Accuray | COVID-19 Updates
COVID-19 Update
4/21/20
I wanted to personally thank you again for the efforts that you continue to make in caring for cancer patients during these unprecedented times. I can only imagine the day-to-day challenges that you face as you navigate these uncharted waters. Hopefully, in these difficult times, you can find comfort in the fact that you continue to provide hope to patients and those that care for them.
Earlier this month you should have a received a communication from me that provided an overview of the services that Accuray makes available to our customers. The following is a brief overview of these services:
- Accuray has a knowledgeable Medical Affairs team that is ready to provide you with information regarding peer reviewed, published clinical literature.
- Accuray offers remote product training and clinical application’s support as a benefit of our service agreements. Given the severity of this pandemic, your program may experience shortages in qualified clinical staff. To help ensure that these staff disruptions do not compromise patient care, we have programs that can quickly train and educate eligible new users on all aspects of our technologies.
- Accuray offers a remote physician-to-physician program* that can be be a valuable resource to you. Specifically, peer dialogue with experienced clinicians may include sharing experiences with our systems’ hypofractionated and ultra-hypofractionated treatment capabilities, as well as dose objectives and constraints, treatment margins, and any general “tips and tricks” that experienced users can provide.1
In addition to these offerings, Accuray is also making available a recorded presentation hosted by a panel of physicians that provides an overview of the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s recommendation for treating cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel of physicians also share measures taken by their departments to minimize infection risks and prioritize patient care. You can access this resource by clicking here.
It is my sincere hope that you find these resources helpful, and again thank you for your dedication.
Please take care of yourselves, your colleagues, and your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Joshua Levine
President and Chief Executive Officer of Accuray
*AMS only
1 Please note that the clinicians that participate in this program are experienced users of our technology and are not Accuray employees. Accordingly, their views and experiences are their own and not necessarily reflective of Accuray’s. Accuray, as a medical device company, is not directly or indirectly providing medical advice or recommending any particular treatment procedure.
COVID-19 Webinar: Experiences From 2 Epicenters On Opposite Coasts, What You Need To Know
4/16/20
Disclaimer: Accuray, as a medical device company, is not directly or indirectly providing medical advice or recommending any particular treatment procedure.
COVID-19 Update
4/08/20
Dear Valued Accuray Customer:
Amidst this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to express my gratitude to all of you and the work that you are doing for patients within your communities. I profoundly appreciate the daily sacrifices you are making by continuing to provide medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in its COVID-19 Summary Recommendations to Radiation Oncology Practices, suggests that radiation oncologists “…should follow appropriate evidence-based guidelines (e.g., NCCN) while striving for the shortest possible course of radiotherapy (e.g., single-fraction treatment for bone pain, hypofractionation where appropriate, e.g., breast, prostate).” I believe that Accuray’s technologies, (CyberKnife®, TomoTherapy®, and Radixact® Systems) provide you with a technical solution to implement hypofractionated and ultra-hypofractionated treatments where indicated. Ultra-hypofractionated regimens significantly reduce the total number of treatments required to complete a patient’s course of radiation therapy, and Accuray Systems are uniquely designed for the exquisite precision required for hypo- and ultra-hypofractionation. Fewer visits to a radiation treatment facility translates to less potential exposure to agents that can cause life-threatening infections in immune compromised patients.
As you continue to provide your patients with lifesaving cancer treatments, I want to assure you that we are doing our part behind the scenes to facilitate your needs. During these uncertain times, you may experience shortages in staff and require cross-training to ensure patients can be treated on your Accuray systems. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the services that Accuray provides to its customers:
- Accuray has created a remote physician-to-physician program to answer questions regarding their experiences with our systems’ hypofractionated and ultra-hypofractionated treatment capabilities. We hope this program will be a valuable resource to you. Specifically, we believe the benefits of this physician-to-physician dialogue may include sharing experiences on the following: dose objectives, treatment margins, dose constraints, prescription dose, and any general “tips and tricks” that experienced users can provide. Please note that the clinicians that participate in this program are experienced users of our technology and are not Accuray employees. Accordingly, their views and experiences are their own and not necessarily reflective of Accuray’s. Accuray, as a medical device company, is not directly or indirectly providing medical advice or recommending any particular treatment procedure. If this program would be of interest to you, please complete the webform here: https://www.accuray.com/ptp/
- Accuray has a knowledgeable Medical Affairs team that is ready to provide you with information regarding peer-reviewed, published clinical literature.
- Accuray offers remote product training and clinical application’s support as a benefit of our service agreements. Given the severity of this pandemic, your program may experience shortages in qualified clinical staff. To help ensure that these staff disruptions do not compromise patient care, we have programs that can quickly train and educate eligible new users on all aspects of our technologies.
I once again thank each and every one of you for the work you are doing and the services you continue to offer during this period of disruption. We are committed to ensuring you are able to serve your communities utilizing our technologies, confidently and effectively. Please take care of yourselves, your colleagues, and your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Joshua Levine
President and Chief Executive Officer of Accuray
A Message for Accuray Customers about COVID-19
3/13/20
Dear Valued Accuray Customer:
COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus, is impacting the daily lives of people worldwide — individuals and families, loved ones, friends and colleagues. It is changing the way we attend school, participate in recreational activities, obtain goods and services, travel, and go to work.
Amidst this time of uncertainty, I want to share what you can feel certain about — Accuray’s commitment to our customers and to ensuring a level of service continuity that will enable your patients to obtain the radiation treatments they need. We are committed to making comprehensive, ongoing support available to you wherever applicable guidelines allow so that your Accuray radiotherapy systems are available for use when you need them to be.
At this time, we are planning to ensure available support for all critical service activity and to preserve normal service and support operations wherever possible. To further mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus and to help ensure the continued safety of our customers and all Accuray employees, we have instituted several guidelines for all of our customer-facing employees. These guidelines will remain in effect in accordance with local government guidelines. We will work with your teams to reschedule non-critical support activities such as planned maintenance and non-essential training and to employ remote solutions wherever possible. Should an onsite visit to your institution by Accuray service, clinical or commercial employees be required, Accuray will work to adhere to your institution’s visitation protocol and comply with your COVID-19 safety guidelines.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and evolve our policies and best practices based on professional guidance. We will keep you posted on any updates we make via e-mail and this website, www.accuray.com, on a regular basis. Additionally, if you should have any urgent questions or concerns, or need technical assistance, please contact your local service or sales representative.
Sincerely,
Joshua Levine
President and Chief Executive Officer of Accuray
