Holyoke Medical Center Shares Personal Protective Equipment with Local First Responders

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center has shared personal protective equipment (PPE) with local first responders, including Action Ambulance, the South Hadley Fire Department, and the city of Springfield.

“Holyoke Medical Center is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and donations received through this COVID-19 pandemic by many community businesses, Novanta, and the efforts made by the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “Today we became aware that first responders in some of our surrounding communities, who work with our patients, were in desperate need of PPE. In a time of mutual aid, we felt it was our obligation to share some of our PPE with those first responders.”

The donations included face shields and KN95 face masks first responders. Also provided were standard face masks for the responders to provide people they interact with at a distance closer than six feet.

After canvasing the local communities, the following were in need of PPE and were provided with the followng list of contributions from Holyoke Medical Center:

• Action Ambulance: 200 KN95 masks, 100 face shields, and 600 standard masks;

• South Hadley Fire Department: 200 KN95 masks, 100 face shields, and 600 standard masks; and

• City of Springfield: 600 KN95 masks, 500 face shields, and 900 standard masks.

Holyoke Medical Center executives also spoke with officials in other surrounding municipalities, most of which had an adequate current supply of masks and face shields.