Donation protected
*For a list of all recipients of donated masks to date, scroll to bottom.*
THE REAL STORY
Our healthcare workers have expressed an immediate and life threatening need for N95 respirator masks due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-2-CoV2. The need is growing as we continue to fight this public health crisis with an unknown course or future. Nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, medical assistants and other healthcare personnel are increasingly going without masks required to safely provide care to patients. What happens when these healthcare workers become infected themselves?
A pregnant nurse in Northern California had to re-use her N95 mask, designed for single use, for days on end, while swabbing numerous patients in their makeshift COVID-19 testing center until she had no choice but to work from home. In Dallas, Texas, physicians have been required to intubate critically-ill COVID-19 patients without N95 masks at all, a procedure with extremely high risk for transmission. A dialysis clinic in San Diego, which provides life-saving treatment to patients at highest risk for suffering severe illness from COVID-19 , could not adequately protect their patients or team because there were simply no N95 masks available to them. An obstetrics and gynecology group in Southern California had just fifteen N95 masks for a practice of 60 physicians and 20 advanced practice providers, not even counting their nurses and medical assistants.
Such examples of grossly under-protected healthcare personnel are often in smaller or less recognized health care facilities, departments not typically equipped to handle large volumes of infectious disease patients, and makeshift testing centers. Many of these situations are also compounded by a lack of purchasing power, and often an absence of an existing procurement team at all. During this global health crisis, the usual supply chains have run out, prices are understandably rising by the day, and bigger corporations and government entities are targeting their support to larger scale or easily recognized institutional needs. However, in many communities, the facilities that are most under-served are now acting as frontline workers testing and treating huge numbers of vulnerable patients per day. Without proper protection, they fear becoming one of the main sources for transmission of COVID-19 when they unknowingly spread the virus, bringing it home to their families and getting ill themselves. But, we can be part of the solution now.
WHO WE ARE
This effort is organized and managed by a group of compassionate and dedicated women throughout California, Seattle, Boston, and Atlanta volunteering our time and experience to address the immediate need for masks now. We are medical professionals and healthcare providers, fashion merchandise buyers, business strategists and patient advocates. It is our diverse and direct patient care experience that enables us to assess the real time needs of healthcare personnel on the frontline who are identified as highest risk for transmission of COVID-19. Our ability to deliver large volumes of high quality masks is made possible by collaborating with existing personal contacts at Oryza Pharmaceuticals Inc. who are generously volunteering their time and resources to this effort. The Oryza Pharmaceuticals Inc. leadership team on the ground in Hong Kong, as well as here in the US, is uniquely positioned to assist us in sourcing directly from trusted and proven manufacturers, as well as navigate the ever-changing landscape of international and domestic shipping, customs regulations, and FDA and CDC authorizations.
OUR MISSION
It is our mission to deliver high quality, FDA approved respirator masks to those in greatest need now. We are focused on providing support specifically to smaller, less recognized healthcare facilities and departments, as well as those teams caring for under-served and high-risk patient populations that may never receive adequate government assistance or the private donor funding required to meet their urgent needs.
ABOUT RESPIRATOR MASKS
Respirator masks are designed to filter airborne material in order to protect the wearer from inhalation of harmful particulates. Some respirator masks are designated "N95 masks" indicating that under controlled testing, the mask filtered 95% of very small test particles. Most N95 respirator masks are manufactured for use in construction and other industrial settings and are regulated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of the CDC.
A much smaller subset of N95 respirator masks, called Surgical N95s, are intended for use in healthcare settings, specifically to protect both the wearer and the patient during procedures, and are further regulated by the FDA. During this crisis, Surgical N95 masks have been deemed "strategic resources" by all countries globally and are only available to the US government. Our #SendMasksNow crew is not sourcing nor distributing Surgical N95 masks. Furthermore, it is important to clarify that for all other non-surgical use, healthcare personnel are adequately protected by NIOSH approved N95 masks (which are not typically cleared by the FDA).
Unfortunately, during this global crisis, the unprecedented need for NIOSH approved N95 masks exceeds current supply chains. On March 24, 2020, in an effort to mitigate any potential shortages in the supply chain and ensure healthcare workers on the front lines have sufficient supplies, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for importing non-NIOSH-approved N95 respirators from other countries with similar standards to NIOSH. It was noted that this first EUA did not include KN95 respirators because of the existing concern for fraudulent products listed as KN95 masks. However, in response to continued shortages, on April 3, 2020, the FDA further expanded their Emergency Use Authorization of respirators to include KN95 masks that meet certain criteria and demonstrate evidence that the product meets certain standards. Additionally, an FDA approved list of manufacturers authorized to import KN95 is now routinely updated and revised on a weekly basis.
OUR APPROACH
Our #SendMasksNow crew is continuously monitoring local, state and federal, as well as international, responses to respirator mask shortages. We remain focused on the most current FDA approval and standards, as well as CDC regulations for healthcare use, in order to ensure to the best of our ability, that the respirator masks will adequately meet the needs of those frontline workers we aim to support. Due to a close partnership with experienced volunteers on the ground both internationally and domestically, we are uniquely positioned to vet approved manufacturers, track the entire supply chain from manufacturer to the hands of the providers, and to ensure that the products received are of high quality that meets both our expectations and the real time needs of the providers we are supporting. We have experience tackling the unfortunate existence of counterfeit products, ever-changing import/export regulations, as well as very significant delays in customs, and continue to revise our strategy for the most efficient delivery of high quality respirator masks.
As the landscape for sourcing and distributing high quality respirators masks, and other PPE, has become increasingly challenging for all parties involved, including government, private and philanthropic entities, we have determined that we can uniquely meet a specific and urgent need by shipping respirator masks directly to communities and facilities in small quantities as the donations come in. This approach, as well as the utilization of a strong and experienced volunteer team, has allowed us to avoid the red tape and typical barriers to bulk distribution and delivery, while bridging the supply gap now for those who are already working without proper protection. Please help fund this rapid delivery of masks with any amount you can, and share this broadly. We promise that, of course, 100% of the funds will be used to purchase and ship high quality masks directly to the healthcare providers, clinics and facilities in greatest need now.
Thank you on behalf of all our beloved healthcare workers.
-Stephanie Messervy, PA-C and the #SendMasksNow Crew
[This page will be updated routinely due to the very fluid nature of this crisis. We want to address the exact needs as they continue to evolve and also provide the most accurate information on our progress. Please check back regularly.]
Recipients of donated masks to date (5-27-2020):
Kaiser Permanente, San Diego County, CA
Dignity Health, Family Medicine, Santa Cruz County, CA
Rai Care Centers (Dialysis Clinics), San Diego County, CA
Sutter Home Health, Medical Social Workers, Sacramento, CA
St. Paul's Senior Services, San Diego, CA
Inland Valley Medical Center, Emergency Department, Wildomar, CA
St. Bernardine's Medical Center, GI Department, San Bernardino, CA
Community Hospital of San Bernardino, GI Department, San Bernardino, CA
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, GI Department, Colton, CA
The People Concern (Homeless & Domestic Abuse Services), Los Angeles County, CA
Divinity Care Center (Homeless Men's Services), Spartanburg, SC
Emory University Volunteer COVID-19 Testing Team, Hall County, GA
Urban Housing and Health Clinics (Homeless Services), Tenderloin, San Francisco, CA
The Sequoias (Senior Services), San Francisco, CA
Corazon Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA
Remote Testing Facilities, Sonoma County, CA
GlenBrook Nursing Facility, Carlsbad, CA
City Team (Homeless Services), Oakland, CA
SF City Impact (Homeless Services), San Francisco, CA
Post-Acute Rehabilitation, Danville, CA
Wingate at Weston (Senior Services), Weston, MA
The Residence at Valley Farm (Senior Services), Ashland, MA
Magnolia Heights (Senior Services), Franklin, MA
Beth Israel Medical Center, Boston, MA
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
THE REAL STORY
Our healthcare workers have expressed an immediate and life threatening need for N95 respirator masks due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-2-CoV2. The need is growing as we continue to fight this public health crisis with an unknown course or future. Nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, medical assistants and other healthcare personnel are increasingly going without masks required to safely provide care to patients. What happens when these healthcare workers become infected themselves?
A pregnant nurse in Northern California had to re-use her N95 mask, designed for single use, for days on end, while swabbing numerous patients in their makeshift COVID-19 testing center until she had no choice but to work from home. In Dallas, Texas, physicians have been required to intubate critically-ill COVID-19 patients without N95 masks at all, a procedure with extremely high risk for transmission. A dialysis clinic in San Diego, which provides life-saving treatment to patients at highest risk for suffering severe illness from COVID-19 , could not adequately protect their patients or team because there were simply no N95 masks available to them. An obstetrics and gynecology group in Southern California had just fifteen N95 masks for a practice of 60 physicians and 20 advanced practice providers, not even counting their nurses and medical assistants.
Such examples of grossly under-protected healthcare personnel are often in smaller or less recognized health care facilities, departments not typically equipped to handle large volumes of infectious disease patients, and makeshift testing centers. Many of these situations are also compounded by a lack of purchasing power, and often an absence of an existing procurement team at all. During this global health crisis, the usual supply chains have run out, prices are understandably rising by the day, and bigger corporations and government entities are targeting their support to larger scale or easily recognized institutional needs. However, in many communities, the facilities that are most under-served are now acting as frontline workers testing and treating huge numbers of vulnerable patients per day. Without proper protection, they fear becoming one of the main sources for transmission of COVID-19 when they unknowingly spread the virus, bringing it home to their families and getting ill themselves. But, we can be part of the solution now.
WHO WE ARE
This effort is organized and managed by a group of compassionate and dedicated women throughout California, Seattle, Boston, and Atlanta volunteering our time and experience to address the immediate need for masks now. We are medical professionals and healthcare providers, fashion merchandise buyers, business strategists and patient advocates. It is our diverse and direct patient care experience that enables us to assess the real time needs of healthcare personnel on the frontline who are identified as highest risk for transmission of COVID-19. Our ability to deliver large volumes of high quality masks is made possible by collaborating with existing personal contacts at Oryza Pharmaceuticals Inc. who are generously volunteering their time and resources to this effort. The Oryza Pharmaceuticals Inc. leadership team on the ground in Hong Kong, as well as here in the US, is uniquely positioned to assist us in sourcing directly from trusted and proven manufacturers, as well as navigate the ever-changing landscape of international and domestic shipping, customs regulations, and FDA and CDC authorizations.
OUR MISSION
It is our mission to deliver high quality, FDA approved respirator masks to those in greatest need now. We are focused on providing support specifically to smaller, less recognized healthcare facilities and departments, as well as those teams caring for under-served and high-risk patient populations that may never receive adequate government assistance or the private donor funding required to meet their urgent needs.
ABOUT RESPIRATOR MASKS
Respirator masks are designed to filter airborne material in order to protect the wearer from inhalation of harmful particulates. Some respirator masks are designated "N95 masks" indicating that under controlled testing, the mask filtered 95% of very small test particles. Most N95 respirator masks are manufactured for use in construction and other industrial settings and are regulated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of the CDC.
A much smaller subset of N95 respirator masks, called Surgical N95s, are intended for use in healthcare settings, specifically to protect both the wearer and the patient during procedures, and are further regulated by the FDA. During this crisis, Surgical N95 masks have been deemed "strategic resources" by all countries globally and are only available to the US government. Our #SendMasksNow crew is not sourcing nor distributing Surgical N95 masks. Furthermore, it is important to clarify that for all other non-surgical use, healthcare personnel are adequately protected by NIOSH approved N95 masks (which are not typically cleared by the FDA).
Unfortunately, during this global crisis, the unprecedented need for NIOSH approved N95 masks exceeds current supply chains. On March 24, 2020, in an effort to mitigate any potential shortages in the supply chain and ensure healthcare workers on the front lines have sufficient supplies, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for importing non-NIOSH-approved N95 respirators from other countries with similar standards to NIOSH. It was noted that this first EUA did not include KN95 respirators because of the existing concern for fraudulent products listed as KN95 masks. However, in response to continued shortages, on April 3, 2020, the FDA further expanded their Emergency Use Authorization of respirators to include KN95 masks that meet certain criteria and demonstrate evidence that the product meets certain standards. Additionally, an FDA approved list of manufacturers authorized to import KN95 is now routinely updated and revised on a weekly basis.
OUR APPROACH
Our #SendMasksNow crew is continuously monitoring local, state and federal, as well as international, responses to respirator mask shortages. We remain focused on the most current FDA approval and standards, as well as CDC regulations for healthcare use, in order to ensure to the best of our ability, that the respirator masks will adequately meet the needs of those frontline workers we aim to support. Due to a close partnership with experienced volunteers on the ground both internationally and domestically, we are uniquely positioned to vet approved manufacturers, track the entire supply chain from manufacturer to the hands of the providers, and to ensure that the products received are of high quality that meets both our expectations and the real time needs of the providers we are supporting. We have experience tackling the unfortunate existence of counterfeit products, ever-changing import/export regulations, as well as very significant delays in customs, and continue to revise our strategy for the most efficient delivery of high quality respirator masks.
As the landscape for sourcing and distributing high quality respirators masks, and other PPE, has become increasingly challenging for all parties involved, including government, private and philanthropic entities, we have determined that we can uniquely meet a specific and urgent need by shipping respirator masks directly to communities and facilities in small quantities as the donations come in. This approach, as well as the utilization of a strong and experienced volunteer team, has allowed us to avoid the red tape and typical barriers to bulk distribution and delivery, while bridging the supply gap now for those who are already working without proper protection. Please help fund this rapid delivery of masks with any amount you can, and share this broadly. We promise that, of course, 100% of the funds will be used to purchase and ship high quality masks directly to the healthcare providers, clinics and facilities in greatest need now.
Thank you on behalf of all our beloved healthcare workers.
-Stephanie Messervy, PA-C and the #SendMasksNow Crew
[This page will be updated routinely due to the very fluid nature of this crisis. We want to address the exact needs as they continue to evolve and also provide the most accurate information on our progress. Please check back regularly.]
Recipients of donated masks to date (5-27-2020):
Kaiser Permanente, San Diego County, CA
Dignity Health, Family Medicine, Santa Cruz County, CA
Rai Care Centers (Dialysis Clinics), San Diego County, CA
Sutter Home Health, Medical Social Workers, Sacramento, CA
St. Paul's Senior Services, San Diego, CA
Inland Valley Medical Center, Emergency Department, Wildomar, CA
St. Bernardine's Medical Center, GI Department, San Bernardino, CA
Community Hospital of San Bernardino, GI Department, San Bernardino, CA
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, GI Department, Colton, CA
The People Concern (Homeless & Domestic Abuse Services), Los Angeles County, CA
Divinity Care Center (Homeless Men's Services), Spartanburg, SC
Emory University Volunteer COVID-19 Testing Team, Hall County, GA
Urban Housing and Health Clinics (Homeless Services), Tenderloin, San Francisco, CA
The Sequoias (Senior Services), San Francisco, CA
Corazon Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA
Remote Testing Facilities, Sonoma County, CA
GlenBrook Nursing Facility, Carlsbad, CA
City Team (Homeless Services), Oakland, CA
SF City Impact (Homeless Services), San Francisco, CA
Post-Acute Rehabilitation, Danville, CA
Wingate at Weston (Senior Services), Weston, MA
The Residence at Valley Farm (Senior Services), Ashland, MA
Magnolia Heights (Senior Services), Franklin, MA
Beth Israel Medical Center, Boston, MA
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Organizer
Stephanie Misbach Messervy
Organizer
Mill Valley, CA