CState donated more than $8,000 of protective medical gear for health care workers fighting COVID-19

Donated PPEs, ready for delivery

Cincinnati State is one of our region's leading educational centers for health care professionals who are now on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

That includes registered and practical nurses, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, medical lab technicians, EMTs, paramedics, and other health professionals who work in every hospital in our region as well in physician practices, long term care facilities and other care delivery systems.

Because Spring Semester lab activities have moved to remote delivery, last week Cincinnati State donated more than $8,000 of new "personal protective equipment" that would have been used during lab work.

• The much-needed equipment went to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, West Chester Hospital, TriHealth, and to the Mason Health Care Center, which is a long-term care facility.
   
• The donated equipment includes more than 18,000 medical gloves, more than 600 masks with face shields, as well as isolation and medical gowns.

"Protective equipment is expensive, but donating it to other facilities is the right thing to do for our community, our healthcare partners, our graduates, and others working on the front line with patients," said Dr. Janelle McCord, dean of Cincinnati State's Health and Public Safety Division.

Dean McCord and the College's Biology lab managers personally delivered the donated equipment to the hospitals and health care center.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati State is also preparing, if needed, to loan area hospitals up to six devices that can be used to mechanically ventilate patients. The devices would help provide critical care for severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Graduates of Cincinnati State's Respiratory Therapy program work in every hospital in the region and are trained to run the ventilators needed during this crisis.

Several years ago, the PNC Charitable Trusts gave Cincinnati State a grant to purchase a new ventilator. Not only has it been used to train hundreds of students, now the gift may find another "pay-it-forward" opportunity to save more lives in our community.

Cincinnati State is committed to helping wherever it can during this crisis, as the College has done throughout its 50 years as the region's largest community and technical college.

(Article by Richard Curtis, Cincinnati State Interim Media Coordinator)