Community support continues to pour in for the Purdue Veterinary Hospital in the form of facemask donations for hospital employees. In addition to individual donations, the hospital received a bulk donation from the Greater Lafayette Chinese Community Thursday, May 7.
Johnny Shen, a ninth-grader, accompanied by his mom, Linda Mao, delivered the donation of 350 facemasks to Lynn Hall. Hospital Administrative Assistant Terri Donald was on-hand to accept the donation. In a note of thanks to the GLCC, Terri wrote, “Your show of community support will encourage the veterinary hospital team of clinicians, nurses, staff, interns, residents, and students. Again, thank you very much!”
Shaomin Hu, a representative of the GLCC and point-person for the donation, said their donors were really pleased with every effort by the healthcare team in the Purdue Veterinary Hospital to go through this crisis, adding that the community will continue to make their best effort to help in this fight. The GLCC recently was featured in a story on WLFI for their generous support to 19 local healthcare facilities and front-line organizations by providing PPE and lunch boxes. Click here to view the GLCC Facebook page.
In response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines on the use of cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Ellen I. Lowery, Purdue Veterinary Hospital director, had issued a request to the PVM family seeking donations of cloth facemasks to use in the hospital. The facemasks are not a replacement for appropriate PPE or surgical masks. However, in situations where physical distancing of six feet is not always possible, such as with patient care, the use of cloth masks helps protect individuals around the mask wearer. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the hospital remains committed to the health and safety of the hospital team and clients.
Facemask donations are still being accepted. Faculty, staff, and students who are working on campus can find donation bins in Lynn Hall near the hospital reception areas, loading dock, Continuum Café area, and the hospital administration office. Additionally, pink drop-off bins are located near the client parking areas outside both the Small and Large Animal Hospitals.