JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Jacksonville State University has given a generous hand in Alabama’s fight against COVID-19 by loaning out its equipment to area hospitals.
JSU is home to Alabama’s only baccalaureate program in respiratory therapy. The school stated that they understand the stress the coronavirus has placed on the state’s healthcare community and have decided to loan ventilators to three hospitals.
“We knew, based on national trends, it was simply a matter of time before local facilities would need more equipment,” Ed Goodwin, director of JSU’s respiratory therapy program, said.
The university has loaned out the following:
- Regional Medical Center in Anniston: A Puritan-Bennett 840 ventilator, a Servo-i ventilator, and a Trilogy 202 portable ventilator
- Gadsden Regional Medical Center: A Puritan-Bennett 840 ventilator and a Philips V60 non-invasive ventilator
- UAB Hospital: A Puritan-Bennett 980 ventilator
“These are the same types of vents that these facilities use on a daily basis,” Goodwin said. “They have the same modes and abilities as the ones they are currently using.”
JSU purchased the equipment to train respiratory therapy students to work in area hospitals but, with the spring semester winding down while the pandemic rages on, Goodwin said the university felt the ventilators could be put to better use out on the front lines.
“We work very closely with these facilities on a regular basis,” Goodwin said. “We cannot do what we do without their support, so we are happy to be able to help them in their time of need.”
For more information on the JSU respiratory therapy program, click here.
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