The transition from classroom to online learning is creating opportunities for area community colleges donating medical supplies and patient overflow space.
Medical equipment and supplies used for educating future doctors and nurses in community college classrooms are now in the hands of local hospitals. Grand Rapids Community College donating more than 70,000 pieces of medical and personal protection equipment to neighbor Spectrum Health.
“We had filter masks, gloves, disposable gowns, protective eyewear, face shields, bleach wipes.”
Dave Murray is GRCC Communications Director explaining the campus effort includes Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Radiology Technology, Dental and Medical Assistant, Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences programs along with The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education.
“Once we switched to distance learning for the remainder of this semester there were a lot of materials that we didn’t need right away and that we didn’t need right away and that we could donate. All of these types of things are used in the classroom.”
GRCC is sharing its parking, too.
At Muskegon Community College, it has “partnered with the State of Michigan and Mercy Health to use the college’s Health and Wellness Center as a site for hospital beds for overflow patients to free up space in area hospitals for the possible influx of critical COVID-19 cases.”
I’m Patrick Center.
