Masks for Chicago Hospitals
Donation protected
Protect our city's Frontline Heroes from COVID-19. Supply shortages currently
threaten Chicago Hospitals and we are far from the peak of this unprecedented
health crisis.
Your support can supply N95 medical masks and help prepare our dedicated healthcare professionals for the ongoing coronavirus battle. Chicago hospitals continue to have supply shortages with protective wear when taking care of our beloved Chicagoans. Our mission is to stay above the rise of cases with masks to keep our brave frontline healthcare professionals safe.
Our PRIMARY GOAL, with your help, is to supply 1 million N95 (or equivalent KN95) masks to healthcare professionals. Whether you donate $1.75, enough for one mask, or have the means to support at a higher level, every mask makes a meaningful difference on our collective mission to beat COVID-19 and minimize its impact.
To keep our hospital staff healthy and provide the best patient care, proper attire is ESSENTIAL. Masks allow distancing for patient care. They are the first step in keeping our city’s hospitals running and our city healthy!!!
We need an estimated one million N95 masks for the next two weeks across five of our biggest Chicago hospitals, Northwestern, U of Chicago, UIC, Rush, and Loyola. The struggle will not be over in two weeks but we are hopeful that our resources can bridge the gap until the normal supply chains can catch up.
"Illinois hospitals plead for more masks, asking construction companies and others for help."
________________________________
The Estimated N95 Need
Here are the known numbers of beds (and ICU beds) in Chicago.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
883 staffed beds (106 ICU)
University of Chicago Hospitals
1500 beds (104 ICU)
Rush University Medical Center
576 beds (104 ICU)
Loyola University Medical Center
515 beds (76 ICU)
University of Illinois Chicago
434 beds (42 ICU)
TOTAL
Chicago Academic Hospital Beds
3908 beds (432 ICU)
Estimate
18 masks per bed/per day x 3908 beds
= 70,344 masks per day x 7 days
= 492,408 masks per week
Therefore, conservatively, 1 million masks provides 2 weeks of masks for all 5 of our hospitals.
That is a lot of masks for 2 weeks but this is what we are hearing locally from our network in these locations. It is in line with what NYC is estimating. One NYC hospital says they need 70,000 masks a day in just one location.
We are making masks available at cost direct from the factories and if we surpass our goals we will allocate surplus to support other local PPE need as well as other cities.
___________________________
Why the shortage?
Due to the global pandemic and the fact that China was first hit, all factories were closed in January and February causing a global supply chain shortage. Now that China is returning to work and the factories are ramping up there is also a bottleneck and backlog of need. It's a perfect storm and we are all going to have to be scrappy and make quick decisions to grab what supply we can while the typical supply chain channels and organizations catch up. Unfortunately, this crisis is not exclusive to the US and the entire planet is in search of these masks at the virus spreads.
__________________________________
How are we going to help?
MNML and our friends in the local healthcare industry have the resources to procure and distribute the masks that current hospital procurement system may struggle with during the essential time frame – starting in the next few days!!! We have already ordered 10,000 masks which are being delivered to the AMA and their clinics around the country next week whose workers are without any protection in many locations. Now we are focused on Chicago. We have the capacity to act faster than our large organizations because that’s what Chicago entrepreneurs do – we move fast.
We are able to acquire the N95 (and KN95) FFP3 masks for $1.75-$2.00 depending on supplier and logistics. We will be FedEx'ing these in small 10,000 - 20,000 unit master carton quantities directly to each of the 5 Chicago hospitals in need.
_______________________________________________________
International Equivalent Alternatives to N95
The CDC has listed international equivalent ratings for masks in times of shortage on their website below. We plan on using both N95 and KN95, China's equivalent, depending on quantities available.
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators: Crisis/Alternate Strategies (Link to CDC site)
________________________
How can you help?
With GoFundMe anyone can contribute at any level. Whether it is one mask or 10,000 masks, you are most likely responsibly stuck at home like everyone else which means you have tons of Starbucks and party funds burning a hole in your pocket. Now is a good time to invest that into the people risking their lives to contain this pandemic. Every mask counts in protecting those that protect and care for us and our loved ones.
You can also share this with your friends, family and network. This is will allow us to spread the message and reach our goal of getting the most masks to those in need as soon as possible.
___________________________________
How will the funds be used?
All funds will be used to purchase masks, expedite the shipping to the US, and distribute to the hospitals. If we have a surplus of funds this will either go to additional masks as long as the need continues and/or be allocated to send masks to other organizations like the AMA or to other cities in need.
___________________________________
When will the masks arrive?
We have already received 4,000 of the 10,000 masks we ordered and funded personally last week and these are being donated and distributed to Evanston and Northwestern Hospital. We are placing orders for up to 50,000 masks per day depending on the success and momentum of this fundraising campaign. By using our team in Shenzhen to send out smaller shipments via FedEx we should be able to have daily shipments of masks landing in Chicago within days of each order. Our goal would be to receive 50,000 masks daily until more capacity opens up with the hospital's existing supply chains, but that could be much longer than normal due to the surge in demand.
_______________________________
Why are you doing this?
Well, we got tired of the conflicting information, and of hearing about the shortages around the country and how people we knew were scared and risking their safety due to lack of PPEs. Being makers that have been designing, engineering and developing everything from consumers electronics to complicated medical devices for decades we decided to dive in to see what we could find as a solution while everyone was struggling to get traction with traditional channels that were seemingly stuck and caught off guard. Luckily we like challenges and don't like being told things are impossible. But mainly we are doing this to save lives and help flatten the curve so we all can hopefully get back to a normal existence sooner rather than later.
“People who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those doing it.”
- The Public magazine, Chicago 1903
We thank you. Our Chicago frontlines thank you.
Be Safe and Be Well. We can do this.
__________________________
Who are we?
MINIMAL Inc (MNML)
MNML is a 360° product realization, brand incubation and innovation agency based in Chicago's West Loop. We are an agile team of diversely skilled designers, story-tellers, strategists, product developers and engineers working together to create meaningful and sustainable solutions for brands and their users. The creative force behind many of today's most disruptive products, MNML collaborates closely with startups and Fortune 500 companies alike creating solutions that connect emotionally with consumers and ultimately amplify its client's value.
SCOTT WILSON
Scott Wilson is an award-winning American design entrepreneur. He is founder and chief creative officer of MNML, his globally-recognized design, brand, innovation strategy and product development firm. Founded in 2007, MNML strives to bring meaningful impact to a wide range of industries and users from game-changing technology products and brand-defining consumer icons to disruptive enterprise solutions and life-saving medical innovations. The studio’s hybrid approach balances his interests in consulting for design-centric brands that embrace risk with his passion for self-manufacturing and entrepreneurial ventures. A former Global Creative Director for Nike, Wilson was recognized as one of TIME Magazine and Fast Company’s Most Influential Designers and is a recipient of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, a honor bestowed upon the top designer in the nation annually by the White House.
Education
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY
Bishop O'Connell High School, Arlington VA
SUSAN SLATTERY
Susan Slattery Chioffe, M.D., H.S.O.R is an attending physician in the division of Neonatology and Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics (CAMP). Her long-term goal is to define the development of respiratory and autonomic control in premature and term infants; identify maturational milestones of physiologic stability in premature infants to optimize opportunity for growth and neurodevelopment; and provide ongoing clinical care for high-risk children with related deficits to optimize well-being and quality of life for each patient and their family.
Academic Focus
Physiologic Monitoring and Bioinformatics; Maturation of the autonomic nervous system from perinatal origins through pediatrics with aim to relate the maturational trajectory of (dys)regulation to outcome and health risk.
Clinical Focus
Apnea of Prematurity, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome, Chronic Neonatal/Pediatric respiratory failure.
Education
MD: Loyola University/Stritch School of Medicine (2012)
MS: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2018)
Postgraduate Training
Resident: University of Chicago Medical Center, Pediatrics (2015)
Fellow: Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center, Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine (2018)
Undergraduate
University of St. Thomas St.Paul, MN BS/BA
High School
Duchesne Academy of the Scared Heart Omaha, NE
Certification
Board Certification: Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics
threaten Chicago Hospitals and we are far from the peak of this unprecedented
health crisis.
Your support can supply N95 medical masks and help prepare our dedicated healthcare professionals for the ongoing coronavirus battle. Chicago hospitals continue to have supply shortages with protective wear when taking care of our beloved Chicagoans. Our mission is to stay above the rise of cases with masks to keep our brave frontline healthcare professionals safe.
Our PRIMARY GOAL, with your help, is to supply 1 million N95 (or equivalent KN95) masks to healthcare professionals. Whether you donate $1.75, enough for one mask, or have the means to support at a higher level, every mask makes a meaningful difference on our collective mission to beat COVID-19 and minimize its impact.
To keep our hospital staff healthy and provide the best patient care, proper attire is ESSENTIAL. Masks allow distancing for patient care. They are the first step in keeping our city’s hospitals running and our city healthy!!!
We need an estimated one million N95 masks for the next two weeks across five of our biggest Chicago hospitals, Northwestern, U of Chicago, UIC, Rush, and Loyola. The struggle will not be over in two weeks but we are hopeful that our resources can bridge the gap until the normal supply chains can catch up.
"Illinois hospitals plead for more masks, asking construction companies and others for help."
________________________________
The Estimated N95 Need
Here are the known numbers of beds (and ICU beds) in Chicago.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
883 staffed beds (106 ICU)
University of Chicago Hospitals
1500 beds (104 ICU)
Rush University Medical Center
576 beds (104 ICU)
Loyola University Medical Center
515 beds (76 ICU)
University of Illinois Chicago
434 beds (42 ICU)
TOTAL
Chicago Academic Hospital Beds
3908 beds (432 ICU)
Estimate
18 masks per bed/per day x 3908 beds
= 70,344 masks per day x 7 days
= 492,408 masks per week
Therefore, conservatively, 1 million masks provides 2 weeks of masks for all 5 of our hospitals.
That is a lot of masks for 2 weeks but this is what we are hearing locally from our network in these locations. It is in line with what NYC is estimating. One NYC hospital says they need 70,000 masks a day in just one location.
We are making masks available at cost direct from the factories and if we surpass our goals we will allocate surplus to support other local PPE need as well as other cities.
___________________________
Why the shortage?
Due to the global pandemic and the fact that China was first hit, all factories were closed in January and February causing a global supply chain shortage. Now that China is returning to work and the factories are ramping up there is also a bottleneck and backlog of need. It's a perfect storm and we are all going to have to be scrappy and make quick decisions to grab what supply we can while the typical supply chain channels and organizations catch up. Unfortunately, this crisis is not exclusive to the US and the entire planet is in search of these masks at the virus spreads.
__________________________________
How are we going to help?
MNML and our friends in the local healthcare industry have the resources to procure and distribute the masks that current hospital procurement system may struggle with during the essential time frame – starting in the next few days!!! We have already ordered 10,000 masks which are being delivered to the AMA and their clinics around the country next week whose workers are without any protection in many locations. Now we are focused on Chicago. We have the capacity to act faster than our large organizations because that’s what Chicago entrepreneurs do – we move fast.
We are able to acquire the N95 (and KN95) FFP3 masks for $1.75-$2.00 depending on supplier and logistics. We will be FedEx'ing these in small 10,000 - 20,000 unit master carton quantities directly to each of the 5 Chicago hospitals in need.
_______________________________________________________
International Equivalent Alternatives to N95
The CDC has listed international equivalent ratings for masks in times of shortage on their website below. We plan on using both N95 and KN95, China's equivalent, depending on quantities available.
Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators: Crisis/Alternate Strategies (Link to CDC site)
________________________
How can you help?
With GoFundMe anyone can contribute at any level. Whether it is one mask or 10,000 masks, you are most likely responsibly stuck at home like everyone else which means you have tons of Starbucks and party funds burning a hole in your pocket. Now is a good time to invest that into the people risking their lives to contain this pandemic. Every mask counts in protecting those that protect and care for us and our loved ones.
You can also share this with your friends, family and network. This is will allow us to spread the message and reach our goal of getting the most masks to those in need as soon as possible.
___________________________________
How will the funds be used?
All funds will be used to purchase masks, expedite the shipping to the US, and distribute to the hospitals. If we have a surplus of funds this will either go to additional masks as long as the need continues and/or be allocated to send masks to other organizations like the AMA or to other cities in need.
___________________________________
When will the masks arrive?
We have already received 4,000 of the 10,000 masks we ordered and funded personally last week and these are being donated and distributed to Evanston and Northwestern Hospital. We are placing orders for up to 50,000 masks per day depending on the success and momentum of this fundraising campaign. By using our team in Shenzhen to send out smaller shipments via FedEx we should be able to have daily shipments of masks landing in Chicago within days of each order. Our goal would be to receive 50,000 masks daily until more capacity opens up with the hospital's existing supply chains, but that could be much longer than normal due to the surge in demand.
_______________________________
Why are you doing this?
Well, we got tired of the conflicting information, and of hearing about the shortages around the country and how people we knew were scared and risking their safety due to lack of PPEs. Being makers that have been designing, engineering and developing everything from consumers electronics to complicated medical devices for decades we decided to dive in to see what we could find as a solution while everyone was struggling to get traction with traditional channels that were seemingly stuck and caught off guard. Luckily we like challenges and don't like being told things are impossible. But mainly we are doing this to save lives and help flatten the curve so we all can hopefully get back to a normal existence sooner rather than later.
“People who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those doing it.”
- The Public magazine, Chicago 1903
We thank you. Our Chicago frontlines thank you.
Be Safe and Be Well. We can do this.
__________________________
Who are we?
MINIMAL Inc (MNML)
MNML is a 360° product realization, brand incubation and innovation agency based in Chicago's West Loop. We are an agile team of diversely skilled designers, story-tellers, strategists, product developers and engineers working together to create meaningful and sustainable solutions for brands and their users. The creative force behind many of today's most disruptive products, MNML collaborates closely with startups and Fortune 500 companies alike creating solutions that connect emotionally with consumers and ultimately amplify its client's value.
SCOTT WILSON
Scott Wilson is an award-winning American design entrepreneur. He is founder and chief creative officer of MNML, his globally-recognized design, brand, innovation strategy and product development firm. Founded in 2007, MNML strives to bring meaningful impact to a wide range of industries and users from game-changing technology products and brand-defining consumer icons to disruptive enterprise solutions and life-saving medical innovations. The studio’s hybrid approach balances his interests in consulting for design-centric brands that embrace risk with his passion for self-manufacturing and entrepreneurial ventures. A former Global Creative Director for Nike, Wilson was recognized as one of TIME Magazine and Fast Company’s Most Influential Designers and is a recipient of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, a honor bestowed upon the top designer in the nation annually by the White House.
Education
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY
Bishop O'Connell High School, Arlington VA
SUSAN SLATTERY
Susan Slattery Chioffe, M.D., H.S.O.R is an attending physician in the division of Neonatology and Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics (CAMP). Her long-term goal is to define the development of respiratory and autonomic control in premature and term infants; identify maturational milestones of physiologic stability in premature infants to optimize opportunity for growth and neurodevelopment; and provide ongoing clinical care for high-risk children with related deficits to optimize well-being and quality of life for each patient and their family.
Academic Focus
Physiologic Monitoring and Bioinformatics; Maturation of the autonomic nervous system from perinatal origins through pediatrics with aim to relate the maturational trajectory of (dys)regulation to outcome and health risk.
Clinical Focus
Apnea of Prematurity, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome, Chronic Neonatal/Pediatric respiratory failure.
Education
MD: Loyola University/Stritch School of Medicine (2012)
MS: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2018)
Postgraduate Training
Resident: University of Chicago Medical Center, Pediatrics (2015)
Fellow: Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center, Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine (2018)
Undergraduate
University of St. Thomas St.Paul, MN BS/BA
High School
Duchesne Academy of the Scared Heart Omaha, NE
Certification
Board Certification: Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics
Fundraising team (5)
Scott Wilson
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Nicole Wilson
Beneficiary
Susan Slattery
Team member
Nandi Ballard
Team member
Taylor Coutu
Team member
Salman Ali
Team member
