Main fundraiser photo

Save Lives w. Face Shields

What started as an idea at a dinner table is now 100,000+ face shields!! 
 
Katie Chai, a junior at Charlotte Latin reached out to her teacher, Tom Dubick after discussions with her parents who are physicians in Charlotte about the nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment.

We started this campaign to help raise money to protect health care workers who are treating patients during this Covid 19 pandemic.  

Our original goal was to donate 10,000 face shields but we have now distributed 100,198 face shields to healthcare workers including Intensive Care Units, Emergency Rooms, Anesthesiologists, Cardiologists, OB/GYN, Cancer Centers, Pediatricians, First Responders and EMT.

We are now known as Charlotte MEDI  (Medical Emergency Device Innovation) -- a group of over 100 engineers, designers, and makers , 400+ volunteers in the Charlotte area, and 10+ partners who have donated materials and services.
 
Thank you to the community for coming together and making all of this happen!! 

For more info, please visit www.charlottemedi.org 
 

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WHO WE ARE
S.Jean Chai, MD, is a physician at Atrium Health with a specialty in medical oncology (cancer). He also serves as the President of the Medical Staff for Carolinas Medical Center and Mercy and is the Director of Medical Operations for Levine Cancer Institute.  He oversees governance for doctors and the hospital, as well as operation oversight for the cancer center. 

Janie Chai, MD is a pediatrician with Novant Health.

Tom Dubick is the Fab Lab Director and the Innovation and Design Chair at Charlotte Latin School. He has over 30 years of experience as a teacher who has promoted Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) education in and outside of the K-12 classroom. 

Terence Fagan, PhD is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Engineering Science at the UNC Charlotte.  

Azalea Kim, MD, MBA, MPA, is a primary care physician and Chief of Staff to the Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Anna Chai is interim COO for this grassroots emergency relief fund. She is an Emmy Award-winning Director known for her work with Christiane Amanpour and the late Anthony Bourdain. She is happy to leverage her project management skills for such a worthy cause.

ADVISORS & PARTNERS
The founding members include:
- Charlotte Latin School
- Levine Cancer Institute @ Atrium Health
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
- University of North Carolina @ Charlotte

OUR STORY
As practicing physicians, we see firsthand the effects of the lack of protective gear. We worry about our patients, our colleagues, and ourselves. Until the supply of N95 masks is replenished, we have to be resourceful and look to other solutions for protecting the health and safety of our community. Face shields provide increased protection for staff forced to re-use masks or use home-made masks or bandanas. And since face shields are plastic and can be sanitized, they offer reusable protection for weeks, instead of hours. 

OUR GOAL
We planned to manufacture 100K face shields and we achieved that goal.

As the needs of the medical community changes, we have started producing other forms of PPE including:
- a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) converted from a Stryker Surgical Helmet
- a Reusable Half-Mask Respirator that can be used with multiple filter cartridges for N95-level and above protection

FAQ
How will the funds be used?
100% of the funds will go directly towards the manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  Your donations will not be applied to any administrative fees.

How are you distributing the face shields?
We partnered with local hospitals to distribute face shields in bulk and we continue to fulfill other requests by sending in e-mail to: [email redacted]

Are donations tax deductible?
Yes! Charlotte MEDI has 501(c)3 support from The UNC Charlotte Foundation  and can now accept tax-deductible donations here.

If you are a member of the press, you can e-mail us with a subject headline “Media Request."

Twitter: @CLT_MEDI
Instagram: @clt_medi

Thank you for helping to protect America's healthcare workers!

Donations 

  • Artie Cooper
    • $200 
    • 4 yrs
  • Maria Fenwick
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
  • Brandon Aron
    • $50 
    • 4 yrs
  • Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry
    • $600 
    • 4 yrs
  • Steven Jaynes
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs

Fundraising team: Charlotte MEDI (2)

Seungjean Chai
Organizer
Charlotte, NC
Anna Chai
Team member

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