PITTSBURGH, June 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its
efforts to assure that frontline caregivers have the personal
protective equipment they need to help prevent exposure to the
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during the current pandemic, Allegheny
Health Network (AHN) has partnered with MSA Safety (NYSE: MSA) to
procure P100 industrial grade respirators that can be disinfected
and reused repeatedly.
The Advantage® 200 LS Respirator from MSA – which filters out
nearly 100 percent of airborne particulates – is a mask not
typically used in health care settings. However, because of the
scarcity of disposable respirator masks caused by the worldwide
COVID-19 pandemic, AHN has worked to identify options to mitigate
the effects of the disposable mask shortage. This effort comes
after the FDA and CDC recently issued guidance that NIOSH-approved
elastomeric respirators can complement a hospital's PPE stockpile
and serve as a viable alternative to N95 disposable masks.
Designed for reuse, the Advantage 200 Respirator is a half-mask,
tight-fitting facepiece that covers a person's nose and mouth, and
comes equipped with twin removable filters. The masks are
disinfected between uses by AHN's sterilization technicians.
"When it comes to the personal protective equipment that keeps
caregivers safe, our goal is for AHN to be as self-sustaining as
possible while not compromising the safety of our caregivers and
patients," said Sri Chalikonda, MD,
AHN's Chief Medical Operations Officer. "We want our clinical teams
to be 100-percent focused on the care of our patients with full
confidence that they have the PPE they need to do their jobs at
this critical time."
The Advantage® 200 LS Respirator masks are used by ICU and
emergency department clinicians, or any caregiver working with
confirmed or suspected COVID-positive patients.
"MSA recognizes that fighting the spread of COVID-19 requires an
all-hands-on-deck approach," said Steve
Blanco, President of MSA's Americas business segment.
"We are pleased to be working alongside AHN and other leading
health care providers to explore and deliver PPE solutions that are
helping communities better respond to this unprecedented
challenge."
Mr. Blanco noted that reusable elastomeric respirators are
currently not included in any replenishment plans associated with
the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile for critical personal
protective equipment.
"The work AHN is doing as a great example of how these kinds of
respirators can help address challenges associated with procuring
sufficient levels of PPE for healthcare workers," he said.
"Given the fact that one reusable respirator can do the work of
hundreds, if not thousands, of disposable masks, we think there's a
clear benefit of having elastomerics included in the Strategic
National Stockpile."
He added that MSA has been working to call attention to this
opportunity. "Our hope is that we can get this changed and
help in the effort to protect our nation's healthcare workers in
the same way they've been working to protect us."
About Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company,
is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater
Western Pennsylvania region.
The Network is composed of 12 hospitals, ambulatory surgery
centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician
organization, home and community based health services, a research
institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network
provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced
medical services, including nationally recognized programs for
primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease,
organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology
and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and
more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than
2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical
campus for Drexel University College of
Medicine, Temple University School of
Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine.
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SOURCE Allegheny Health Network