We, as humans, have not faced anything comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic in more than a century. Many of our resources are stretched in ways that we are all feeling; most acutely our health care system and their supply chain for obtaining necessary protective equipment. This is nothing short of war and sending our health care workers into hospitals without proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is kin to sending soldiers into battle unarmed.
We at Nexceris, as innovators and problem solvers, have assessed our capabilities and asked the question: “How can we help?”
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we had been searching for a way to help out,” stated Josh Emerick, Controls Engineer. “We evaluated our resources and determined that we could manufacture face shields.”
To pursue this avenue, we reached out to OhioHealth to discern their immediate needs and communicate what we are able to create in-house. We were able to receive a 3D printable design for face shields from Prusa Research. Our engineers have repurposed our 3D printers and laser cutters to be printing hardware and cutting mylar to produce these life-saving barriers to go between health care workers and their patients.
The growing list of health care providers who have received our PPE include:
- OhioHealth Columbus
- OhioHealth Delaware
- Porter Health Care System
- Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center
- Barrett Cancer Center at the University of Cincinnati
- Fayette County Memorial Hospital
In this tempestuous and uncertain time, the most important thing that we can do is care for one another and keep each other safe.
“The Nexceris team loves solving problems and making a difference. For us, it’s a privilege to help protect the medical front-line during this crisis, shared Matthew M. Seabaugh, PhD, Vice President New Product Launch.
In Ohio, we have already seen a tremendous altering of the projected infection numbers from our mandated orders for non-essential employees to stay at home and limit contact with other people. This is reducing the number of hospital beds being occupied at once and is making sure that the necessary care is available for the people who need it. Many lives are being saved. Our Nexceris team members are doing our small part to reduce the number of doctors and nurses becoming patients themselves instead of caregivers; to keep them healthy and keep them working the front lines to win this fight.
