SUNRISE, Fla. (April 22, 2020)—Interim HealthCare Inc., a franchise network of homecare, senior care, home health and hospice and health care staffing services, and its parent company, Caring Brands International (CBI), launched a website to help the homecare industry access critical personal protective equipment (PPE) inventory in the fight against COVID-19: ppeforhomecare.org
Since this public health crisis reached the United States, CBI and Interim HealthCare president and CEO, Jennifer Sheets, and her team have been integral in driving U.S.-based and international advocacy and task force gathering discussions to spotlight a huge gap in the industry’s ability to obtain and fulfill orders for PPE. Subsequently, the leadership at Interim HealthCare Inc., has been sourcing, vetting and negotiating critically needed PPE for the Interim HealthCare network of owners and operators. This fast action has allowed the homecare master franchisor to keep pace with demand and manage its inventory over the last five weeks.
It is these efforts that led to the concept behind ppeforhomecare.org. Among the core essentials of PPE being sourced are gloves, N95 masks, gowns, digital thermometers, infrared thermometers and more.
“Our priority is always the health and safety of our clinicians, caregivers and the patients and families they serve. From the moment we understood the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential to prevent our collective ability to source supplies of PPE, we quickly mobilized,” said president and CEO, Jennifer Sheets. “Never wanting to increase burden on the healthcare ecosystem or hope for handouts or donations from the CDC and state governments or private fundraising, we assessed inventory and vetted reputable suppliers ourselves to find a solution. Now we are opening it up to others. For us this is mission-critical: without PPE we can’t ask our employees to be on the front line of this epidemic, just as we would never ask our armed forces to enter battle unprepared.”
As a commitment to banding together in this pandemic, the new PPE sourcing channel, now open to all those in homecare, is a bold step in helping the world-wide home healthcare industry meet healthcare needs, wherever and however possible. By opening purchasing to other verified home care agencies that are struggling to find PPE, CBI can leverage bulk purchasing and greater buying power (and therefore optimal pricing) through higher volume orders.
Specific inventory includes disposable gowns, surgical masks, digital thermometers, hand sanitizer, latex cloves, nitrile gloves, vinyl gloves, KN95 respirator masks, and infrared thermometers. Inventory is available to representatives of verified home care agencies in the United States or abroad.
Caring Brands International is an organization comprised of three leading home healthcare brands across the globe including, Interim HealthCare in the United States, Bluebird Care in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Just Better Care in Australia.
Caring Brands International global home care companies will have first right to order. Owners, executives or operators of established home healthcare agencies must provide proof of establishment and agree that, should items be secured, they won’t resell or remarket supplies.
Reputable suppliers whose standards and inventory can be verified and that offer competitive pricing with reliable delivery, are invited to email support@ppeforhomecare.org to share currently available PPE and related items. Interest in helping with this important effort is greatly appreciated.
For more information on Interim HealthCare, please visit interimhealthcare.com.
