Mercy Rockford Health System issued the following announcement on March 27.
Mercyhealth’s system-wide Incident Command team is working together to ensure the coordination of our Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) stock and equipment where it is needed, as we navigate the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
Mercyhealth has seen an outpouring of people in our communities wanting to help by providing equipment and supplies.
In Janesville, Mercyhealth partnered with local manufacturer Prent Thermoforming who, within two days, prototyped and produced full face shields for our clinicians to use while taking care of patients. Prent is donating more than 2,000 full face shields to Mercyhealth.
“On Monday March 23, we were informed by Mercyhealth that they were experiencing a severe shortage of personal protective equipment due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Rachel P. Andres, Vice President of Manufacturing for Prent Corporation. “They asked us if there was any way that we could help. Our development team with the assistance of some local doctors immediately got to work creating an innovative, cost-effective design for a face shield that we could quickly manufacture. Our vertical integration allowed us to go from a napkin sketch to mass production in less than 48 hours. On Wednesday, March 25 we began donating these face shields free of charge to healthcare workers and first responders in our local community. As of Thursday, March 26, we have produced and donated over 10,000 face shields. We are continuing to ramp up our production capacity and starting Monday, March 30 we will be able to manufacture 30,000 to 40,000 face shields per day. This effort would not have been possible without our amazing employees and suppliers who all stepped up and worked together. We will continue to manufacture face shields as long as there is a need.”
“We are very grateful to Prent for their generous donation, and commend them on their innovative solution and quick turnaround. The safety of our patients and staff is our number one priority, and this donation, as well as the many others we have received from individuals and businesses in our community, is very much appreciated,” said Javon R. Bea, Mercyhealth President/CEO. “We are seeing the best of people during this national crisis and extend our deepest thanks.”
Mercyhealth has also received a donation of over 1,000 N95 masks from Romeoville, Illinois-based industrial distributor Magid Glove and Safety, as well as a donation of 1,700 N95 masks from Lowe’s.
Mercyhealth has set up PPE collection sites have been set up at the visitor representative welcome centers at each of our hospital main lobbies. Mercyhealth welcomes further donations, including disinfecting wipes (all varieties), procedure and surgical masks, N95 masks, face and eye protection, CAPR lenses, disposable isolation gowns, and hand sanitizer. Donations can be dropped off Monday-Friday, 9 am-3 pm.
For the latest information on COVID-19, visit mercyhealthsystem.org/coronavirus.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Mercy Rockford Health System