DEARBORN — In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Henry Ford College of Health and Human Services has provided medical equipment and supplies to area hospitals, including five life-saving ventilators. 

For its part, local hospitals and health systems are being stretched to their limits to provide life-saving care to people suffering from COVID-19.

Ventilators are especially needed and are in short supply. To respond to this need, on Saturday, March 28, the college sent five ventilators – used for training respiratory therapists and nurses at Henry Ford College (HFC) – to Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) to support patients.

The ventilators will be sanitized and calibrated at HFHS, and will remain at the HFHS Wyandotte and West Bloomfield hospitals until the pandemic has passed.

Members of the HFC School of Health of Human Services spent the beginning of this week boxing up medical supplies to donate to local hospitals during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Local hospitals and regulatory agencies reached out to the college nursing and healthcare professions programs to request protective medical equipment and supplies to alleviate the shortages. HFC donated the following items to HFHS and Beaumont Health:

• Personal protective equipment packs
• Shoe covers
• Head covers
• Sterile surgical gowns
• N95 surgical masks
• Gloves (sterile and non-sterile)

Susan Shunkwiler, dean of the HFC School of Health and Human Services, said she was happy the college was able to donate this much-needed equipment in a time of unprecedented need.

“When I put out the call on Sunday night for assistance packing up equipment and supplies, the whole team came together,” she said. “Five people met me on campus and volunteered their time to make this happen quickly. I’m so proud of this team and I’m proud that our college can help with patient care and life-saving measures.”

All on-campus education at HFC has been postponed for the rest of the current semester.