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Release Date: 
Tuesday, March 24, 2020

HFC provides life-saving ventilators, medical supplies to local hospitals

HFC Health and Human Services and Campus Safety team members help Henry Ford Health System pick up five ventilators to use at their Wyandotte and West Bloomfield hospitals.
HFC Health and Human Services and Campus Safety team members help Henry Ford Health System pick up five ventilators to use at their Wyandotte and West Bloomfield hospitals.

Saving lives in real-time

Henry Ford College teaches students in our health professions programs to support and save lives.

During the coronavirus pandemic, local hospitals and health systems are being stretched to their limits to provide life-saving care to people suffering from COVID-19.

Ventilators are especially needed, and are in short supply. To respond to this need, on Saturday, March 28, the College sent five ventilators -- used for training respiratory therapists and nurses at HFC -- to Henry Ford Health System to support patients.

The ventilators will be sanitized and calibrated at HFHS, and will remain at the HFHS Wyandotte and West Bloomfield hospitals until the pandemic has passed.

Medical supplies to support front-line health care workers

Members of the HFC School of Health of Human Services (HHS) spent the beginning of this week boxing up medical supplies to donate to local hospitals during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Local hospitals and regulatory agencies reached out to college nursing and health professions programs to request protective medical equipment and supplies to alleviate the shortages. HFC donated the following items to Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont Health:

• Personal protective equipment packs
• Shoe covers
• Head covers
• Sterile surgical gowns
• N95 surgical masks
• Gloves (sterile and non-sterile)

Dr. Susan Shunkwiler, Dean of the School of Health and Human Services, was happy that the College was able to donate this much-needed equipment in a time of unprecedented need.

"When I put out the call on Sunday night for assistance packing up equipment and supplies, the whole team came together. Five people met me on campus and volunteered their time to make this happen quickly. I'm so proud of this team, and I'm proud that our College can help with patient care and life-saving measures."

All on-campus education at HFC has been postponed for the rest of the current semester. “Part of the Henry Ford College mission is to serve the public good,” said Shunkwiler. “I want to extend a special thanks to all our faculty and staff in the School of Health and Human Services for their willingness to help in the midst of this global crisis.”