As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the U.S., front line medical staff still struggle with the lack of resources. Making a difficult situation even tougher is the fact that families and loved ones are unable to communicate or even see critically ill patients due to restricted visitor policies in place in hospitals across the U.S.
Arthur M. Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has answered the call to ease that burden. Through his Foundation, a donation of more than $140,000 will be made to purchase Microsoft Surface devices for use in patient rooms, as well as surgical and clinical areas within Emory Healthcare.
It's been well documented that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies continue to be at a critically low level and preservation of PPE is a top priority so patients can continue to get the care they deserve. But, that's not the only issue.
“We are always grateful to Arthur and his Foundation for heeding the call to help our community. This donation is so impactful not just to those frontline healthcare workers, but also for those patients trying to fight the virus.” Rich McKay, president and CEO, Atlanta Falcons
As we've heard time and time again, a big part of the concern during this pandemic for many is not only the illness they may be afflicted with, but the potential for feelings of isolation and loneliness that can wreak havoc on a person's ability to recover.
As a way to help stave off many of these concerns, telemedicine has become more common in hospitals and care homes around the country in order to preserve the safety of frontline workers while still allowing them to serve the patient. Telemedicine, an innovative approach for patients to communicate with their healthcare professional that limits the number of times a nurse or doctor must enter the room with PPE, thus conserving it, while still providing the patient as optimal care. Additively, it allows for contact with family members including spouses, children, parents, friends, and other loved ones during their illness who otherwise wouldn't be able to see or talk with them.
"On behalf of our patients and their families, I want to thank Mr. Blank and his organization for the donation," says Scott D. Boden, MD, Vice President for Business Innovation for Emory Healthcare. "In this unprecedented time, with social distancing, we have situations where families can't communicate with very ill or even terminal patients and these tablets will have a huge impact for providers, patients, and their families."
Foundational core values drive the Blank Family of Businesses and giving back to others leads the charge during this extraordinary time.
"We are always grateful to Arthur and his Foundation for heeding the call to help our community," says Rich McKay, president and CEO, Atlanta Falcons. "This donation is so impactful not just to those frontline healthcare workers, but also for those patients trying to fight the virus."
