Since the onset of COVID-19, Interim HealthCare Inc., has continued its critical work caring for ongoing patients, as well as those who have contracted COVID-19. As this public health crisis began to put a massive strain on the available supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), Interim HealthCare knew it needed to act fast. Over the last few months, the company has sourced, vetted and negotiated essential PPE for its network of owners and operators. It rapidly mobilized resources from the moment the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its potential to inhibit the ability to source supplies, became apparent. Never wanting to increase the burden on the healthcare ecosystem or hope for donations from the government or private organizations, Interim HealthCare assessed inventory and verified reputable suppliers themselves to find a solution.
Recognizing the immense impact the lack of PPE inventory was having on franchises across the country to keep pace with the rising demand for home care services, the company decided to expand its offering to all home care companies within the U.S. and abroad. On April 21, Interim HealthCare launched the website PPEforHomeCare.org, helping the industry source fair-market-priced essentials such as gloves, N95 masks, gowns, digital thermometers, infrared thermometers, and more. Then, it quickly formed a team responsible for sourcing all pieces of PPE, vetting vendors, and getting the best prices to stay at least one week ahead of anticipated need – in the process, helping to ensure home care paraprofessionals and clinicians were properly protected.
As a commitment to banding together in this pandemic, the PPE sourcing channel was a bold step in helping the global home care industry meet healthcare needs, wherever and however possible. By opening purchasing to other verified home care agencies that were struggling to find PPE at cost, Interim HealthCare gained greater buying power through higher volume orders with fair-market sellers. But most importantly, it helped to support those on the frontlines of this pandemic.
Without access to PPE, home care providers are unable to do their job. As the demand for home care rises amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, so does the need for PPE to protect caregivers and those they care for. In addition to being a PPE resource for companies, Interim HealthCare also educated its network on the latest CDC safety guidelines, as well as best practices for utilizing PPE to minimize waste.
Through this effort, Interim HealthCare has distributed an estimated 3 million units of critical PPE items to more than 1,000 agencies across the U.S. and five other countries since launching its website, helping countless home care clinicians to continue delivering care to meet patient needs.
Jennifer Sheets is the President & CEO of Interim HealthCare. For more information, please visit PPEforHomeCare.org. For franchise opportunities for International Franchise Association (IFA) franchisor member Interim HealthCare, click here.