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This is an anesthesiologist who used plastic bag over his head to protect himself from getting exposed prior to intubating a patient. His photo has been circulating around social media in one of countless desperate pleas for NIOSH compliant respirator masks, supplies, shields, gloves, any protection. NY hospitals are running out of supplies for NY frontline workers -- Doctors, Nurses & healthcare staff who are treating COVID-19 patients.
In Italy, 1 in every 10 Coronavirus cases are healthcare workers. The head of Italy’s medical association died of Coronavirus on 3/10, because he had to continue to see infected patients without a mask. We must not let what happened in Italy happen to our healthcare workers. NY’s most active emergency rooms have already cared for Coronavirus patients without any masks, because there is a shortage. Some have told us that they are most likely sick with Coronavirus, but there aren’t enough tests for them to get a definitive answer. Many are now being forced to reuse single-use masks. We have started this fundraising campaign to secure N95 equivalent medical masks and other PPE such as non latex gloves and shields for the healthcare workers who need it most. Hey New Yorkers, let’s not just sit around and watch -- we’re fighters. Being stuck at home can’t stop us!
All donations will go directly into the purchase and delivery of PPE for frontline healthcare workers in NY’s busiest Emergency Rooms and Intensive Care Units, EMTs, Nursing Home Nurses and Doctors who also work in Rehab Centers and local hospitals, nursing homes. Additionally, as the need increases daily, we have decided to include small percentage of donations at this time to also be allocated to frontline firefighters and emergency workers such as police and other frontline workers who come in contact with emergency situations on the frontlines. We already have doctors waiting for these masks at major hospitals in the NY area. They have told us that their hospitals have either run out of masks or are asking them to reuse the ones they have, which creates major health risks.
OUR GOAL
Our goal is to raise enough to purchase and donate as many NIOSH and CDC compliant masks and other PPE to frontline healthcare workers as possible. Hospitals are going through 20,000 masks a day and we have not yet seen the peak of this pandemic. Let’s help supply some of NY’s hospitals with enough masks to last the next 4-6 weeks, which they predict will be the peak of the pandemic. OUR COMMITMENT Once the PPE is delivered, we will post our drop-offs, so you can stay updated on where the donations are going.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD:
“Yesterday, my co-residents had to transport a confirmed COVID-19 patient by themselves to the OR (operating room) without N95 masks because the ICU ran out. No mask, no nothing. Just wheeled him on down.” - Doctor from a hospital in the Bronx “We have 3 ICUs full and 3 other units full of COVID patients. We’re getting called to intubate them about 5 times a day (and that’s just when I’m at work, there are more at nighttime). We don’t have masks and we’re getting exposed every hour.” - Doctor from a hospital in Long Island “The shortage of face masks is so severe that the CDC is now advising nurses and other health care providers that they can "use homemade masks" like a "bandana" or "scarf" "as a last resort" -- even though it admits the effectiveness "is unknown." - @GeoffRBennett, NBCNews White House Correspondent “Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City told staff it had a week's worth of masks left on Friday [3/13], BuzzFeed News first reported. Five employees and three patients have been diagnosed with coronavirus at the cancer hospital.” #GetMePPE: Dr. Megan Ranney told @JohnKingCNN. "We need masks TODAY. We are pleading on social media, #GetMePPE, to keep me and my patients safe...https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1240689514441400320?s=21 FAQ
How will the funds be used?
100% of the funds will go directly to the purchase and delivery of N95 masks for frontline healthcare workers at New York’s most in need hospitals. The donation will not be applied to any administrative fees and we make sure that our suppliers are giving us competitive rates. Should we raise enough money and have enough access to supply, we hope to expand our donations to other state hospitals in need.
Why NY first?
New York State has the most Coronavirus cases in the United States, totaling more than 92,381 confirmed cases (as of 4/2), and announced more than 8,480 new cases in a day. We hope that we can help Westchester County and expand outwards with our efforts. Also, we’re a team of New Yorkers and so we have established relationships with hospitals in the area.
Why aren’t the hospitals & government ordering these masks directly?
Hospitals as well as government agencies are trying their best to procure masks. However, due to supply chain limitations and global competition, they are currently experiencing extreme shortages. To read more on what governments are doing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/19/president-trump-on-supplying-governors-were-not-a-shipping-clerk/#1e7875581af5
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Your donation will go directly to support the acquisition of NIOSH & CDC compliant masks for NY healthcare staff at the frontlines of COVID-19. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, your funds will be able to get equipment that is in great need and out of reach for hospitals currently. Unlike other charities, ours is related directly to the supply of masks & PPE that protect from the virus particles and that hospitals and government currently allows, because we believe that protecting our frontline healthcare workers is the most important thing to do right now as they are exposed to a higher viral load. Also, who will be left to take care of us when they are dropping -- even the young healthy ones without comorbidities, according to Italy and China. We simply cannot afford to leave them exposed. It goes so much beyond the fact that we are also spreading the infection. So many reasons. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/opinion/coronavirus-viral-dose.html
How much are you paying for the masks?
As pricing depends on order quantity, shipping rate (in this case, the faster the better to protect our healthcare workers), and competing demand, the number may change. However, I have spent my time comparing prices across multiple manufacturers to get the best possible price per unit while making sure that each manufacturer has the right certification and approval.
How are you distributing the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we will be personally hand-delivering the masks to frontline workers, so that they get into the right hands.
How do you prioritize who receives the mask?
The healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room. We try our best to donate masks to ICU & ER Units within most in need hospitals, as they are the ones who are likely to have the highest quantity of cases. Though, almost all of the floors at some hospitals are now becoming COVID-19 units. A doctor at Northwell on Long Island told me today, "they are renovating Rust auditorium where we have our medical conference into COVID beds." She explained, "the problem is when these patients get intubated they stay on the vent for 2-3 weeks... they don't come off."
Are donations tax deductible?
Currently, donations are not tax-deductible.
I am a ER/ICU healthcare professional at a NYC hospital that is currently treating COVID-19 patients. We are short on masks. How do we request masks?
Send us an e-mail and please include your name, your position at the hospital, the hospital in question, and the type of PPE you need (respirator mask, surgical mask, non-latex gloves, shields), and how you would like to safely receive them. For the subject line please include: “FRONTLINE PPE Requests”
Aside from donations, how can we help?
If you have extra packaged and sealed PPE masks and live in the NY area, you can e-mail us with a subject headline “NY PPE Donation” and we can coordinate drop-off/mail/pick-up. If you are a ER and/or ICU frontline worker, or a hospital supply administrator you can e-mail us with a subject headline “FRONTLINE PPE Requests”. If you are have a direct relationship with PPE manufacturers that can provide equipment at market costs, you can e-mail us with a subject headline “PPE Equipment Manufacturer”. My e-mail: [email redacted]
In Italy, 1 in every 10 Coronavirus cases are healthcare workers. The head of Italy’s medical association died of Coronavirus on 3/10, because he had to continue to see infected patients without a mask. We must not let what happened in Italy happen to our healthcare workers. NY’s most active emergency rooms have already cared for Coronavirus patients without any masks, because there is a shortage. Some have told us that they are most likely sick with Coronavirus, but there aren’t enough tests for them to get a definitive answer. Many are now being forced to reuse single-use masks. We have started this fundraising campaign to secure N95 equivalent medical masks and other PPE such as non latex gloves and shields for the healthcare workers who need it most. Hey New Yorkers, let’s not just sit around and watch -- we’re fighters. Being stuck at home can’t stop us!
All donations will go directly into the purchase and delivery of PPE for frontline healthcare workers in NY’s busiest Emergency Rooms and Intensive Care Units, EMTs, Nursing Home Nurses and Doctors who also work in Rehab Centers and local hospitals, nursing homes. Additionally, as the need increases daily, we have decided to include small percentage of donations at this time to also be allocated to frontline firefighters and emergency workers such as police and other frontline workers who come in contact with emergency situations on the frontlines. We already have doctors waiting for these masks at major hospitals in the NY area. They have told us that their hospitals have either run out of masks or are asking them to reuse the ones they have, which creates major health risks.
OUR GOAL
Our goal is to raise enough to purchase and donate as many NIOSH and CDC compliant masks and other PPE to frontline healthcare workers as possible. Hospitals are going through 20,000 masks a day and we have not yet seen the peak of this pandemic. Let’s help supply some of NY’s hospitals with enough masks to last the next 4-6 weeks, which they predict will be the peak of the pandemic. OUR COMMITMENT Once the PPE is delivered, we will post our drop-offs, so you can stay updated on where the donations are going.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD:
“Yesterday, my co-residents had to transport a confirmed COVID-19 patient by themselves to the OR (operating room) without N95 masks because the ICU ran out. No mask, no nothing. Just wheeled him on down.” - Doctor from a hospital in the Bronx “We have 3 ICUs full and 3 other units full of COVID patients. We’re getting called to intubate them about 5 times a day (and that’s just when I’m at work, there are more at nighttime). We don’t have masks and we’re getting exposed every hour.” - Doctor from a hospital in Long Island “The shortage of face masks is so severe that the CDC is now advising nurses and other health care providers that they can "use homemade masks" like a "bandana" or "scarf" "as a last resort" -- even though it admits the effectiveness "is unknown." - @GeoffRBennett, NBCNews White House Correspondent “Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City told staff it had a week's worth of masks left on Friday [3/13], BuzzFeed News first reported. Five employees and three patients have been diagnosed with coronavirus at the cancer hospital.” #GetMePPE: Dr. Megan Ranney told @JohnKingCNN. "We need masks TODAY. We are pleading on social media, #GetMePPE, to keep me and my patients safe...https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1240689514441400320?s=21 FAQ
How will the funds be used?
100% of the funds will go directly to the purchase and delivery of N95 masks for frontline healthcare workers at New York’s most in need hospitals. The donation will not be applied to any administrative fees and we make sure that our suppliers are giving us competitive rates. Should we raise enough money and have enough access to supply, we hope to expand our donations to other state hospitals in need.
Why NY first?
New York State has the most Coronavirus cases in the United States, totaling more than 92,381 confirmed cases (as of 4/2), and announced more than 8,480 new cases in a day. We hope that we can help Westchester County and expand outwards with our efforts. Also, we’re a team of New Yorkers and so we have established relationships with hospitals in the area.
Why aren’t the hospitals & government ordering these masks directly?
Hospitals as well as government agencies are trying their best to procure masks. However, due to supply chain limitations and global competition, they are currently experiencing extreme shortages. To read more on what governments are doing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/19/president-trump-on-supplying-governors-were-not-a-shipping-clerk/#1e7875581af5
I’ve seen other charity efforts related to COVID-19. How is this one different?
Your donation will go directly to support the acquisition of NIOSH & CDC compliant masks for NY healthcare staff at the frontlines of COVID-19. Because of the global shortage of masks & PPE, your funds will be able to get equipment that is in great need and out of reach for hospitals currently. Unlike other charities, ours is related directly to the supply of masks & PPE that protect from the virus particles and that hospitals and government currently allows, because we believe that protecting our frontline healthcare workers is the most important thing to do right now as they are exposed to a higher viral load. Also, who will be left to take care of us when they are dropping -- even the young healthy ones without comorbidities, according to Italy and China. We simply cannot afford to leave them exposed. It goes so much beyond the fact that we are also spreading the infection. So many reasons. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/opinion/coronavirus-viral-dose.html
How much are you paying for the masks?
As pricing depends on order quantity, shipping rate (in this case, the faster the better to protect our healthcare workers), and competing demand, the number may change. However, I have spent my time comparing prices across multiple manufacturers to get the best possible price per unit while making sure that each manufacturer has the right certification and approval.
How are you distributing the masks?
Through our volunteer network, we will be personally hand-delivering the masks to frontline workers, so that they get into the right hands.
How do you prioritize who receives the mask?
The healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19 are those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the Emergency Room. We try our best to donate masks to ICU & ER Units within most in need hospitals, as they are the ones who are likely to have the highest quantity of cases. Though, almost all of the floors at some hospitals are now becoming COVID-19 units. A doctor at Northwell on Long Island told me today, "they are renovating Rust auditorium where we have our medical conference into COVID beds." She explained, "the problem is when these patients get intubated they stay on the vent for 2-3 weeks... they don't come off."
Are donations tax deductible?
Currently, donations are not tax-deductible.
I am a ER/ICU healthcare professional at a NYC hospital that is currently treating COVID-19 patients. We are short on masks. How do we request masks?
Send us an e-mail and please include your name, your position at the hospital, the hospital in question, and the type of PPE you need (respirator mask, surgical mask, non-latex gloves, shields), and how you would like to safely receive them. For the subject line please include: “FRONTLINE PPE Requests”
Aside from donations, how can we help?
If you have extra packaged and sealed PPE masks and live in the NY area, you can e-mail us with a subject headline “NY PPE Donation” and we can coordinate drop-off/mail/pick-up. If you are a ER and/or ICU frontline worker, or a hospital supply administrator you can e-mail us with a subject headline “FRONTLINE PPE Requests”. If you are have a direct relationship with PPE manufacturers that can provide equipment at market costs, you can e-mail us with a subject headline “PPE Equipment Manufacturer”. My e-mail: [email redacted]