Yellowstone County health officials asked for donations of personal protective equipment for health care workers Monday at a drop-off site at the MetraPark Sandstone building.
The donation center's goal is to help relieve the shortage of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers, according to a fact sheet published by county health officials.
Here's a list of the items requested:
- N95 Respirators: 1860, 8210, Inovell 3000 and 1870, 1870+, 9210, 9211, 8511Z
- Surgical masks, including ASTM Levels 1, 2, 3
- Hand sanitizer, 70% alcohol preferred
- Tyvek overalls
- Tyvek hoods
- Face shields
- Thermometers, oral (digital) and no touch
- Goggles (no splash preferred)
- Disinfectants: (Fuzion item # 31478), Caviwipes, Clorox/Lysol disinfecting wipes
- Isolation gowns (Fluid resistant)
Donations can be dropped off at the MetraPark Sandstone building by appointment. To schedule a time call 406-208-8154.
The site will also be used to distribute donated equipment.
“That will also become a distribution site now that we are starting to get some supplies in. We do ask that people bring their donations in original boxes if possible so we know exactly what it is. If that’s not possible, just a sturdy box that’s organized. We don’t want stuff thrown in a box if we can avoid that," Yellowstone County Health Officer John Felton told the Billings City Council Monday .
Felton said boxes should be labeled with the type and total number of equipment pieces they contain. He said records of donations will be kept to help obtain federal disaster funding.
Information on how to donate money will be shared at a later date, according to the county fact sheet.
The county is also seeking volunteers with expertise in the medical field. Felton said officials are calling on volunteers to "hope for the best and plan for the worst."
County officials are looking for retired physicians, nurses, social workers, health care administrators or former public health officials to help. To get that ball rolling, call 406-272-8511, or visit the United Way's website by clicking here.
Felton also urged people to take some time do donate blood if they can, because the community still needs it.
“All the things that still go on in a community, from a healthcare perspective, still go on. We’re not doing elective procedures, but we still have trauma, we still have people with blood disorders, we still have emergency surgeries. So the need for blood is still critical," Felton said.
For more information on becoming a blood donor in Billings and to schedule an appointment, visit Vitalant.org or call Vitalant at (877) 258-4825.
The site bloodhero.com is a place to type a zip code to find the nearest place to donate.