ACEP, UAF Respond to Frontline COVID-19 Safety Needs
ACEP leadership and researchers are engaging with local health care providers to identify and address opportunities to prepare for an increase in COVID-19 cases in Fairbanks. A collaborative UAF team, including the , , and ACEP, has identified several tasks where the university can deploy employee expertise and on-campus capabilities to support Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and potentially the local fire departments. This week, the team is fabricating and delivering several universal powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) hood adaptors to allow hoods from different manfucaturers to be interchangeable with base units. Additional efforts underway include:
• Fabricating FDA-approved ventilator splitters to allow a single ventilator to be
used for multiple patients.
• Production of hand sanitizer.
• Local fabrication of personal protective equipment, including PAPR hoods (in conjunction
with local businesses).
• Portable disinfecting systems to facilitate re-use of personal protective equipment.
If there are any businesses or individuals interested in working with ACEP on some of these efforts, please contact Gwen Holdmann or Dayne Broderson.
Let’s keep our health professionals and first responders safe!
Different vendor powered air-purifying respirators and their hoods. Photo by Dayne Broderson.