Crowdsourcing PPE for the Florida COVID-19 Pandemic
Speaker Credentials
MS-III
Speaker Credentials
MS
College
College of Allopathic Medicine
Format
Poster
Start Date
6-11-2020 1:30 PM
End Date
6-11-2020 1:45 PM
Abstract
Crowdsourcing PPE for the Florida COVID-19 Pandemic Jieun Lee, M.S.1, Samuel R. Raine, B.S.1, Amy Liu, B.A.1, Jackie Nguyen, B.S.1, Shivani Kaushal, B.S.1, Jason Shao, B.S.1, Nicholas Patete, B.S.1, Sydney Stillman, M.S.1 1Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Objective. This project was developed as a student-led effort to provide frontline healthcare workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) which was in shortage during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Background. When COVID-19 began to spread rapidly across the United States in April 2020, over 140 health care centers in Central & South Florida expressed concern over dramatic shortages in PPE and requested rapid sourcing. International shutdowns interrupted global supply chains and demand quickly outpaced supply, leading to widespread PPE shortages. Methods. The Broward County Medical Association (BCMA) and hospital centers in Central and South Florida were contacted in order to assess local needs and identify specific PPE shortages. Intervention was developed in collaboration with George Washington University students in the form of constructing temporary-use face shields. $1250 was raised within 24 hours via crowdfunding and used to purchase materials for face shield assembly kits that were distributed to medical student volunteers. The kits consisted of multipurpose foam, transparency films, Coban™ wrap, and a piler stapler. Results. Each assembly kit yielded 190-200 disposable face shields. The final yield was over 3100 face shields which were distributed to frontline healthcare workers in clinics and hospitals throughout Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Orange counties. Conclusion. This project developed and implemented an inexpensive and effective intervention addressing PPE shortages in Central and South Florida during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Grants. This project was funded by a one-time crowdsourcing event hosted on GoFundMe.
Crowdsourcing PPE for the Florida COVID-19 Pandemic
Crowdsourcing PPE for the Florida COVID-19 Pandemic Jieun Lee, M.S.1, Samuel R. Raine, B.S.1, Amy Liu, B.A.1, Jackie Nguyen, B.S.1, Shivani Kaushal, B.S.1, Jason Shao, B.S.1, Nicholas Patete, B.S.1, Sydney Stillman, M.S.1 1Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Objective. This project was developed as a student-led effort to provide frontline healthcare workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) which was in shortage during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Background. When COVID-19 began to spread rapidly across the United States in April 2020, over 140 health care centers in Central & South Florida expressed concern over dramatic shortages in PPE and requested rapid sourcing. International shutdowns interrupted global supply chains and demand quickly outpaced supply, leading to widespread PPE shortages. Methods. The Broward County Medical Association (BCMA) and hospital centers in Central and South Florida were contacted in order to assess local needs and identify specific PPE shortages. Intervention was developed in collaboration with George Washington University students in the form of constructing temporary-use face shields. $1250 was raised within 24 hours via crowdfunding and used to purchase materials for face shield assembly kits that were distributed to medical student volunteers. The kits consisted of multipurpose foam, transparency films, Coban™ wrap, and a piler stapler. Results. Each assembly kit yielded 190-200 disposable face shields. The final yield was over 3100 face shields which were distributed to frontline healthcare workers in clinics and hospitals throughout Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Orange counties. Conclusion. This project developed and implemented an inexpensive and effective intervention addressing PPE shortages in Central and South Florida during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Grants. This project was funded by a one-time crowdsourcing event hosted on GoFundMe.