The Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab–in partnership with a group of dedicated volunteers–is requesting input from assisted living and other non-primary healthcare facilities to determine local need for replacements for nonexistent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Face shields to be fabricated will be similar to https://www.coxhealth.com/innovation.
- Face masks to be fabricated will be similar to https://www.suncoastscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Joanns-face-mask-pattern.pdf.
Assisted living facilities, nursing homes and other non-primary healthcare facilities are encouraged to complete the form for face mask and shield requests here or below: https://bit.ly/fablabppe
Why: The supply of PPE provided to healthcare workers to use while caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic is extremely limited and rapidly declining each day. In an effort to protect healthcare workers and patients and slow the spread of the Coronavirus, the Suncoast Science Center is seeking input from assisted living facilities, nursing homes and other non-primary healthcare facility in need of PPE alternatives like face masks or shields.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ordered an additional 500 million surgical face masks, many of which will be provided to hospital and primary health center workers on the front lines. Healthcare workers in non-primary facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities could be left behind without even basic protection.
