership, and value-based care programs. For more information, visit HealthTrackRx at healthtrackrx.com. 

SOURCE HealthTrackRx, Inc.