ProtectAZ's advisory committee is comprised of local doctors and business executives who have the experience and connections to acquire needed supplies quickly.
Upon acquisition, medical supplies are distributed through a process that focuses on the need to protect health. Requests for medical supplies are assessed by a committee of medical and healthcare professionals and prioritized based on need and availability. The current focused-needs groups in Arizona are as follows, subject to change and expansion as needed.
Healthcare Workers and First Responders
People at the front lines are at risk and, unfortunately, pose a risk to those they serve. According to the Chinese CDC, 9% of healthcare workers screened that were positive never converted to having symptoms.
Arizona physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare workers and first responders do not have enough N-95 masks, eye shields, gloves, and other basic medical supplies. ProtectAZ seeks to rectify shortages of basic personal protective equipment (PPE) and is working toward offering any front-line person or first responder free COVID-19 testing periodically (7-10 days). We plan to work directly with hospital systems and to promote this to the community at large to allow workers to directly access these resources.
Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care Facilities
COVID-19 disproportionately affects elders and the chronically ill. Many facilities are making strong efforts to protect their residents, but their staff leaves every day and returns for the next shift, which may expose them to the virus. The staff in facilities with which we have connected do not have enough PPE and have not considered regular staff and resident screenings to bolster their quarantine measures. These organizations are very willing to accept our help.
Food Banks
Food banks are more important than they have been in decades and are working extremely hard to meet people’s needs. Food bank workers do not have enough access to PPE, are exposed to hundreds of people every day, and could in turn expose hundreds of people per day to the virus. They need PPE and regular COVID-19 testing.
Homeless and Women's Shelters
Shelter employees and residents are always considered to be at high risk for infectious diseases. With COVID-19, this is especially true. The pandemic may disproportionately affect the homeless population and the dedicated staff that work to serve them. We must support this disadvantaged group.
