After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and William Jewell College’s subsequent closure, College departments donated unused personal protective equipment (PPE) to area hospitals. In all, Jewell donated hospital beds, nitrile gloves, latex gloves, goggles, N95 masks, surgical face masks, disposable lab coats, Clorox wipes, caps and gowns from the various participating departments.
In addition to masks and gloves, the nursing department donated eight of the department’s hospital beds to Truman Medical Center.
The biology and chemistry departments donated gloves, goggles, masks, disposable lab coats, Clorox wipes and bleach from among their leftover lab supplies to Liberty Hospital.
Joe Garcia, chief operating officer of the College, is leading the efforts of both securing and donating PPE.
“It was more of a department-level decision, but we coordinated the reporting,” Garcia said, when asked about the decision to donate supplies.
In total, the various departments were able to donate 96 boxes of nitrile gloves, 54 boxes of latex gloves, 39 pairs of goggles, 59 N95 masks and other face masks, 140 disposable lab coats, seven canisters of Clorox wipes, 200 gowns and 170 gowns to hospitals around the Kansas City area.
Dr. MacLeod Walls, president of the College, spoke to the Monitor about the importance for Jewell to donate supplies, both to assist healthcare workers and continue the relationship between William Jewell and the Kansas City community.
“We were honored and pleased to help by marshaling resources and assisting our healthcare partners during the pandemic. This experience has reminded us how important these relationships are to William Jewell and to our larger community,” said MacLeod Walls.
The donation of supplies not only helped local hospitals gain more vital supplies but also serves as a reminder of the importance of institutions like Jewell serving and working with the local community – especially during extreme circumstances.
