Nebraska Medical Association Helps Lead Statewide Distribution of 24,000 Donated Face Shields

Nebraska Medical Association Helps Lead Statewide Distribution of 24,000 Donated Face Shields
Courtesy/Nebraska Medical Association.
April 25th, 2020 | Kevin Mooney

LINCOLN The Nebraska Medical Association (NMA) is working with other area physician-led organizations to coordinate statewide distribution of over 24,000 donated face shields to Nebraska healthcare providers.

“The NMA received 9,000 face shields that were donated for distribution through the organization #GetUsPPE. In fact, I drove 1,500 critically-needed face shields to the York and Grand Island areas, and with the generous donation of supplies by our local UPS Store, we’re shipping the remainder to providers across the state,” said Amy Reynoldson, Executive Vice President of the NMA.

CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island is the recipient of 1,000 of the face shields. “CHI Health St. Francis is deeply appreciative of the NMA’s efforts to get face shields delivered to us so quickly to help aid in the safe delivery of care to Grand Island area residents during this critical time,” said Ed Hannon, President of CHI Health St. Francis.

“Between the NMA, Metro Omaha Medical Society, and the Lancaster County Medical Society, we will distribute all of the face shields Nebraska receives to physicians, hospitals, healthcare workers, local health departments, and dentists alike. Part of the NMA’s mission is to advocate on behalf of the health of all Nebraskans, so this effort really demonstrates our mission in action,” said Reynoldson.

NMA President Todd Hlavaty, MD, on the NMA’s efforts, “By delivering face shields to physicians in Nebraska communities, we are arming them with the necessary tools to help them protect their patients and themselves.”

The medical associations were connected with national #GetUsPPE and regional facilitators GetMePPE Chicago through UNMC COVID Relief (CoRe), a student-run initiative designed to connect students and community members with opportunities to assist throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. “Our purpose is to listen to our frontline healthcare workers’ needs and then formulate a plan to meet those needs. Once we identified a potential supply of high-priority equipment, partnering on this with the Nebraska Medical Association helped us rapidly create the network required to get the face shield orders fulfilled and distributed,” said Rohan Khazanchi, Community Outreach Coordinator for UNMC CoRe and third-year medical student at UNMC.

#GetUsPPE, founded by emergency physicians on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic, is a leading national grassroots effort to equip frontline healthcare workers with the protective equipment they need. A collaboration between #GetUsPPE and Maple Grove, Minnesota, manufacturer Boston Scientific helped to make the donation of face shields to Nebraska’s health workers a reality.

The Nebraska Medical Association is an advocacy organization comprised of nearly 3,000 physicians (MDs and DOs), residents, and medical students from across all areas of Nebraska. Our mission is to serve physician members by advocating for the medical profession, for patients, and for the health of all Nebraskans.

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