PPE, mask donations an uplifting community experience
Lori Orr is the chief operations officer for Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group, Pacific Urology, West Coast Surgical Associates and the Women’s Cancer Center of the East Bay, with offices in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Brentwood and San Ramon.
In the early phase of the coronavirus crisis, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) compounded the challenges faced by medical facilities that needed to provide care to seriously ill patients, while at the same time protecting these patients and staff from infection.
To address this shortage, many organizations including ours, initiated PPE collection drives and started accepting masks, face shields and other items from the community. We want to thank all who answered our call for PPE donations. You lifted us up with your generosity and thoughtfulness.
The first donation we received was from a construction company that donated its extra construction masks, then the parents from Dorris-Eaton School organized a mask donation drive on our behalf that yielded 100 N95 masks and goggles. Next, the Tri-Valley and Lamorinda Chinese American communities donated hundreds and hundreds of surgical masks and face shields. A high school student who learned of our PPE drive printed 3-D face shields, and a patient generously donated hundreds of surgical masks through his business connections.
Through it all, countless numbers of patients and community friends donated their extra masks and sewed cloth masks. We even received hundreds of cloth masks from a group called the Mountain Masketeers, who were sheltering in place in a mountain community far away.
These donations helped make it easier for us to remain open and to continue to provide high-quality medical care for our patients, including performing necessary diagnostic imaging exams and oncologic surgery, and delivering radiation and chemotherapy.
Our providers continue to see new and current patients with full clinic schedules, as well as offering teleheath visits via Zoom.
Early on, we implemented infection prevention practices and protocols in all of our facilities, including temperature and respiratory symptom screening and mandatory face coverings for all employees and patients.
If you or a loved one is in need of urology, surgery, oncology or hematology medical care, please call us for an appointment. The health, safety and well being of our patients and staff remain our top priorities.
We are here and ready to take care of patients in a safe and secure environment.
PPE and mask donations are still being accepted. For more information, visit dvohmg.com or call 925-677-5041.