PPE Distribution Events Provide Equipment to Hundreds of LA County Docs

LACMA COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE INITIATIVE PPE Distribution Events Provide Equipment to Hundreds of LA County Docs

Above: Physicians line up to receive PPE at Habitat LA ReStore. Bottom: LACMA staff prepare hundreds of bags with PPE equipment, supplies and information for distribution at the events.

Since the launch of the LACMA COVID-19 Rapid Response Initiative in mid-March, LACMA has raised nearly $125,000 in funds and provided approximately 400 medical practices with financial assistance, telehealth subsidies, resources. PPE supplies, and more.

In recent weeks, LACMA has provided hundreds of PPEs to Los Angeles County physicians and community-based organizations through two community events.

On April 21, in partnership with Habitat LA ReStore, LACMA held its first PPE distribution event, with curbside pickup and county-wide courier delivery. Staff from Habitat for Humanity and LACMA safely handed out nearly 9,000 KN95s, 200 NIH standard shields, 1,000 hand sanitizers, telehealth subsidy program information, and office supplies to nearly 250 physician practices.

“Thank you to Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles. We are honored to support our frontline and community organizations.”

In May, a partnership between LACMA and Santa

Monica College provided another 150 LA County physicians with curbside pickup of KN95 masks, face shields, hand sanitizers and other critical office supplies.

“Healthcare workers are short on PPE everywhere, whether they’re community physicians or work at large hospital groups, so we really have been focused on investing more than $100,000 of our own funding to help physicians sort this mess out and get the PPE they need,” Dr. Sion Roy, president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, told the Santa Monica Daily Press. “It’s not just a funding issue. It’s also a pipeline issue — as I’m sure you know — because we can’t just go on Amazon and order what we need. So LACMA has spent an immeasurable amount of man-hours trying to track down a supplier and provide resources to those who need it.”

“We followed 30 to 40 leads; a lot of them were international, domestic and local, but almost all of them fell through for various reasons,” Roy continued, detailing how fraud and trade restrictions have made the marketplace for supplies unnavigable in recent months. “But we finally have found a local distributor,” which is something he and LACMA are thankful for, because droves of residents have shown up to both of the recent curbside events.

“We’re just trying to do everything we can to help physicians stay open,” Roy said.

If you are a Los Angeles County physician in need of assistance, please visit ladocs.org/coronavirus to apply for assistance or find links to information that will be useful.

Top: The LACMA and Habitat for Humanity staff ready to distribute PPEs to LA County physicians.

Middle: LACMA President Sion Roy, MD, gives a socially distanced interview to local media.

Below: Physicians line up to receive PPE at Santa Monica College.