- S
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Mobilize for Masks
Our local health professionals need YOU.
A donation of only ~$4 would place 1 KN95 respirator mask and 2 surgical masks directly into the hands of doctors and nurses on the frontlines.
Healthcare professionals are working tirelessly to treat and save the lives of COVID-infected patients - your friends, neighbors, family, and communities. Yet there is an overwhelming shortage nationwide of adequate protective equipment, leaving our health professionals exposed and vulnerable to infection. The U.S. is estimated to require 3.5 billion face masks but only holds 10% of the inventory it needs.
Help us help them, so they can go home safely to their families too.
(scene at public hospital in Elmhurst, center of the NYC epidemic)
Where are the masks?
China stepped up mask manufacturing fivefold at the end of February from 20million/day to 110million/day. In the meantime they contained COVID largely to the Hubei province and are opening up the country again, meaning there’s capacity for export.
Why can't hospitals get masks themselves?
There are many factors that have contributed to the current shortage of PPE (personal protective gear). Among them, the increasingly competitive global demand (ie. rising prices), long lead times to verify suppliers, logistics issues, and stiff credit terms (100% cash required upfront) have left hospitals unable to procure enough goods.
But there is still supply to tap, at least this early in the game.
Where does the money go?
All proceeds go towards acquiring and distributing PPE to those in need, as efficiently as we can. Mask costs have been rapidly rising and currently we can acquire N95 comparable KN95 masks for up to ~$2.80. Surgical masks run ~ up to $0.60 (final pricing varies with volume ordered and shipping). We are leveraging prior experience in trading illiquid emerging markets and coordinating with other efforts to combine bulk orders for best pricing. Chinese fluency has also been valuable. For context, New York's governor said masks were being sold for $7 on March 22, when a few days prior it was $4.
Our goal is to move nimbly and provide stopgap measures for hospitals and clinics, in case government support cannot step in.
We have trusted suppliers and boots on the ground in China. Factories we deal with must have either FDA or EU certification (which is authorized for medical use under the FDA Emergency Use Authorization letter). CDC recommendations on N95/KN95 standards for COVID are also followed. The CDC currently recognizes KN95 masks as suitable to provide protection and the FDA is not objecting to their importation and use. We are an FDA registered importer and have been directly corresponding with them.
Who will receive the masks?
Our first targets were in California where we identified hotspots and vulnerable communities with fewer resources, plus urgent requests from those in need. Future targets (donations received after May 7) nationwide.
We've privately raised an additional $23K that's being shipped out to hospitals around the country (pictures in updates)
For urgent needs, pls fill out our request form or contact us directly.
For example: "Patients are getting sicker. We know that we're only 10-12 days behind Italy in patients flocking to the ER, very sick, needing to be put in the ICU," "When that time comes, we're going to burn through all our PPE equipment very, very quickly." -ER physician at Beverly Hospital in Montebello, Los Angeles.
“PPE has been extremely low at our hospitals and we don’t have enough to adequately protect our staff.”-ER physician at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center.
Gavin Newsom, governor of California, estimated that more than half of Californians (56%) will get COVID. The state has 73,899 acute-care hospital beds and some 40 million residents, one of the lowest rates per capita in the nation. The number of patients needing acute care are projected to overwhelm the healthcare system. Even in the best case scenario where coronavirus is spread out over 18 months, American beds would be ~95% full.
Who We Are and Why We're Fundraising
We are a team of an entrepreneur, healthcare leader, and lawyer who collectively have experience in international trading, regulatory compliance, nonprofit administration, digital marketing, and hospital systems. We're further supported by an unofficial network with manufacturing, import/export, and medical experience.
Anna Yen Kim: My youngest baby had open heart surgery 2 months ago. This was the type of surgery that could be canceled in this environment, along with transplant and other "elective" surgeries. I'm so grateful for our amazing medical team, and I want medics to go home safely to their families, like my baby has come home safely to me. Nearly 15 years living abroad has helped me meet an amazing network of resourceful, kind people. Many who are already helping. Thank you.
Herman Dulay: As someone who has worked in healthcare for 10+ years, I am very much aware of the disparities that exist among hospitals and healthcare centers. Large hospitals and health systems have the capacity to import supplies more readily than many community hospitals. It is important that we support ALL healthcare workers during this time as they support us and their local communities. Like many of you, I have family currently working in less than ideal conditions. Please help us support them with the necessary PPE!
Ji Hae Kim: Like many of you, I have family, friends, and neighbors who work as direct healthcare providers. I’m frustrated as they share story after story about physicians who are re-using their masks, or nurses and therapists who treat possible COVID-infected patients unprotected. I hear the worry and anxiety in their voices, yet they go back to their clinics, day after day, to help their communities. To help us. Our healthcare workers deserve better. I joined this campaign once I realized that I can take action to help - and so can you!
Let's Do This!
“Every pandemic is local so you have to pull on those local strings so we can help each other,” said a public health department spokesperson in NY Times Article, "At War With No Ammo"
Your grandparents were called to war. You've been called to stay home... and buy a mask!
You can do this.
Our local health professionals need YOU.
A donation of only ~$4 would place 1 KN95 respirator mask and 2 surgical masks directly into the hands of doctors and nurses on the frontlines.
Healthcare professionals are working tirelessly to treat and save the lives of COVID-infected patients - your friends, neighbors, family, and communities. Yet there is an overwhelming shortage nationwide of adequate protective equipment, leaving our health professionals exposed and vulnerable to infection. The U.S. is estimated to require 3.5 billion face masks but only holds 10% of the inventory it needs.
Help us help them, so they can go home safely to their families too.
(scene at public hospital in Elmhurst, center of the NYC epidemic)
Where are the masks?
China stepped up mask manufacturing fivefold at the end of February from 20million/day to 110million/day. In the meantime they contained COVID largely to the Hubei province and are opening up the country again, meaning there’s capacity for export.
Why can't hospitals get masks themselves?
There are many factors that have contributed to the current shortage of PPE (personal protective gear). Among them, the increasingly competitive global demand (ie. rising prices), long lead times to verify suppliers, logistics issues, and stiff credit terms (100% cash required upfront) have left hospitals unable to procure enough goods.
But there is still supply to tap, at least this early in the game.
Where does the money go?
All proceeds go towards acquiring and distributing PPE to those in need, as efficiently as we can. Mask costs have been rapidly rising and currently we can acquire N95 comparable KN95 masks for up to ~$2.80. Surgical masks run ~ up to $0.60 (final pricing varies with volume ordered and shipping). We are leveraging prior experience in trading illiquid emerging markets and coordinating with other efforts to combine bulk orders for best pricing. Chinese fluency has also been valuable. For context, New York's governor said masks were being sold for $7 on March 22, when a few days prior it was $4.
Our goal is to move nimbly and provide stopgap measures for hospitals and clinics, in case government support cannot step in.
We have trusted suppliers and boots on the ground in China. Factories we deal with must have either FDA or EU certification (which is authorized for medical use under the FDA Emergency Use Authorization letter). CDC recommendations on N95/KN95 standards for COVID are also followed. The CDC currently recognizes KN95 masks as suitable to provide protection and the FDA is not objecting to their importation and use. We are an FDA registered importer and have been directly corresponding with them.
Who will receive the masks?
Our first targets were in California where we identified hotspots and vulnerable communities with fewer resources, plus urgent requests from those in need. Future targets (donations received after May 7) nationwide.
We've privately raised an additional $23K that's being shipped out to hospitals around the country (pictures in updates)
For urgent needs, pls fill out our request form or contact us directly.
For example: "Patients are getting sicker. We know that we're only 10-12 days behind Italy in patients flocking to the ER, very sick, needing to be put in the ICU," "When that time comes, we're going to burn through all our PPE equipment very, very quickly." -ER physician at Beverly Hospital in Montebello, Los Angeles.
“PPE has been extremely low at our hospitals and we don’t have enough to adequately protect our staff.”-ER physician at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center.
Gavin Newsom, governor of California, estimated that more than half of Californians (56%) will get COVID. The state has 73,899 acute-care hospital beds and some 40 million residents, one of the lowest rates per capita in the nation. The number of patients needing acute care are projected to overwhelm the healthcare system. Even in the best case scenario where coronavirus is spread out over 18 months, American beds would be ~95% full.
Who We Are and Why We're Fundraising
We are a team of an entrepreneur, healthcare leader, and lawyer who collectively have experience in international trading, regulatory compliance, nonprofit administration, digital marketing, and hospital systems. We're further supported by an unofficial network with manufacturing, import/export, and medical experience.
Anna Yen Kim: My youngest baby had open heart surgery 2 months ago. This was the type of surgery that could be canceled in this environment, along with transplant and other "elective" surgeries. I'm so grateful for our amazing medical team, and I want medics to go home safely to their families, like my baby has come home safely to me. Nearly 15 years living abroad has helped me meet an amazing network of resourceful, kind people. Many who are already helping. Thank you.
Herman Dulay: As someone who has worked in healthcare for 10+ years, I am very much aware of the disparities that exist among hospitals and healthcare centers. Large hospitals and health systems have the capacity to import supplies more readily than many community hospitals. It is important that we support ALL healthcare workers during this time as they support us and their local communities. Like many of you, I have family currently working in less than ideal conditions. Please help us support them with the necessary PPE!
Ji Hae Kim: Like many of you, I have family, friends, and neighbors who work as direct healthcare providers. I’m frustrated as they share story after story about physicians who are re-using their masks, or nurses and therapists who treat possible COVID-infected patients unprotected. I hear the worry and anxiety in their voices, yet they go back to their clinics, day after day, to help their communities. To help us. Our healthcare workers deserve better. I joined this campaign once I realized that I can take action to help - and so can you!
Let's Do This!
“Every pandemic is local so you have to pull on those local strings so we can help each other,” said a public health department spokesperson in NY Times Article, "At War With No Ammo"
Your grandparents were called to war. You've been called to stay home... and buy a mask!
You can do this.