Microsoft, UPS and health care and other companies have teamed up on an app designed to help individuals and organizations who want to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to connect with local hospitals which may need them.
The American Hospital Association says it recently launched a 100 Million Mask Challenge, calling on a coordinated effort between citizens, businesses and manufacturers to quickly produce PPE on a large scale.
The Protecting People Everywhere project takes that to the next level. The app, operated by HealthEquip, will match those donating PPE with local hospitals based on needs-criteria.
"The app also will track PPE donations and manage shipping through UPS to your hospital," the AHA said in a statement.
The main focus of the app is for donations of medical-grade PPE of masks, face masks, gloves and gowns. Hospitals register and tell the app what they need. According to an FAQ, the app will then determine the allocation of donated PPE based on a combination of what items become available and the need of all registered hospitals in UPS' one-day delivery regions. The hospitals will pay the shipping fees.
The app is currently web-based. AHA says versions for Apple and Google devices are in the works. Registrations can be made at this link.
Kaiser Permanente, consulting firm Kearney, Goodwill and Merit Solutions are also part of the partnership.